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Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

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Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#151

Post by ArtTimeInvestor »

dgb23 wrote: post #130
ArtTimeInvestor wrote: post #80

I sometimes think that "track record" is the main value of Google and Apple. They have been around for decades, and except in their own interest to collect data for themselves, I am not aware of any blatant privacy violations of these companies. And one can hope that in their own interest, they keep it that way. That's not great, but it's better than the other companies. I don't see how any company can compete with t…

What about PRISM? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM

Do Apple and Google have a choice to legally opt out of it?

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#153

Post by ArtTimeInvestor »

bapak wrote: post #85
ArtTimeInvestor wrote: post #80

I sometimes think that "track record" is the main value of Google and Apple. They have been around for decades, and except in their own interest to collect data for themselves, I am not aware of any blatant privacy violations of these companies. And one can hope that in their own interest, they keep it that way. That's not great, but it's better than the other companies. I don't see how any company can compete with t…

What's your definition of "collect data for themselves?" Because both do, albeit in substantially different amounts.

Can you elaborate on those "substantially different amounts"?

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#154

Post by Sophira »

ulrikrasmussen wrote: post #108
userbinator wrote: post #24

making it nearly impossible for regular users to uninstall it without root access, which voids warranties and poses security risks Stop parroting the corporate propaganda that put us into this stupid situation in the first place. Having root access on devices you own should be a fundamental right, as otherwise it's not ownership.

We need regulation which defines that any hardware device capable of running software developed by a third party different from the hardware manufacturer qualifies as a general purpose computing device, and that any such device is disallowed to put cryptographic or other restrictions on what software the user wants to execute. This pertains to all programmable components on the device, including low-level hardware co…

While I agree in theory, this is never going to happen. There's too much DRM in use for it to work out.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#156

Post by nottorp »

detaro wrote: post #155
nottorp wrote: post #152

> AppCloud, developed by the controversial Israeli-founded company ironSource (now owned by the American company Unity) Unity the ones doing a game engine?

yes: https://investors.unity.com/news/news-details/2022/Unity-Ann...

So in addition to the licensing controversy, it's a good idea to assume any Unity game contains spyware now?

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#157

Post by cma »

bsaul wrote: post #144
chaosbolt wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect Israel has backdoor access to most CPUs. Here is how Pegasus seems: - China has 1.5 billion people, lots of resources, would profit a lot economically if they found a way to hack iOS, etc. But yet couldn't hack it. - Israel with its 7 million people, not only hacks iOS multiple times, but does it to spy on its allies. Now I've seen the threads analysing Pegasus' complexity, I don't know if it's been reprodu…

[flagged]

Many are also US citizens who could work at research labs in the US without a visa. Something like 50K or 100K of the illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank alone are US citizens.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#158

Post by StanislavPetrov »

throwanem wrote: post #61
StanislavPetrov wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>You people don’t know or have forgotten what a god damn wasteland computers were 20 years ago. Computers were utopia 20 years ago as compared to today - especially when it comes to privacy, security and user-control.

Spoken like someone who knew no one other than fellow practitioners in the field. My God, the 2000s were the Wild West in every kind of way - were you even there to see it? I note you do not say that you were.

I got started with my first computer as a child over 40 years ago. I'll take the Wild West over the Matrix any day.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#159

Post by hilbert42 »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #132
burnt-resistor wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It creates a Hobson's choice of no tinkering and less malware, or tinkering and greater risks from malware. There should be a "maintenance mode", but the onus of responsibility for breakage should be on the user for system update compatibility without the user being held hostage. This is a false choice and ostensible customizability. If the manufacturer wants to add an "OS warranty void sticker" flag because things m…

> There should be a "maintenance mode", but the onus of responsibility for breakage should be on the user for system update compatibility without the user being held hostage Isn’t this just a second device? How can you hold a manufacturer liable if the user was given unsupervised time as root?

"How can you hold a manufacturer liable if the user was given unsupervised time as root?"

PCs had root access by default, so why wasn't it a significant problem for them? Banking is possible on a PC without a banking app.

As Noam Chomsky has said, as in politics, manufacturers and OS vendors such as Google and Microsoft have been deliberately "manufacturing concent" — a widespread belief in the population of users that benefits them to the disadvantage of many of said users.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#160

Post by encom »

sprinkly-dust wrote: post #109
burnt-resistor wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It creates a Hobson's choice of no tinkering and less malware, or tinkering and greater risks from malware. There should be a "maintenance mode", but the onus of responsibility for breakage should be on the user for system update compatibility without the user being held hostage. This is a false choice and ostensible customizability. If the manufacturer wants to add an "OS warranty void sticker" flag because things m…

It is my experience that this is what Google does with their Pixel phones. It is really quite simple to unlock the bootloader and do whatever you want on a Google Pixel you own (i.e unlocked, no carrier). They even give you this really handy Android flash tool which uses WebUSB to fully restore your device when you mess up. Heck, custom ROMs like GrapheneOS and CalyxOS are even able to sign their own images and allow…

>banks and the like have a say in how I choose to access their more convenient services

I disagree. I don't understand how it's fine that I can access my banking services with my Gentoo machine, with everything compiled from source by myself, but it's somehow a problem when I'm not using either Apple or Google certified OS on my phone.

I'm sure they want to prevent the first scenario, like various streaming cartels already do, but I hope something like EU throws a fit if they do.

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