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Android launches yet another way to spy on users with “Privacy Sandbox” beta

arstechnica.com

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Re: Android launches yet another way to spy on users with “Privacy Sandbox” beta

#71

Post by chasil »

jqpabc123 wrote: post #69
chasil wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have Brave as a secondary browser. I run Lineage, where I have not loaded any version of Gapps. My goto browser is Bromite ( https://www.bromite.org ), which I have configured default incognito and otherwise high security. I have loaded Magisk, then the modules for MicroG: https://www.reddit.com/r/MicroG/comments/shmpng/confirmed_sa... Wouldn't it be great if all Android users could wake up to this tomorrow? It wou…

I run Lineage Even without GApps, Lineage still includes links to Google. e/OS had a list of some of these at one time. They remove these links and include MicroG in the default install. Others may disagree but in my opinion, it is a pretty good compromise between security, privacy and usability.

I think the links are very few, the main one being captive portal detection for wifi logins.

In exchange for this, Lineage delivers the monthly security patches first, mostly guaranteed to be in place by the 15th of every month (load the first nightly published after that date, and it will be bundled).

Re: Android launches yet another way to spy on users with “Privacy Sandbox” beta

#72

Post by fsflover »

bacchusracine wrote: post #66
fsflover wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can run Android apps with Waydroid on my Librem 5, and I also get the benefits of a full desktop OS on my phone.

>on my Librem 5 Sounds interesting. Goes and looks it up. >>From: $1,999.00 You must be joking...

>>From: $1,999.00

This is the cost of Librem 5 USA (made in USA) [0], not Librem 5 (made in China) [1]. Also, I preordered it for $600 a long time ago, and sometimes you can buy from resellers for a similar price [2].

[0] https://puri.sm/products/librem-5-usa

[1] https://puri.sm/products/librem-5

[2] https://forums.puri.sm/t/librem-5-for-sale-eu-630-eur/19445

Re: Android launches yet another way to spy on users with “Privacy Sandbox” beta

#73

Post by nani8ot »

bacchusracine wrote: post #66
fsflover wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can run Android apps with Waydroid on my Librem 5, and I also get the benefits of a full desktop OS on my phone.

>on my Librem 5 Sounds interesting. Goes and looks it up. >>From: $1,999.00 You must be joking...

They contribute upstream and make many improvements to the Linux stack in general. But I agree, it's not something many people are willing to pay.

Re: Android launches yet another way to spy on users with “Privacy Sandbox” beta

#74

Post by matheusmoreira »

shmapf wrote: post #23

I've been staunchly on the Android side of the Android / iOS question, but this carry-on with refusing to block tracking like Apple has done is really making me consider switching.

With hardware remote attestation there will no longer be any point in even owning an android phone anyway. Android is obviously inferior to iOS in every way but the whole point was you could have control over the machine and do whatever you wanted. Now apps will be able to verify that you "tampered" with the phone and will refuse to run, and since it's hardware cryptography it cannot be faked without massive effort. Might as well get an iPhone which at least isn't a shitty Google product.

Termux is the one android exclusive software I can't live without and they managed to fuck even that up by killing processes indiscriminately in order to save battery or whatever. If there's no solution by the time my phone dies, my next one will be an iPhone.

Re: Android launches yet another way to spy on users with “Privacy Sandbox” beta

#75

Post by Maxburn »

JohnFen wrote: post #68

I have a bunch of issues with the "Privacy Sandbox", but my #1 issue is that it's called "Privacy Sandbox". That term implies that a sandbox is being used to preserve your privacy, when it is, in fact, a system designed for the opposite of that.

You really have to sit back and admire the marketing team that came up with this spin.

Re: Android launches yet another way to spy on users with “Privacy Sandbox” beta

#76

Post by charcircuit »

jqpabc123 wrote: post #13
nargas wrote: post #5

What can you expect from an ad company ? Not tracking you would mean hurting their own business.

The really crazy part --- it doesn't have to be this way. Google could easily switch to context sensitive ads but they don't because advertisers pay extra for "personalized". Personally, I doubt anyone can really justify the added expense. The entire process is opaque to make any comparison difficult if not impossible. Just because I bought pet supplies last week, does it really make sense for pets supply ads to foll…

>because advertisers pay extra for "personalized".

>Personally, I doubt anyone can really justify the added expense.

The CPM of an ad is based off on auction. There is no extra fee for personal ads. The ad spot is just worth more and advertisers are willing to bid more money for access to the ad spot. If people can't justify the expenses the price of the ad spot will fall until people can.

Re: Android launches yet another way to spy on users with “Privacy Sandbox” beta

#77

Post by thedriver »

matheusmoreira wrote: post #74
shmapf wrote: post #23

I've been staunchly on the Android side of the Android / iOS question, but this carry-on with refusing to block tracking like Apple has done is really making me consider switching.

With hardware remote attestation there will no longer be any point in even owning an android phone anyway. Android is obviously inferior to iOS in every way but the whole point was you could have control over the machine and do whatever you wanted. Now apps will be able to verify that you "tampered" with the phone and will refuse to run, and since it's hardware cryptography it cannot be faked without massive effort.…

>With hardware remote attestation there will no longer be any point in even owning an android phone anyway. Android is obviously inferior to iOS in every way but the whole point was you could have control over the machine and do whatever you wanted. Now apps will be able to verify that you "tampered" with the phone and will refuse to run, and since it's hardware cryptography it cannot be faked without massive effort. Might as well get an iPhone which at least isn't a shitty Google product.

Wait a minute, will something like this really come to Android phones? I guess that installing a custom rom will become impossible at the same time?

If this happens, then there truly isn't going to be much point in using an Android phone over an iPhone

Re: Android launches yet another way to spy on users with “Privacy Sandbox” beta

#78

Post by GrinningFool »

cageface wrote: post #21

Ron Amadeo is so relentlessly critical of Google I've stopped reading his articles. Overall I find coverage on Ars to be pretty good but he really seems to have an axe to grind.

Where do you see this? This claim was also made earlier in the comments on this article. But looking at Amadeo's history - at least at the headline level - I don't see it:

https://arstechnica.com/author/ronamadeo/

Re: Android launches yet another way to spy on users with “Privacy Sandbox” beta

#79

Post by madduci »

JohnFen wrote: post #68

I have a bunch of issues with the "Privacy Sandbox", but my #1 issue is that it's called "Privacy Sandbox". That term implies that a sandbox is being used to preserve your privacy, when it is, in fact, a system designed for the opposite of that.

After all the crap that Google put in Android, I still don't understand why some other alternative ecosystems like Ubuntu Phone or GrapheneOS or Mankato (PinePhone) aren't attractive for users and developers.

What's holding everyone back? I understand that without users there won't be apps, but also without apps there won't be users, since they offer just the basics.

Imagine if TikTok or WhatsApp have had an app for those others OSes

Re: Android launches yet another way to spy on users with “Privacy Sandbox” beta

#80

Post by boring_twenties »

thedriver wrote: post #77
matheusmoreira wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With hardware remote attestation there will no longer be any point in even owning an android phone anyway. Android is obviously inferior to iOS in every way but the whole point was you could have control over the machine and do whatever you wanted. Now apps will be able to verify that you "tampered" with the phone and will refuse to run, and since it's hardware cryptography it cannot be faked without massive effort.…

>With hardware remote attestation there will no longer be any point in even owning an android phone anyway. Android is obviously inferior to iOS in every way but the whole point was you could have control over the machine and do whatever you wanted. Now apps will be able to verify that you "tampered" with the phone and will refuse to run, and since it's hardware cryptography it cannot be faked without massive effort.…

It won't become impossible to install a custom rom, it will simply become impossible to use many if not most popular apps.

Android already provides a mechanism for apps to refuse to run on modified devices, it's called SafetyNet and is widely used for example by banking apps. Currently, it's usually possible to trick it, but with hardware attestation it will become practically impossible.

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