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The Many Ways Google Harvests Data

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Re: The Many Ways Google Harvests Data

#81

Post by awakeasleep »

jacksmith21006 wrote: post #73
thisacctforreal wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They make an effort to design their products and services with privacy and security in mind, and are much more transparent about what data is collected and how it's used. The iCloud-China situation is unfortunate. The situation is very different from Google, both in the opportunity costs, and the fact Apple's products are dependent on China to be manufactured. Additionally, if you forego iCloud services (namely iClou…

Not following. There were billions to be made by Google in China and they decided giving up their user data was a bridge too far. So basically chose to not sell their user data. Versus Apple handed over all there user data to make a buck. Plus this is actual data not a targeted ad. Do I have this correct?

You're missing facts that change the whole picture.

Cloud services are required to use Google services & devices. G had to choose between giving China everything or withdrawing from the market.

Cloud services are an add-on to Apple's products. The iPhone is still useful without enabling anything from iCloud. Cloud services are optional with the iPhone.

Re: The Many Ways Google Harvests Data

#82

Post by jacksmith21006 »

awakeasleep wrote: post #81
jacksmith21006 wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not following. There were billions to be made by Google in China and they decided giving up their user data was a bridge too far. So basically chose to not sell their user data. Versus Apple handed over all there user data to make a buck. Plus this is actual data not a targeted ad. Do I have this correct?

You're missing facts that change the whole picture. Cloud services are required to use Google services & devices. G had to choose between giving China everything or withdrawing from the market. Cloud services are an add-on to Apple's products. The iPhone is still useful without enabling anything from iCloud. Cloud services are optional with the iPhone.

Cloud is not required with Google. What are you talking about?

Re: The Many Ways Google Harvests Data

#83

Post by oldcynic »

downandout wrote: post #80
laythea wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The whole tracking thing should be outlawed in my opinion. It's like saying that because windows are transparent, it is ok to stare into people's living rooms. It's not - irrespective of transparency or lack of curtains. In a world where that is clearly not ok, then why is it that this kind of thing (tracking) is deemed ok? What we need is something that does to our online privacy, what curtains did for peoples real…

It's like saying that because windows are transparent, it is ok to stare into people's living rooms. It's not - irrespective of transparency or lack of curtains. Nope. When you enter someone else’s place of business, you have no expectation of privacy. These websites belong to private entities. So it’s more like saying that because you voluntarily walked into my store, it’s ok for me to observe your behavior while yo…

You're effectively suggesting people take all their business offline again.

When I walk into store (a) it's reasonable to assume that store (a) might be observing my behaviour, along with perhaps a sub-contracted security company etc. It's less reasonable to assume that walking into store (a) gets me observed by stores b-z and subcontractor 1-255 which is more like what happens on the web. They don't generally follow around town for the rest of the week either.

Go to web site or store and get observed by Google, Facebook, and dozens of assorted analytics companies who will then endeavour to track you wherever you go next, for as long as possible.

Now then, ignoring JS and adblocking for a moment, which mainstream ecommerce or news sites can one frequent in order to adopt the "100% effective solution" of not being tracked?

Re: The Many Ways Google Harvests Data

#84

Post by kop316 »

lallysingh wrote: post #76
kop316 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll copy an earlier post of what I found: On Android, I noted before that when I turned on and off location services, the GPS lock was near instantaneous (i.e. when I turned on location, Google Maps located me with GPS precision immediately. There could be other ways of how this happens, it was noted in another post of mine, but that had still had me a bit suspicious. I replaced Google Play Services with microG rece…

By tracking, do you mean the phone keeping track of its own location, or it sending location data back to Google? Google maintains a database of wifi networks and their locations (I don't know the ways this data is acquired) to help triangulate the position: https://www.quora.com/How-does-android-use-WiFi-to-get-your-...

By tracking, I mean MicroG/Google Play Services controls location services, not Android OS.

Re: The Many Ways Google Harvests Data

#85

Post by mcgarnagle »

oldcynic wrote: post #83
downandout wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's like saying that because windows are transparent, it is ok to stare into people's living rooms. It's not - irrespective of transparency or lack of curtains. Nope. When you enter someone else’s place of business, you have no expectation of privacy. These websites belong to private entities. So it’s more like saying that because you voluntarily walked into my store, it’s ok for me to observe your behavior while yo…

You're effectively suggesting people take all their business offline again. When I walk into store (a) it's reasonable to assume that store (a) might be observing my behaviour, along with perhaps a sub-contracted security company etc. It's less reasonable to assume that walking into store (a) gets me observed by stores b-z and subcontractor 1-255 which is more like what happens on the web. They don't generally follow…

"Walking into a store can get you observed by stores b-z and subcontractior 1-255"

Well what about the new amazon retail store, that records your every move?

Also what about stores or shopping malls that contract their security cameras out to other companies? Surely those security companies may be doing all kinds of stuff with people's facial recognition data.

Re: The Many Ways Google Harvests Data

#86

Post by delroth »

dualboot wrote: post #74
secure wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The data collected for Google Public DNS is actually very reasonable. Have a look at https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/privacy . I haven’t checked the other products, just wanted to point this out since people seem to assume worse than what’s actually happening (for Google Public DNS, at least).

It's not just what they collect with a single service. It's the amount of clarity that comes from a linkage with their other collected data sets.

On that same web page:

> We don't correlate or combine information from our temporary or permanent logs with any personal information that you have provided Google for other services.

Of course, all of that is meaningless if you want to think that Google is lying in its privacy policies.

(Disclaimer: I work at Google, but not on 8888).

Re: The Many Ways Google Harvests Data

#87

Post by cryptonector »

cbr wrote: post #72
cryptonector wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's picking a nit. GP or whatever said "GPS", but does it matter which technology is used to track your location? Clearly not. And many users say "GPS" to mean all location technologies too, so this doesn't seem like a useful nit to pick, honestly.

Every time you load a web page they can see your IP address, and IP addresses can be mapped back to rough locations. Sometimes people use "GPS" to also include things like your phone figuring out where it is based on what WiFi names it can see, but I don't think I've ever seen it for IP-based geolocation. (Disclaimer: I'm an engineer at Google)

Right. There's the IP address, cell tower location, wifi name location, and GPS. People don't care which it is, except they want it (because then they want precision).

Re: The Many Ways Google Harvests Data

#88

Post by Erwin »

oldcynic wrote: post #83
downandout wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's like saying that because windows are transparent, it is ok to stare into people's living rooms. It's not - irrespective of transparency or lack of curtains. Nope. When you enter someone else’s place of business, you have no expectation of privacy. These websites belong to private entities. So it’s more like saying that because you voluntarily walked into my store, it’s ok for me to observe your behavior while yo…

You're effectively suggesting people take all their business offline again. When I walk into store (a) it's reasonable to assume that store (a) might be observing my behaviour, along with perhaps a sub-contracted security company etc. It's less reasonable to assume that walking into store (a) gets me observed by stores b-z and subcontractor 1-255 which is more like what happens on the web. They don't generally follow…

Sounds like applying the web tracking to the real world could be the next evil business idea.

When I somehow get upgraded to business class while flying it is rather flattering to be greeted by the stewards by name while being offered a glass of decent champagne.

What if your store could do the same for people considered social influencers or "whale" spenders? As they enter the store, dispatch your Personal Shopper squad to gently welcome them, and nudge them towards purchases -- or if nothing else, a little social media moment worthy to share with their followers.

Perhaps their social posting history will reveal a hyper-personalized special offer that can make them buy that $2000 handbag.

Re: The Many Ways Google Harvests Data

#89

Post by lallysingh »

kop316 wrote: post #84
lallysingh wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By tracking, do you mean the phone keeping track of its own location, or it sending location data back to Google? Google maintains a database of wifi networks and their locations (I don't know the ways this data is acquired) to help triangulate the position: https://www.quora.com/How-does-android-use-WiFi-to-get-your-...

By tracking, I mean MicroG/Google Play Services controls location services, not Android OS.

.. but does the location leave the device?

Re: The Many Ways Google Harvests Data

#90

Post by dylz »

ballenf wrote: post #68
908087 wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The solution to this is here: https://decentraleyes.org

Pretty cool looking service. Since I've never heard of it, I wish the down voters would explain the problem with it (at the time of writing it's a dark gray, so only a little negative). Is it simply that people don't seem library CDNs as a source of privacy piercing data?

They generally aren't, as far as I can tell?

SRI (no changing content for a specific user) + crossorigin ('The "anonymous" keyword means that there will be no exchange of user credentials via cookies, client-side SSL certificates or HTTP authentication'), no referrers via meta tag or header.

The other end gets your IP and browser UA, with nothing else. It is pretty low on the totem pole of worry.

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