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Report: Chinese phone comes preloaded with spyware

finance.yahoo.com

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Re: Report: Chinese phone comes preloaded with spyware

#21

Post by CountSessine »

gress wrote: post #6
CountSessine wrote: post #3

I wouldn't try to minimize this issue - it's terrible that the Chinese are trying to fit spyware into unbranded phones like this. Perhaps the bright side here is that when the Chinese do try to commit electronic espionage, they're pretty clumsy about it. BUT... Given the way smartphones everywhere are made - China and elsewhere - it's impossible for even technical users to know that their phones aren't spying on them…

False. The software running on your Android phone's application processor is not open source. A significant fraction of it is based on a closed source fork of AOSP. The rest (both the Google Mobile Services layer, and the manufacturers customizations) are all closed source and have never been open.

Oh heavens. I did say 'most', didn't I?

Re: Report: Chinese phone comes preloaded with spyware

#23

Post by gress »

ChrisClark wrote: post #14
gress wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is just speculation, although possible. Whereas if you buy an Android phone in Europe, you know for certain that your data and behavior are being examined by Google, and are available to US agencies.

That also is just speculation, although possible.

No, we know the data is being examined by Google.

Re: Report: Chinese phone comes preloaded with spyware

#24

Post by gress »

Holbein wrote: post #7
gress wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is just speculation, although possible. Whereas if you buy an Android phone in Europe, you know for certain that your data and behavior are being examined by Google, and are available to US agencies.

What is speculation about this? - wifi and celltower db query servers are indeed hosted outside EU - Siri indeed uploads your whole address book - it even tells you about that beforehand! - iCloud tabs must upload every URL to a central server, it would not work otherwise - the mud puddle test* proves that iCloud backup is extractable from Apple servers by third parties. * http://www.magnir.com/2012/08/how-secure-is-…

The speculation is about whether it's accessible to US agencies.

Re: Report: Chinese phone comes preloaded with spyware

#25

Post by gress »

CountSessine wrote: post #21
gress wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

False. The software running on your Android phone's application processor is not open source. A significant fraction of it is based on a closed source fork of AOSP. The rest (both the Google Mobile Services layer, and the manufacturers customizations) are all closed source and have never been open.

Oh heavens. I did say 'most', didn't I?

Almost none of it is open source.

Re: Report: Chinese phone comes preloaded with spyware

#26

Post by userbinator »

More info here, this has been known for some time already:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=53391745

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2395007

Fortunately the solution is pretty simple, as these generic MTK devices are all easy to root and reflash with new firmware.

Re: Report: Chinese phone comes preloaded with spyware

#27

Post by johansch »

Holbein wrote: post #4

Of course, if you buy an iPhone in Europe, and you want to use it any significant manner, you're getting spied on by US agencies as well: - GPS: the wifi and celltower db queries that optimize the service are transferred into a foreign country. - use Siri: uploads your whole address book to US servers before use - use iCloud tabs: every URL you visit it uploaded to Apple's US servers - turn on the only cloud backup s…

- use Safari: everything you type in the address field gets sent to a US company.

Re: Report: Chinese phone comes preloaded with spyware

#28

Post by userbinator »

CountSessine wrote: post #3

I wouldn't try to minimize this issue - it's terrible that the Chinese are trying to fit spyware into unbranded phones like this. Perhaps the bright side here is that when the Chinese do try to commit electronic espionage, they're pretty clumsy about it. BUT... Given the way smartphones everywhere are made - China and elsewhere - it's impossible for even technical users to know that their phones aren't spying on them…

Qualcomm is American, but on the other hand, Chinese/Taiwanese companies like Spreadtrum and Mediatek which make the bulk of the processors in these unbranded phones have no incentive to cooperate with the US government (including the NSA).

Re: Report: Chinese phone comes preloaded with spyware

#29

Post by wyager »

johansch wrote: post #27
Holbein wrote: post #4

Of course, if you buy an iPhone in Europe, and you want to use it any significant manner, you're getting spied on by US agencies as well: - GPS: the wifi and celltower db queries that optimize the service are transferred into a foreign country. - use Siri: uploads your whole address book to US servers before use - use iCloud tabs: every URL you visit it uploaded to Apple's US servers - turn on the only cloud backup s…

- use Safari: everything you type in the address field gets sent to a US company.

You can disable suggestions. It's either in privacy or safari settings.

Re: Report: Chinese phone comes preloaded with spyware

#30

Post by bilbo0s »

johansch wrote: post #27
Holbein wrote: post #4

Of course, if you buy an iPhone in Europe, and you want to use it any significant manner, you're getting spied on by US agencies as well: - GPS: the wifi and celltower db queries that optimize the service are transferred into a foreign country. - use Siri: uploads your whole address book to US servers before use - use iCloud tabs: every URL you visit it uploaded to Apple's US servers - turn on the only cloud backup s…

- use Safari: everything you type in the address field gets sent to a US company.

Same with Chrome.
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