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Google sued: Idle Android eats mobile data to send telemetry and preload ads

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Re: Google sued: Idle Android eats mobile data to send telemetry and preload ads

#191
Is it the Play Store app doing this or some other service?

I'm running LineageOS 17 (android 10) + OpenGApps-Pico, am logged into a google account and have turned off as much as I can find in the settings - am curious if my phone is still sending+receiving what they describe.

Re: Google sued: Idle Android eats mobile data to send telemetry and preload ads

#192
post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would they be shocked? How else would their phone know there are apps to be updated, notifications received, etc.? (On a computer, anti-virus updates too.) How would it know the temperature or stocks as soon as it's brought up, even when there's no cell service? It's pretty common sense. And on iOS and Mac you prominently choose to enroll in analytics when you set up your phone, so the idea of analytics isn't a s…

Rule of thumb: everybody who has an HN account is an outlier compared to the general population. General people -- even those who are highly educated and use computers all the time -- do not think about their tools. They click on defaults without thinking about them. And Apple and Google and Microsoft know this and take advantage of it.

[deleted]

Re: Google sued: Idle Android eats mobile data to send telemetry and preload ads

#193
post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm currently using LineageOS and I'm not going to use it in the future. The issue I have is that unlocking my phone creates a security trade off that doesn't seem better than the privacy gains. I'm more afraid of losing my phone and someone replaces the bootloader than I am of telemetry. I really have enjoyed the LineageOS and it's been great to have a phone that isn't as dumb as a flip phone but doesn't have all th…

Can't you lock the bootloader again after flashing a new rom?

I've read this is a very easy way to brick your phone because the bootloader will check if the signature matches the one from the OEM.

Re: Google sued: Idle Android eats mobile data to send telemetry and preload ads

#194

Ever heard of NetGuard? With it I block all relevant outgoing and incoming connections to doubleclick, google analytics, my carrier (t-mobile), app-measurements, facebook, etc... The phone attempts connection to one of these just about every second, and I block them all. Hopefully the Librem phones will continue to mature and become my future phone.

Does Netguard require to be rooted? Does it show the traffic per app?

It does not require rooting. It shows connnections per app, and how much data has been transferred to each of those connections.

What I tend to do is: install an app → block it before running it the first time → look at every connection attempt made (usually first through ipv4) → wait a bit more until apps attempt connection through different protocol (ipv6 or U) → block anything I don't like, including ads, analytics, etc → tell NetGuard to now allow the "legit" connections to be made and start using the app.

Re: Google sued: Idle Android eats mobile data to send telemetry and preload ads

#195
They are really going to shit themselves when they learn the technical details of what is being uploaded. Hint: Google Location Services's "telemetry" is just that: extremely detailed logs of location information that though "anonymized" absolutely obliterates privacy and will in itself be a major scandal.

Re: Google sued: Idle Android eats mobile data to send telemetry and preload ads

#196
post #93

Between this and Jeffrey Paul's article shared yesterday about Big Sur and Apple Silicon[1], it's becoming increasingly tempting to throw my phone away and keep using only Linux with no applications primarily developed by these giants (i.e. no Chromium, etc). Supporting initiatives like the Librem phone is also moving up in my list of priorities, once I get enough money to spare at least. [1]: https://news.ycombinato…

I ordered my Pinephone this month and patiently awaiting it. Despite what may currently be lacking, it's in a good enough place to be a daily driver for myself. My Blackberry Q10 served me well for years but the battery is starting to go and the OS + apps are no longer supported. I can actually say I've skipped Android/iOS entirely.

If you don't mind hacking around and a bit of Jank, you can get the Lineage GSI working on the UniHertz Titan.

Still Android, but you keep the HW Kepboard and the batterylife and build on it is insane. Not nearly as clean as stock or the Key2, but much more freedom respecting.

Re: Google sued: Idle Android eats mobile data to send telemetry and preload ads

#197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You say this, but in 2020, Google is still working on adding features Windows Mobile had in 2014. As a former WinMo user, it's sad watching everyone else finally catching up.

Any examples? I can think of one, but in the opposite way: how Google removed the Exchange integration service from Android.

Watching Apple and Google both adopt dark mode recently was entertaining, Google is still trying to support dark mode across their product suite: Windows Mobile supported dark mode across the entire platform and suggested app developers do as well since the WP7 days.

And then of course, you have both Google flirting with Android apps on Chromebooks, and the new M1 Macs being able to run iOS apps, when Universal Windows Apps were a thing over five years ago.

They've all had this a little while, but Microsoft was ahead of the game on being able to allow/deny individual permissions to given apps before either Apple or Google was as well.

I mean, Microsoft didn't have the market capture, but their platform was technologically in 2015 where their competitors are in 2020.

Re: Google sued: Idle Android eats mobile data to send telemetry and preload ads

#199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm currently using LineageOS and I'm not going to use it in the future. The issue I have is that unlocking my phone creates a security trade off that doesn't seem better than the privacy gains. I'm more afraid of losing my phone and someone replaces the bootloader than I am of telemetry. I really have enjoyed the LineageOS and it's been great to have a phone that isn't as dumb as a flip phone but doesn't have all th…

Well what's wrong with a bootloader unlocked if your device is encrypted?

This reddit thread makes it sound like FBE isn't particularly secure once the bootloader is unlocked. I'm not an expert on this but the more I looked into security around LineageOS the more I realized losing my phone would/could be a serious issue.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/ev9c4v/is_androi...

Re: Google sued: Idle Android eats mobile data to send telemetry and preload ads

#200
post #93

Between this and Jeffrey Paul's article shared yesterday about Big Sur and Apple Silicon[1], it's becoming increasingly tempting to throw my phone away and keep using only Linux with no applications primarily developed by these giants (i.e. no Chromium, etc). Supporting initiatives like the Librem phone is also moving up in my list of priorities, once I get enough money to spare at least. [1]: https://news.ycombinato…

I ordered my Pinephone this month and patiently awaiting it. Despite what may currently be lacking, it's in a good enough place to be a daily driver for myself. My Blackberry Q10 served me well for years but the battery is starting to go and the OS + apps are no longer supported. I can actually say I've skipped Android/iOS entirely.

Fellow Q10 fan here. Only switched to Android for my usual apps because the BB app store is crappy. Else it could run most Android apps, simply by installing the apks.
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