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Google Demanded T-Mobile, Sprint Not Sell Google Fi Customers' Location Data

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Re: Google Demanded T-Mobile, Sprint Not Sell Google Fi Customers' Location Data

#111

Post by jankeymeulen »

dna_polymerase wrote: post #98
max76 wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference exists only to the point that Google is an ethical owner of the data. I'm concerned that Google is in the business selling products based on a monopoly of consumer data. These products are likely to become more and more invasive as time goes on.. It's possible that a future Google product will become a larger threat to privacy than geolocation because they have a wider variety of data collected. In sum…

The only ethical owner of my data is myself. Whatever Google says now is worthless the second growth stalls and shareholders want to see more.

Given the majority of the voting rights is still with the founders, they may have a bit less shortsighted outlook.

Re: Google Demanded T-Mobile, Sprint Not Sell Google Fi Customers' Location Data

#112

Post by skraelingjar »

vanattab wrote: post #88

Ask HN: Is anyone here happy with Google Fi service? I ordered a Pixel 3 phone directly from Google Fi and signed up for service with Google Fi the end of December. When I ordered the phone it showed up as in stock and estimated I would get my phone by the 4th of January. On the 2nd I got an email saying that the phone shipping was delayed and I would receive an email when it ships. I have heard nothing from google s…

I've used Fi since getting a Pixel 2 just over a year ago. I haven't had any issues with it and can't comment on the quality of their support. The coverage and service is as you'd expect from Sprint & T-mobile. I've used the built-in VPN feature with no noticeable drop in speed or connection, even when switching from cell to wifi.

Re: Google Demanded T-Mobile, Sprint Not Sell Google Fi Customers' Location Data

#113

Post by pjc50 »

vkou wrote: post #65
thefounder wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far as the advertising is concerned Google is no different(and so FB etc). Anyone with few bucks will know your location or better said will target you with ads. With Google they won't target only by location because as you said Google makes the OS so it knows pretty much everything about you.

Please show me where I can buy thefounder's location data from Google. Which service is that, and how much do I need to pay? I can't find it at https://www.google.com/about/products/ > better said will target you with ads. The difference between selling location data, and selling ad targeting, is the difference between actively stalking someone, and sending unsolicited spam to "Current resident" at "Every address in…

> selling the ability to mass-advertise to a demographic that includes you.

A while ago there were some fun articles about "how to prank your roommate by creating an audience of 1 and running creepily personalised adverts". What's the smallest demographic you can define on google?

Re: Google Demanded T-Mobile, Sprint Not Sell Google Fi Customers' Location Data

#114

Post by mav3rick »

inequalitysir wrote: post #49
Despegar wrote: post #2

I mean sure. Google certainly doesn't want wireless carriers to compete with them in advertising, and everyone having access to location data from smartphones just devalues Google's own access. https://qz.com/1131515/google-collects-android-users-locatio...

It's nothing. In India Google operates one of the largest Fiber Backed project called Railwire. It's a GOI enterprise, but we can say that officals are effectively bribed to participate in data harvesting schemes and enriching a few officials and one big American company. Google offers this company internet technology expertise in return of harvesting data from railway stations, Users of the ISP called Railwire. Basi…

No sources. Just your bias and fantasy stories.

Re: Google Demanded T-Mobile, Sprint Not Sell Google Fi Customers' Location Data

#115

Post by juvoni »

vanattab wrote: post #88

Ask HN: Is anyone here happy with Google Fi service? I ordered a Pixel 3 phone directly from Google Fi and signed up for service with Google Fi the end of December. When I ordered the phone it showed up as in stock and estimated I would get my phone by the 4th of January. On the 2nd I got an email saying that the phone shipping was delayed and I would receive an email when it ships. I have heard nothing from google s…

Google Fi, is one of the best services I've been on thus far and I've been with 4 other carriers in 10 years.

It's great for domestic and international travel and I don't have to worry (as much) about my number getting ported, so big security win.

Re: Google Demanded T-Mobile, Sprint Not Sell Google Fi Customers' Location Data

#116

Post by dna_polymerase »

jankeymeulen wrote: post #111
dna_polymerase wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only ethical owner of my data is myself. Whatever Google says now is worthless the second growth stalls and shareholders want to see more.

Given the majority of the voting rights is still with the founders, they may have a bit less shortsighted outlook.

I have no idea where this inherent trust in people comes from. Google has shown again and again that they are just like any other company in this system.

Re: Google Demanded T-Mobile, Sprint Not Sell Google Fi Customers' Location Data

#117

Post by chihuahua »

vanattab wrote: post #88

Ask HN: Is anyone here happy with Google Fi service? I ordered a Pixel 3 phone directly from Google Fi and signed up for service with Google Fi the end of December. When I ordered the phone it showed up as in stock and estimated I would get my phone by the 4th of January. On the 2nd I got an email saying that the phone shipping was delayed and I would receive an email when it ships. I have heard nothing from google s…

I've ordered 2 phones through Google Fi and both were shipped very quickly. Trade-in of old phone via mail also went perfectly. So far Fi's execution has been great. The phones were cheap (Nexus 5X 32GB for $250, Moto x4 64GB for $300) and the monthly cost is extremely low for someone who doesn't use a lot of data.

Re: Google Demanded T-Mobile, Sprint Not Sell Google Fi Customers' Location Data

#118

Post by ucaetano »

protomyth wrote: post #103
ucaetano wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, and faced with the option of making money in China and eliminating any and all user privacy, or not making money in China, Apple chose the former.

Comparing following laws in a country with willingly compromising privacy in a country that does not compel the company to do it is some serious false equivalence.

No, willingly entering and operating in a country where you know you will have to compromise on privacy is putting profits ahead of privacy.

Take the Google/China situation. If Google entered China and handed over all info on Chinese users to the government, it would be doing exactly the same that Apple does now.

Just like other companies, Apple cares more about profits than privacy, so it will operate in China for the profits, even if it has to infringe on the privacy of every single user there.

Re: Google Demanded T-Mobile, Sprint Not Sell Google Fi Customers' Location Data

#119

Post by Spooky23 »

penagwin wrote: post #52
piyush_soni wrote: post #44

How people's sentiments change here based on who tries to protect their privacy. If it's Apple, "wow, they are god's own people with purest intentions of protecting users' privacy". When Google does it : "Yeah, because they want to sell it themselves so obviously they don't want any competition".

One is a massive advertising company that makes the vast majority of it's money on advertising and has a history of invasive privacy issues. The other one AFAIK doesn't sell user data, has publicly denied to help the FBI (Have other companies done that? If not then they assume complied), and has put in a large amount of effort to protect privacy (It's one of the main arguments of why IOS/OSX is so locked down). Obvio…

Apple's position is more nuanced than that.

Apple is saying "we do not want to write code to compromise device security", which is different than "not helping the FBI". They are obliged to and do provide access to things like iOS backups, etc.

These companies are neither good nor evil. End of the day, if you care about privacy, cleartext cannot be in the custody of a third party.

Re: Google Demanded T-Mobile, Sprint Not Sell Google Fi Customers' Location Data

#120

Post by vkou »

pjc50 wrote: post #113
vkou wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please show me where I can buy thefounder's location data from Google. Which service is that, and how much do I need to pay? I can't find it at https://www.google.com/about/products/ > better said will target you with ads. The difference between selling location data, and selling ad targeting, is the difference between actively stalking someone, and sending unsolicited spam to "Current resident" at "Every address in…

> selling the ability to mass-advertise to a demographic that includes you. A while ago there were some fun articles about "how to prank your roommate by creating an audience of 1 and running creepily personalised adverts". What's the smallest demographic you can define on google?

I don't know - which is why I leave the caveat that some creative forms of harm with targeted advertising may be possible.
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