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Google collects cell tower info even if location services are disabled

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Re: Google collects cell tower info even if location services are disabled

#81

Post by eknkc »

IBM wrote: post #63

It's amazing to me how many comments here excuse Google's behavior by offering the impractical "solution" of just not using a smartphone (a false dilemma) when the obvious answer is to get an iPhone. That's the advice of pretty much everyone in the infosec field and I'm sure some of them will attest to that in this thread.

I tell all my friends / family to get an iPhone if they are upgrading.

I used iOS and Android phones and I like both. However it makes even me nerveous to use a banking application or similar on an Android. Can’t imagine what kind of shit my dad would have running on an Android device with all the fake fishing apps, bloatware, tracking etc going around.

With a non jailbroken iPhone I have a lot more peace of mind.

Re: Google collects cell tower info even if location services are disabled

#83

Post by zipwitch »

IBM wrote: post #63

It's amazing to me how many comments here excuse Google's behavior by offering the impractical "solution" of just not using a smartphone (a false dilemma) when the obvious answer is to get an iPhone. That's the advice of pretty much everyone in the infosec field and I'm sure some of them will attest to that in this thread.

I'm not sure that avoiding (some of) the panopticon by aiding and abetting wealth concentration via child slave labor is such "an obvious answer".

Re: Google collects cell tower info even if location services are disabled

#84

Post by geofft »

IBM wrote: post #63

It's amazing to me how many comments here excuse Google's behavior by offering the impractical "solution" of just not using a smartphone (a false dilemma) when the obvious answer is to get an iPhone. That's the advice of pretty much everyone in the infosec field and I'm sure some of them will attest to that in this thread.

I have an iPhone specifically because I want to use Google services (Calendar and Hangouts) without associating my entire phone with my Gmail account. A few Android releases ago, I was able to create a new Google account for my phone, with no contacts or anything, and still use Hangouts. It's recently gotten aggressive enough that I'm pretty sure that all my photos, location history, contacts, etc. are visible to my Gmail account and that my Gmail account has permissions to install apps on my phone, so I gave up and got an iPhone, where the only apps that care about my Google account are the Google apps I choose to install.

Re: Google collects cell tower info even if location services are disabled

#85

Post by eknkc »

zipwitch wrote: post #83
IBM wrote: post #63

It's amazing to me how many comments here excuse Google's behavior by offering the impractical "solution" of just not using a smartphone (a false dilemma) when the obvious answer is to get an iPhone. That's the advice of pretty much everyone in the infosec field and I'm sure some of them will attest to that in this thread.

I'm not sure that avoiding (some of) the panopticon by aiding and abetting wealth concentration via child slave labor is such "an obvious answer".

https://www.reddit.com/r/iamverysmart/

Re: Google collects cell tower info even if location services are disabled

#86

Post by yndoendo »

"The revelation comes as Google and other internet companies are under fire from lawmakers and regulators, including for the extent to which they vacuum up data about users."

Since the FCC is taking the Alan Greenspan approach to a self-regulating market / ISP, which nearly every Republican legislative office support. Which lawmakers and regulators are up in arms?

Re: Google collects cell tower info even if location services are disabled

#88

Post by stingraycharles »

dragonwriter wrote: post #72
baxtr wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True. The big difference between Apple and google is that Apple sells you pricey hardware, that just works. In the case of google they sell you. Thus, but Business Model alone you should not trust google if you care about privacy. It doesn’t make sense for them to stop collecting data points about you.

> Apple and google is that Apple sells you pricey hardware, that just works Well, pricey hardware, at least. > In the case of google they sell you No, they aren't in the slave trade; they sell ad placement, not people.

If people were not be there to watch the ads, what would those placements be worth?

It’s not the placement that’s the value that’s being sold, it’s watching the ads that is. So they definitely use your data to sell your attention, which is the currency you’re paying with.

Re: Google collects cell tower info even if location services are disabled

#89

Post by bobajeff »

IBM wrote: post #63

It's amazing to me how many comments here excuse Google's behavior by offering the impractical "solution" of just not using a smartphone (a false dilemma) when the obvious answer is to get an iPhone. That's the advice of pretty much everyone in the infosec field and I'm sure some of them will attest to that in this thread.

> impractical "solution" of just not using a smartphone (a false dilemma) when the obvious answer is to get an iPhone.

What is your life like to where you think not having a cell is impractical.

In any case a smart phone is fundamentally a weak point in privacy/security no matter which one you get.

Re: Google collects cell tower info even if location services are disabled

#90

Post by chiefalchemist »

sarcasmic wrote: post #32

When I'm at work, I use my work computer, which has a long lived static IP, to log into my personal Google account. I have configured all of my browsers to clear cookies and storage upon closing. I never use signed-in Google Maps, but I sometimes use it from that computer, from fresh browser while logged out. A week ago, I moved from my previous home that was close to my work, to a different city about 20 miles away.…

This type of behavior isn't limited to Google. In Chaos Monkey (which is ancient technology at this point) he goes over how tracking can be accomplished across multiple devices.

That aside, to have a setting that doesn't do what it says is disturbing. If that's don't be evil then what's their definition of evil?

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