"Fuck these guys"
Google collects metadata from Android phones
141–150 of 263 posts
Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones
#142Earlier quoted context omitted.
Part of the problem is the large percentage of apps that are now tied to proprietary Android, and won't run without Google Apps installed. Even Microsoft apps like Outlook and Skype won't load without Google Play Services installed. (The version of Skype on the Amazon Appstore is around a year old, and won't even take my login credentials.) So even if you find a relatively safe Android version to use, you're getting…
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.
Not to mention that Outlook stores your email on their servers to bring you push notifications.
Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones
#143Earlier 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…
It's dead if you use all these "free" services, "free" mobile os and services and "free" apps like Chrome browser, provided by Google,Facebook and co. By using these "freebies" you are willingly giving up data. People are effectively paying with their privacy, it is made completely clear. That's the model the "free" internet chose to go with. People don't seem to care about their privacy or don't understand the conse…
Any website that has any sort of third party analytics or advertising invades privacy. All three of the major browsers invade privacy (or allow it to leak out). Governments monitor and store data directly from ISPs. Windows 10, which isn't free, has tons of privacy issues.
The issue is not in any sense limited to "free" things.
Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones
#144Earlier quoted context omitted.
Hmm... so effectively Android is no longer open.
It's open enough that direct competitors, like Amazon, for example, can base their own OSs that have their own ecosystems on AOSP. Google could be more open. But there isn't any evidence the parts of Android that are not open are not open in order to stop open or even competitive semi-closed Android derivatives. They are open enough enable competitors to use the same technology platform, including some very valuable…
No, it's actually so closed that only Amazon-scale competitors can make viable forks. Samsung is maybe the only other company with the scale and scope to accomplish that, which is why Google has entered into some special arrangements with them.
Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones
#145Companies should rather post diffs, not "we updated the policy".[1] I don't intend to spend my time to go through myself, it's hard enough for one company, not a myriad of services we use nowadays. But I guess this is a nasty way to implement some unpopular policies, then point the finger at the user stating he complied to it. [1] And by fixing this I mean make it a law.
Google does provide diffs.
https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/archive/2016...
Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones
#146Companies should rather post diffs, not "we updated the policy".[1] I don't intend to spend my time to go through myself, it's hard enough for one company, not a myriad of services we use nowadays. But I guess this is a nasty way to implement some unpopular policies, then point the finger at the user stating he complied to it. [1] And by fixing this I mean make it a law.
Google does provide diffs. https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/archive/2016...
Thanks, didn't know that, I stand corrected in Googles case. Is this linked with the initial statement sent to users ?
Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones
#147In other news, water is wet.
Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones
#148Earlier quoted context omitted.
According to that diff, Google moved from opt-in sharing of DoubleClick cookies, to...potentially default-in, with a possible opt-out option buried in some unidentified settings page?
To disable it on Android go to: Settings -> Google -> Ads -> Opt out of interest-based ads But the surprise twist is that Apple does the same thing! To disable it on iPhones go to: Settings -> Privacy -> Advertising -> Limit Ad
That setting on iOS refers to iAd, a service that died because it respected your privacy too much, and was therefore not appealing to advertisers. It seems unfair to compare Apple and Google on user privacy. They are poles apart.
Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones
#149The article seems to imply that this is a recent addition to the privacy policy. Google keeps archived versions of their privacy policies ( https://www.google.de/intl/en/policies/privacy/archive/ ), and you can easily see that the "telephony log information" was added in the March 1st 2012 revision of the Google privacy policy. You can see a summary on https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/what-actually-changed-... A…
Yeah, it was so well announced that multiple HN readers -- including me -- who strongly tend towards the privacy sensitive are shocked that they're doing it.
I'm just quoting the EFF's opinion really:
> They did a great job of informing users that the privacy policy had been changed through emails and notifications
Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones
#150Earlier quoted context omitted.
I disabled every control on this page months ago. Unfortunately, the Google Maps app won't remember searches unless you're logged in and share your entire location history. There's just no way to keep a local history of places in Maps. I'll get rid of Google Maps as soon as Maps.me let me stream OSM maps instead of downloading packages one-by-one.
I voted with my wallet, bought an offline navigation app and disabled Maps.
And I applaud that, even if I wouldn't do the same. People need to understand that in a competitive market, you vote with your wallet. There's no such thing as a free lunch.