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Australian regulator investigates Google data harvesting from Android phones

theguardian.com

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Re: Australian regulator investigates Google data harvesting from Android phones

#31

Post by mudil »

Neither Google nor FB should be gathering personal information worse than NSA. Personal information is personal, and free people in a free society should not be followed by multinational corporations.

Furthermore, Facebook and Google control close to 85% of the digital ad market. The rest 15% goes to the content creators and to the journalism. If Google and FB were not able to invade everyone's privacy, that would have created a level playing field for national, regional, and specialized media to prosper. But because they know who you are, they can display an ad for you on any platform. If you are from Denver, here's an ad for a Denver event on your mobile game. So who needs journalism if an article in Denver Post is on par to a Candy Crush screen? Who needs quality content on the internet? There is a reason why there is no VC investment in the content whatsoever.

Re: Australian regulator investigates Google data harvesting from Android phones

#32

Post by cma »

exodust wrote: post #29

Get ad-blockers and grains of salt ready before clicking on News Limited Daily Tele stories. I find this claim doubtful... > " The Oracle experts say phone owners’ data ends up being consumed even if Google Maps is not in use or aeroplane mode is switched on. " It's called "flight mode" on my android, and I highly doubt my data is being used when flight mode is activated. With that said, Google does get pushy and inv…

I'm pretty sure they are confusing things. When you turn on airplane mode and turn off GPS, Google will log all the wifi access points you come across (which only requires listening on the radio, not sending), and when you turn Airplane mode back off, it will upload that data to Google who can then go back and retroactively track your location based on their access point location database.

Re: Australian regulator investigates Google data harvesting from Android phones

#33

Post by flashman »

> "The information fed back to Google includes barometric pressure readings so it can work out, for example, which level of a shopping mall you are on."

I scoffed, but this is actually a thing: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4431287/

(It's also useful for weather observations, see the old PressureNET.io site for an opt-in version.)

Anyway, my monthly mobile data usage for Google services is 110 MB and that's including the map tiles, Google Play services and Play Store (I have location history disabled). I'd be interested in whether anyone is having a gig of their data used.

Re: Australian regulator investigates Google data harvesting from Android phones

#34

Post by dannyw »

x0x0 wrote: post #14
ocdtrekkie wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(In the EU) This particular story/investigation appears to be in Australia. Google's only required to limit their tendency to stalk your every waking moment in the EU. While some of the improvements made will probably end up being available globally just because, for instance, improvements to Google Takeout-like work, I doubt Google's going to stop tracking you where it's still legally permissible.

They may though because of the difficulty of deciding if you are subject to GDPR. ie what if an Aussie moves to the EEU and becomes a resident, bringing an Australian-purchased phone? How long can someone visit the EEU before becoming a resident (I have no idea and suspect the rules may not be crystal clear.)

If the origin of the traffic is within the EEU, GDPR applies.

So the moment you visit the EEU, GDPR applies; irrespective of residency status. The moment you leave the EEU, GDPR no longer applies, even if you are an EU resident.

Re: Australian regulator investigates Google data harvesting from Android phones

#35

Post by RcouF1uZ4gsC »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #12
_bxg1 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah. I'm no Google apologist, but Oracle has repeatedly shown itself to be whiny and petty, especially when it comes to Android. It isn't news that if you're running Google software on Android, they're tracking every bit of data they can get their hands on.

It isn't news to you or me, but a surprising number of government investigations haven't happened, that should've . I appreciate Oracle's help in the matter, even if I have no particular love for them either. If someday someone's writing the "why we failed" article for Google, I suspect bullet one will be "we should've paid for our Java license". Whether or not what Google did was technically legal, the amount of scr…

>"we should've paid for our Java license".

It will be more like "We should have bought Sun when we had the chance."

Re: Australian regulator investigates Google data harvesting from Android phones

#36

Post by subroutine »

merb wrote: post #26
gpm wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course it isn't. I own the phone, not Google. Do you expect Apple to listen to your conversations just because you use a mac and it has a microphone? Do you expect Toyota to track you everywhere you go because your car came with a GPS system? Building the system, let alone just making the software, doesn't give you the rights to all the data it produces after you sell it.

> Of course it isn't. I own the phone, not Google. Maybe the phone, but not the software running on it.

What is the difference? Both the hardware and the software are covered by hundreds of patents, copyright protections, license agreements, end user agreements, etc.

The question here is what basic privacies can someone expect when they purchase a phone, and how transparent do companies need to be about what information they are collecting.

Re: Australian regulator investigates Google data harvesting from Android phones

#37

Post by jacquesm »

dingo_bat wrote: post #22
chrisper wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far as I understand is that "Location Services" is a catch all for wifi,gps etc. But if you only want it to use GPS, then change Location Services from High Accuracy to GPS only.

Yes and everytime you open google maps it will bug you. It will say "turn on background wifi scanning if you want to use navigation". You can dismiss it and it still works fine! Because of course it doesn't need background wifi scanning for navigation. Oh and be ready to get nagged every time you open the app. They won't let up.

I see this sort of thing in software so often I gave it a name:

https://jacquesmattheij.com/dark-patterns-the-ratchet

There are many more like it but this one is particularly annoying because of the asymmetry between the work they do to get you to consent to something that isn't in your advantage compared to the work you have to do to reverse your decision (which sometimes isn't possible at all!).

Re: Australian regulator investigates Google data harvesting from Android phones

#38

Post by sjwright »

merb wrote: post #26
gpm wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course it isn't. I own the phone, not Google. Do you expect Apple to listen to your conversations just because you use a mac and it has a microphone? Do you expect Toyota to track you everywhere you go because your car came with a GPS system? Building the system, let alone just making the software, doesn't give you the rights to all the data it produces after you sell it.

> Of course it isn't. I own the phone, not Google. Maybe the phone, but not the software running on it.

I don't know why that comment was being voted down, but it is a correct and important point. Consumers' idea of product ownership is more aligned with that of cars and coffee machines.

Most consumers don't realise how little of their phone is purchased and how much of it is licensed, rented or reliant on corporate existence. Imagine if Apple and Google magically disappeared from the universe—the value and utility of your phone will plummet.

Re: Australian regulator investigates Google data harvesting from Android phones

#39

Post by askvictor »

Here's a the same story via the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/may/14/australia...

A quote contained within both stories: > The software company Oracle revealed Google could be harvesting a gigabyte of data from Android devices each month

Given that my data plan is 1.5 GB/month, I would notice if a gigabyte magically disappeared every month (it doesn't). Hopefully the ACCC has enough skepticism and technical knowledge to see through Oracle's FUD. OTOH what's in it for Oracle here? Purely trying to damage Google's brand? I suppose the media have run with it and it's working.

Re: Australian regulator investigates Google data harvesting from Android phones

#40

Post by lccarrasco »

dannyw wrote: post #34
x0x0 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They may though because of the difficulty of deciding if you are subject to GDPR. ie what if an Aussie moves to the EEU and becomes a resident, bringing an Australian-purchased phone? How long can someone visit the EEU before becoming a resident (I have no idea and suspect the rules may not be crystal clear.)

If the origin of the traffic is within the EEU, GDPR applies. So the moment you visit the EEU, GDPR applies; irrespective of residency status. The moment you leave the EEU, GDPR no longer applies, even if you are an EU resident.

No, the GDPR applies to any company that handles data of EU residents; You can read more about it in this FAQ: https://www.eugdpr.org/gdpr-faqs.html
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