Closed source

Closed source (or proprietary software) are computer programs whose source code is not published.  The source code is not shared with the public for anyone to look at or change.  Closed source is the opposite of open source. 

Most companies who sell their software make it closed source so that people cannot easily change it or copy it for free. Even some who give their software for free do not show the source code, because they think it looks bad, or that somebody will change the authors' names to their own (a kind of plagiarism) without making the program better.  Some programs called “freeware” are given away for free, but they are not the same as free software that anyone can change any way they please.

It is almost impossible to know what a closed source software exactly does unless its binary code is reversed engineered which is very difficult and time-consuming. For instance, a closed source software could be siphoning your data without letting you know. This is particularly the case for mobile phone apps, whose known functionality could mostly be achieved through a web browser without the need to download any app.

Category:Software