# How invasive are proprietary drivers?

**URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/how-invasive-are-proprietary-drivers/18250
**Category:** Questions
**Created:** 2024-05-09T22:36:08Z
**Posts:** 9

## Post 1 by @throw-away-77 — 2024-05-09T22:36:08Z

So i am new to the privacy thing, i have been using linux for a while now and only use FOSS software and custom rom on my phone, the only proprietary software i use are games when i play em, but recently i started to get paranoid over my drivers, i have a pen display tablet that has drivers (xppen) and an RTX 3060, and they both use proprietary drivers.

Again i am new so can you ELI5 are proprietary drivers Actively invasive (like they are using telemetry while being used and we can tell that) or are they potentially invasive, and in either cases what should be done ?

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## Post 2 by @lepras — 2024-05-10T05:57:29Z

Its a ring 0 software so yeah. But how exactly its effecting privacy, I have no idea. Mostly the telementeory is in the Companian Software.

So I just use this:

> **[GitHub - ElPumpo/TinyNvidiaUpdateChecker: GeForce Experience sucks, this is the best open...](https://github.com/ElPumpo/TinyNvidiaUpdateChecker)**
>
> GeForce Experience sucks, this is the best open sourced AND lightweight NVIDIA GPU update checker.

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## Post 3 by @throw-away-77 — 2024-05-10T12:49:23Z

So i guess its same case as the intel management engine?

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## Post 4 by @lepras — 2024-05-10T12:56:55Z

> [@throw-away-77](#):
>
> intel management engine?

There was some concern regarding intel putting backdoors in their drivers iirc.

Do you have any links for that?

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## Post 5 by @anon29374801 — 2024-05-10T15:05:43Z

What benefit does this provide over just installing nvidia drivers without g-force from the website? Seems like you would actually miss out on being able to do a clean install.

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## Post 6 by @lepras — 2024-05-10T15:44:04Z

> [@anon29374801](#):
>
> What benefit does this provide over just installing nvidia drivers without g-force from the website? S

Automatic updates.

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## Post 7 by @throw-away-77 — 2024-05-10T17:39:45Z

How much more privacy would someone gain by using those open source reversed engineered Nvidia drivers compared to official ones abd what are the downsides of using them

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## Post 8 by @lepras — 2024-05-11T03:37:39Z

> [@throw-away-77](#):
>
> what are the downsides of using them

Low performance.

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## Post 9 by @pinkandwhite — 2024-05-11T06:06:04Z

The only reputable links about anything coming close to muh intel backdoooor!!!11!1 are going to be people writing about major vulns in ME, criminals making use of those vulns, and people complaining that intel is making such a wide attack surface opaque.