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Google collects metadata from Android phones

borncity.com

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Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#31

Post by retox »

whamlastxmas wrote: post #28
jswny wrote: post #15

Are people really surprised about this anymore? I can't say that I am. Google is a company which makes a lot of money off of their platforms. I expect them to be collecting data wherever and whenever they can. I see stories like this every day but I've become accustomed to it because it's such a normal practice nowadays, especially from a company like google which provides so many advertising services. I'm not saying…

I make the same assumption and the chilling effect is frustrating. I assume everything I type on the internet is able to be tied back to me if anyone at the NSA etc wanted to look at me specifically. Unless you always use a VPN (or Tor) for all of your accounts and go through the unreasonable efforts of preventing browser fingerprinting, chances are this is true for everyone. And even those efforts are thwarted if th…

>Anonymity on the internet is dead

All thanks to advertising companies. What a rotten state of affairs.

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#32

Post by hvass »

It says this right before the bolded part:

"When you use our services or view content provided by Google, we automatically collect and store certain information in server logs. This includes:"

I am not sure this applies to regular phone calls, no? Can someone explain here because I am certainly not understanding. Is this only for, say, Google Voice or related services that they have?

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#34

Post by nickpsecurity »

retox wrote: post #31
whamlastxmas wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I make the same assumption and the chilling effect is frustrating. I assume everything I type on the internet is able to be tied back to me if anyone at the NSA etc wanted to look at me specifically. Unless you always use a VPN (or Tor) for all of your accounts and go through the unreasonable efforts of preventing browser fingerprinting, chances are this is true for everyone. And even those efforts are thwarted if th…

>Anonymity on the internet is dead All thanks to advertising companies. What a rotten state of affairs.

All thanks to the users of advertising companies who trade privacy for free or cheaper stuff. We used to have paid, more private tech. Still do actually. Almost no money in it with bankruptcies and acquisitions by shady firms more common than getting on Global 2000.

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#35

Post by techthroway443 »

jswny wrote: post #15

Are people really surprised about this anymore? I can't say that I am. Google is a company which makes a lot of money off of their platforms. I expect them to be collecting data wherever and whenever they can. I see stories like this every day but I've become accustomed to it because it's such a normal practice nowadays, especially from a company like google which provides so many advertising services. I'm not saying…

Sad state of affairs when an article about encroaching users privacy is met with such indifference.

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#36

Post by intopieces »

jswny wrote: post #15

Are people really surprised about this anymore? I can't say that I am. Google is a company which makes a lot of money off of their platforms. I expect them to be collecting data wherever and whenever they can. I see stories like this every day but I've become accustomed to it because it's such a normal practice nowadays, especially from a company like google which provides so many advertising services. I'm not saying…

>Are people really surprised about this anymore?

There is a significant portion of the population that doesn't know what metadata even is, much less that a company they use collects it and why that might be a problem.

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#37

Post by DKnoll »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #24
DKnoll wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're not missing out with Outlook... it's absolute garbage on Android. Use Nine instead, it's better and will work without Google Play Services.

Yeah, that's fair. Unfortunately, Skype is the requirement for me. I just noted Outlook because a Microsoft PM for it said Play Services was required and there wasn't any way around it.

That sucks. Is abstaining from Gapps a choice, or is it because of licensing?

You could try this: http://opengapps.org/

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#38

Post by devy »

jswny wrote: post #15

Are people really surprised about this anymore? I can't say that I am. Google is a company which makes a lot of money off of their platforms. I expect them to be collecting data wherever and whenever they can. I see stories like this every day but I've become accustomed to it because it's such a normal practice nowadays, especially from a company like google which provides so many advertising services. I'm not saying…

Being a platform company doesn't necessarily mean you need to do surveillance on everyone who's on your platform! Apple's big move to differential privacy is one example of that.

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#39

Post by microtonal »

lost_name wrote: post #23

For what it's worth, I have my doubts that this applies to a generic call/sms on any old Android device. I would think it's more likely to apply to services such as the Hangouts calling or Google Voice, and probably Google Fi, all of which make sense to collect that data, but the privacy policy doesn't absolve itself of that. > When this Privacy Policy applies > Our Privacy Policy applies to all of the services offer…

For what it's worth, I have my doubts that this applies to a generic call/sms on any old Android device.

Does it matter? This is completely in line with their privacy strategy the last few years. Slowly add new terms to the privacy policy, so that people find it acceptable. When asked, point to some unharmful or obvious application. At any rate, it makes it possible to do what the article stated. And since a lot of stuff happens in Google Play Services these days, it becomes kind of hard to find out how the privacy statement is operationalized.

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