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Google made it nearly impossible for users to keep their location private

businessinsider.com

1–10 of 348 posts

Re: Google made it nearly impossible for users to keep their location private

#5
post #3

I've had a string of Google phones going back to the Nexus 5x but, for the very reasons laid out in this article, my next phone will likely be from Apple. That will be my first Apple product.

get a pinephone if you value freedom and privacy. apple ios is just as bad as android or microsoft windows

Re: Google made it nearly impossible for users to keep their location private

#6
It’s even worse than the headline implies.

You couldn’t prevent location tracking unless you disabled the numerous switches in settings and turned off WiFi as well.

The real damning allegation is that location data collected from google maps/apps and non-google apps was siphoned to all other google products through something that is redacted in the court docs.

>"So there is no way to give a third party app your location and not Google? That doesn't sound like something we would want on the front page of the NYT

Additionally this process was deemed so critical to Google’s overall revenues because of something else that was also redacted.

https://www.azag.gov/media/interest/updated-redacted-google-...

Re: Google made it nearly impossible for users to keep their location private

#8
post #3

I've had a string of Google phones going back to the Nexus 5x but, for the very reasons laid out in this article, my next phone will likely be from Apple. That will be my first Apple product.

get a pinephone if you value freedom and privacy. apple ios is just as bad as android or microsoft windows

How is the app store on pinephone these days?

Re: Google made it nearly impossible for users to keep their location private

#9
If you are not paying for it, you're not the customer; you're the product being sold.

Few years back you could easily root your android device and get custom ROM installed. Now, only solution is use a feature phone without gps and wifi and have a separate device for connecting to internet.

IPhone is also a good alternative but I don't agree with thier walled garden development philosophy.

Edit: You pay a separate fee for using Microsoft windows but for Android thier is no separate fee hence the product reference. Downvoting won't change the fact.

Re: Google made it nearly impossible for users to keep their location private

#10
post #3

I've had a string of Google phones going back to the Nexus 5x but, for the very reasons laid out in this article, my next phone will likely be from Apple. That will be my first Apple product.

get a pinephone if you value freedom and privacy. apple ios is just as bad as android or microsoft windows

> get a pinephone if you value freedom and privacy. apple ios is just as bad as android or microsoft windows

It's not as black and white as that. Other people will have different requirements and make different tradeoffs to you.

The PinePhone is great if you value freedom, privacy, and have the time and inclination to make it work for you. Most don't, and an iOS device is a good compromise if you value privacy over freedom to run your own code. It's not perfect, but it's better than Android.

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