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Google reportedly peeks into Android data to gain edge over third-party apps

arstechnica.com

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Re: Google reportedly peeks into Android data to gain edge over third-party apps

#71

Post by izacus »

thatha7777 wrote: post #18

Unsurprising. Another decade-old example: in the pre-iPhone/pre-Android era, when Google Maps was available on BlackBerry, Google created a vast database that associated cellphone tower locations to addresses, on the (smart) assumption that the “from” location is usually where you are. They used this as a negotiating tactic for acquisitions they made in the space...

Yes, those databases are sadly very common and are fundamental to how location services work on the phone. In most cases there's no good GPS signal in urban areas, so cell tower and wifi locations are the most reliable way of determining the location. These databases are of course very valuable and require constant updates.

Pretty much every manufacturer has them - Apple was collecting/uploads this data (cell towers, wifis and your location) in iOS 4 as well: https://www.computerworld.com/article/2507791/iphone-secretl...

Re: Google reportedly peeks into Android data to gain edge over third-party apps

#73

Post by gerash »

This is an unfair advantage but I don't think is specific to Google. I don't know whether Apple collects such consumer usage metrics or not but Amazon, Walmart, Costco, etc. they all monitor consumer metrics and might end up building a competing product/service based on those metrics.

Re: Google reportedly peeks into Android data to gain edge over third-party apps

#74

Post by izacus »

gerash wrote: post #73

This is an unfair advantage but I don't think is specific to Google. I don't know whether Apple collects such consumer usage metrics or not but Amazon, Walmart, Costco, etc. they all monitor consumer metrics and might end up building a competing product/service based on those metrics.

Apple certanly collects metrics about AppStore downloads (they're after all available to developers with https://developer.apple.com/app-store-connect/analytics/ ). There's also a decent chunk of analytics going from iOS (probably order of magnitde less than Android though) you need to opt out of.

Re: Google reportedly peeks into Android data to gain edge over third-party apps

#76

Post by philipov »

Uptrenda wrote: post #75

Copying boring social apps seems like such a waste of the talent and creativity at Google. They should focus more on innovation instead of this kind of cut-throat bs.

With a hundred billion dollars, they can do both.

Re: Google reportedly peeks into Android data to gain edge over third-party apps

#77

Post by guerrilla »

throwaway189262 wrote: post #66

We desperately need a standardized open source phone. The raspberry pi of phones. Linux may be a better platform than AOSP. Android and iOS were designed for control first. Control over apps, control over the store, over what users are allowed to do. If you don't need any of that to make money why not run a regular Linux distro. Opens source phones will never be mainstream. Same as desktop Linux. But it would be nice…

It seems like we're getting there with Prism [1] and Pine [2]. Seems to be a couple more I've never heard of [3].

[1]. https://puri.sm/products/

[2]. https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/

[3]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open-source_mobile_pho...

Re: Google reportedly peeks into Android data to gain edge over third-party apps

#78

Post by [deleted] »

sli wrote: post #62
mav3rick wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google Play Services are the crux of the implementation of core services. If you're not okay with that don't buy the phone or install something else on it.

It may feel good to say it, because you get to offload the responsibility onto consumers rather than the entity committing questionable (but legal) acts, but in reality "just don't do X" is never going to affect any sort of change. It's simply shifting blame onto people with no power to do anything. More to the point, you're essentially recommending that everyone pony up $1000+ for an iPhone. None of those lesser kno…

[deleted]

Re: Google reportedly peeks into Android data to gain edge over third-party apps

#79

Post by mav3rick »

sli wrote: post #62
mav3rick wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google Play Services are the crux of the implementation of core services. If you're not okay with that don't buy the phone or install something else on it.

It may feel good to say it, because you get to offload the responsibility onto consumers rather than the entity committing questionable (but legal) acts, but in reality "just don't do X" is never going to affect any sort of change. It's simply shifting blame onto people with no power to do anything. More to the point, you're essentially recommending that everyone pony up $1000+ for an iPhone. None of those lesser kno…

You're not giving a company the right to ship their own implementation. GMS Core really is the implementation. You want the phone to work without that. How delusional. Can an Apple phone work without core services ?

Re: Google reportedly peeks into Android data to gain edge over third-party apps

#80

Post by propogandist »

commoner wrote: post #67
mav3rick wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google Play Services are the crux of the implementation of core services. If you're not okay with that don't buy the phone or install something else on it.

Instead of leaving Android entirely, one can use MicroG, which is a FOSS reimplementation of the Google Play Services client. https://microg.org https://github.com/microg/android_packages_apps_GmsCore Currently, the easiest way to use MicroG is through CalyxOS, a distribution of Android 10 that preinstalls MicroG instead of Google Play Services. It supports all Pixel devices and the Xiaomi Mi A2. https://calyxos.org…

Agreed. I was looking at MicroG again given Lineage OS has updated to Android 10, unfortunately it seems there are a changes for Android 10 that's preventing microG from being being fully compatible (SafetyNet API).

Google's moves to lock down the platform further is also disgusting. They will be mandating a new App bundle format (AAB) instead of APK beginning in 2021. This will force more apps to run through Play Store, enabling more tracking & analytics. They will also require devs to give a copy of their signing key to Google for them to sign applications.

https://www.xda-developers.com/google-play-billing-v3-app-bu...

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