Google collects metadata from Android phones • Hacker News Board

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#11

Post by api » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 2:12 PM UTC

cm3 wrote: post #3

Is there an Android fork where this isn't a problem and which you could suggest?

Cyanogen?

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#12

Post by api » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 2:13 PM UTC

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #10

cm3 wrote: post #3

Is there an Android fork where this isn't a problem and which you could suggest?

Part of the problem is the large percentage of apps that are now tied to proprietary Android, and won't run without Google Apps installed. Even Microsoft apps like Outlook and Skype won't load without Google Play Services installed. (The version of Skype on the Amazon Appstore is around a year old, and won't even take my login credentials.) So even if you find a relatively safe Android version to use, you're getting…

Hmm... so effectively Android is no longer open.

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#13

Post by renke1 » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 2:15 PM UTC

cm3 wrote: post #4

cm3 wrote: post #3

Is there an Android fork where this isn't a problem and which you could suggest?

Related question: given how short supported update cycles for Android devices are, which of the sub 100EURO Android phones on AliExpress are a reasonable choice in terms of installing an Android fork? I'm eyeing a cheap phone because I expect to buy another one in less than 2 years because of update support politics.

Not [1]: https://www.wileyfox.com/swift/

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#14

Post by fredgrott » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 2:17 PM UTC

before we jump to conclusions not based by facts..BB collects same info as part of device metric measuring..its a common secret that most mobile OSes both open source and closed source do this..

While BB gave Canda authorities access..Google by default does not..

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#15

Post by jswny » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 2:20 PM UTC

Are people really surprised about this anymore? I can't say that I am. Google is a company which makes a lot of money off of their platforms. I expect them to be collecting data wherever and whenever they can. I see stories like this every day but I've become accustomed to it because it's such a normal practice nowadays, especially from a company like google which provides so many advertising services. I'm not saying this is a good thing, absolutely not. I'm just saying that I've come to expect this kind of thing in the current day and age.

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#16

Post by ocdtrekkie » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 2:20 PM UTC

api wrote: post #12

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Part of the problem is the large percentage of apps that are now tied to proprietary Android, and won't run without Google Apps installed. Even Microsoft apps like Outlook and Skype won't load without Google Play Services installed. (The version of Skype on the Amazon Appstore is around a year old, and won't even take my login credentials.) So even if you find a relatively safe Android version to use, you're getting…

Hmm... so effectively Android is no longer open.

It is a challenging definition, but I would argue that it is not. Because while the core OS is open, you are not effectively able to fork it. Google's developer advocates heavily encourages the use of proprietary Google APIs in app development, which binds those apps to Google's proprietary packages.

I guess the question is how you define a platform or an operating system, but I think that the platform apps on it run off of is a major part of it. And the difference in what will run on AOSP and what will run on Google Play flavored Android is staggering.

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#17

Post by us0r » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 2:21 PM UTC

fredgrott wrote: post #14

before we jump to conclusions not based by facts..BB collects same info as part of device metric measuring..its a common secret that most mobile OSes both open source and closed source do this.. While BB gave Canda authorities access..Google by default does not..

Are we really comparing BB to Android?

http://cdn.bgr.com/2016/05/screen-shot-2016-05-23-at-9-03-37...

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#18

Post by cm3 » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 2:22 PM UTC

renke1 wrote: post #13

cm3 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Related question: given how short supported update cycles for Android devices are, which of the sub 100EURO Android phones on AliExpress are a reasonable choice in terms of installing an Android fork? I'm eyeing a cheap phone because I expect to buy another one in less than 2 years because of update support politics.

Not [1]: https://www.wileyfox.com/swift/

Thanks for the suggestion. That one seems nice but too expensive for my use case. Since support cycles are abysmal, I'd like to get cheap devices and treat them almost as dispensable.

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#19

Post by _Understated_ » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 2:23 PM UTC

fredgrott wrote: post #14

before we jump to conclusions not based by facts..BB collects same info as part of device metric measuring..its a common secret that most mobile OSes both open source and closed source do this.. While BB gave Canda authorities access..Google by default does not..

> Google by default does not..

Not to be a tinfoil-hatter but can you be 100% sure of that?

Re: Google collects metadata from Android phones

#20

Post by thatcat » Fri, Jul 01, 2016, 2:23 PM UTC

It mentions that google collects the data in server logs, the telephony in this case may be referring to google voice and not android OS since using android doesn't necessarily imply you're using google servers. (The play store, google services, etc does but can be avoided)