The artificial intelligence (AI) software OpenClaw has recently become a sensation in China. On June 10, Chinese authorities issued a safety risk alert about it, causing many Chinese users to uninstall the software out of concern—only to find they could not remove it completely. Paid uninstallation services quickly appeared on Chinese online networks, claiming to help remotely remove the software, but charging as much as 199 yuan (114 ringgit), sparking discussion.
Because OpenClaw's logo resembles a lobster, Chinese netizens have nicknamed it "Lobster." In addition to traditional AI chat functions, OpenClaw can also perform tasks for users such as sending and receiving emails, managing schedules, booking flights, and running social media accounts. Recently, it has sparked a download and installation craze in China, with people referring to it as "raising lobsters," making it a hot topic.
However, on June 10, China's National Internet Emergency Response Center stated that in order to achieve "autonomous task execution" capabilities, OpenClaw is granted relatively high system privileges. Because its default security settings are extremely weak, if an attacker finds a vulnerability, they can easily gain complete control of the system. Combined with improper installation and usage, some serious security risks have already emerged, which could likely lead to users' information being leaked.
The center reminds organizations and individual users to implement security measures when deploying and using OpenClaw, including restricting OpenClaw’s excessive permissions.
According to Chinese tech media reports, to realize its function of controlling computers, OpenClaw by default gains advanced system privileges on devices and leaves backdoor files in system directories. Manually deleting them can easily cause system crashes and may also leave risks of data leakage. Unlike normal software that can be deleted with a single click, OpenClaw’s design makes it very difficult for ordinary users to completely remove it.
According to reports, after the official warning from Chinese authorities, a Shanghai-based merchant immediately launched a "paid removal" service on the short video platform Xiaohongshu, claiming to help users with remote removal that is "safe, thorough, and leaves no residue," charging 199 yuan. Soon after, other merchants began offering installation and removal services as well, with installation costing 299 yuan (171 ringgit) and removal still at 199 yuan.
Many Chinese netizens commented on the emergence of paid removal services. Some lamented, "Even this kind of money can be earned"; others said, "Lobsters are hard to keep," blaming people's impulsiveness for giving these merchants loopholes to exploit; others joked that if you ask the same merchant to install and then uninstall it, aren’t you just waiting to be fleeced for 498 yuan (285 ringgit).