Android phones are sending significant amount of user data with no opt-out [pdf] • Hacker News Board

Re: Android phones are sending significant amount of user data with no opt-out [pdf]

#111

Post by salusinarduis » Tue, Oct 12, 2021, 4:53 PM UTC

CountDrewku wrote: post #92

salusinarduis wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't agree regarding your flip phone comment, that's silly. I don't use any form of Google Play Services (No OpenGapps or MicroG even) and my phone works completely fine. The only thing that doesn't work is push notifications, which isn't a problem because FOSS apps like Signal bundle their own notification system that does not use Google Play Services. Discord however, does not get push notifications (which I wou…

Regardless of what software you put on the phone it is a tracking device. It has gps, audio, cameras, and web browsers that are all vulnerable to being hacked or used for tracking. I signed into gmail via the Bromite browser on my Pixe3a. I immediately received an email from google about my new Pixel device. They now know what device I use, what browser etc. I don't care how locked down and FOSS you make your smart p…

GraphineOS constantly spoofs the device's MAC so that argument is not valid (I also don't know how a website based email client is getting your MAC). It's also extremely easy to spoof the device's name. The way they are getting that is simply your browser's User Agent, or if it's an app, your phones root properties. There may be some other identifying properties about the device they can collect though, I agree with you on that.

Also, I agree with your argument about phones being tracking devices. Anything with a radio that connects to cell towers is going to be logged and tracked in perfect detail.

Re: Android phones are sending significant amount of user data with no opt-out [pdf]

#112

Post by criddell » Tue, Oct 12, 2021, 4:53 PM UTC

dylan604 wrote: post #106

jpm_sd wrote: post #99

What is the actual value of all this privacy invasion? Is the data even useful to anyone? Or is it just getting collected endlessly for no reason?

To the people collecting the data that can sell it, it is useful only in that someone will buy it. Once it is sold, they don't care one bit about how/where/why it is used.

Where can you buy it?

Re: Android phones are sending significant amount of user data with no opt-out [pdf]

#113

Post by nicoburns » Tue, Oct 12, 2021, 4:55 PM UTC

ir77 wrote: post #68

it's always amazing to me that a typical android user tells me they hate iOS because it's locked down and android is much more open -- whenever i follow up with what apps they've actually side loaded they don't know what i'm talking about, never mind about whether their phone is rooted and they're running a rom. yet a majority of them use very expensive handsets that compete in a premium space to iOS devices and ciph…

> whenever i follow up with what apps they've actually side loaded they don't know what i'm talking about, never mind about whether their phone is rooted and they're running a rom.

An android phone is more open even without side-loading or rooting because Google's play store much less restrictive than Apple's app store.

Re: Android phones are sending significant amount of user data with no opt-out [pdf]

#114

Post by MattGrommes » Tue, Oct 12, 2021, 4:58 PM UTC

It seems worth talking about the fact that it appears to be the vendor of the phone putting this kind of snooping in place. Blaming Android is missing the real culprit. Like they say in the article, we need stronger controls on people's data for whoever happens to make the phone's OS.

Re: Android phones are sending significant amount of user data with no opt-out [pdf]

#115

Post by dgan » Tue, Oct 12, 2021, 4:59 PM UTC

dylan604 wrote: post #110

dgan wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

amazon paysend many others do too. bank is Boursorama

Is this something more popular outside of the US where credit/debit cards are not as ubiquitous?

Maybe. I never owned a credit card, however I also basically didn't use cash for years, only debit card

Re: Android phones are sending significant amount of user data with no opt-out [pdf]

#116

Post by Graffur » Tue, Oct 12, 2021, 4:59 PM UTC

aboringusername wrote: post #84

Graffur wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Based on your comment I have installed it and enabled notifications.. immediately it told me that Facebook attempted internet access. I have 432 other apps so it will be interesting to see what else is phoning home.

> immediately it told me that Facebook attempted internet access. I am not sure how that information is useful to you or anyone else, not trying to be snarky, but an internet app wanting internet access...is the expected behavior? Most apps and operating systems communicate over the internet for any number of reasons, heck, apps can even check if you have internet access or not (and respond accordingly, such as cachi…

I have the FB app but rarely use it. Why would it be phoning home when I don't have it open?

Re: Android phones are sending significant amount of user data with no opt-out [pdf]

#117

Post by uhtred » Tue, Oct 12, 2021, 5:02 PM UTC

dylan604 wrote: post #105

salusinarduis wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes they will work, however to get notifications when the apps are closed you would need to have to some form of Google Play Services. I suggest MicroG if you are intending to do this since it seems to be the least invasive. In my personal case though, I would still not use MicroG, and would just leave the app open until I am done using it. This is easier on Android because apps are not suspended in the same manner i…

What about when the phone locks? My phone is set to autolock after 1 minute. Leaving an app open just to receive notifications seems like a waste of battery.

I use /e/os. It is based on LineageOS, is completely de-googled and has MicroG integrated. MicroG means push notifications with apps like WhatsApp will work. https://e.foundation/

Re: Android phones are sending significant amount of user data with no opt-out [pdf]

#118

Post by silicon2401 » Tue, Oct 12, 2021, 5:02 PM UTC

noja wrote: post #38

Please, technical people of HN, install NetGuard on your Android phone. You will be shocked where your data goes. GDPR? Ha!

Giving this a try based on your glowing recommendation. Thanks for suggesting it! I'm always interested in improving my privacy measures

Re: Android phones are sending significant amount of user data with no opt-out [pdf]

#119

Post by thastings » Tue, Oct 12, 2021, 5:03 PM UTC

deathjester wrote: post #34

I think it's a bit misleading to say Lineage OS sends data, because it doesn't. It's just the GApps installed with Lineage OS that sends data to Google. But you don't need to install GApps, then it doesn't send anything just like /e/OS does...

This is the exact thing I was wondering about. As far as I understood, they flashed GApps, even though GApps is not part of the default installation. I wonder what the findings would've been like on LineageOS without the GApps.

Re: Android phones are sending significant amount of user data with no opt-out [pdf]

#120

Post by 3np » Tue, Oct 12, 2021, 5:04 PM UTC

MattGrommes wrote: post #114

It seems worth talking about the fact that it appears to be the vendor of the phone putting this kind of snooping in place. Blaming Android is missing the real culprit. Like they say in the article, we need stronger controls on people's data for whoever happens to make the phone's OS.

There’s still data sent to Google as part of Android except for currently obscure ones like /e/ and Graphene.

It’s like a combination of the desktop Windows of the 90s (malware preinstalled by vendors) and today (increasing surveillance by the OS developers) with Apple (you need to basically risk breaking the device and void the warranty to get away from it)