Sorry to post my shitty neofetch to this community
Google “Only spy the web” is highly inaccurate…they are everywhere. In every website, in your android phone, in your YouTube, in your Google drive, in your email, in your Google maps…
Anyways… I will calm down now. :)
It’s cute, people think their android os isn’t collecting an embarrassing amount of data. Even if you turn everything off but cellular, it still phones home with cellular tower triangulation, app usage, call history, general web activity, weather the phone thinks your walking driving or riding a Bike, device diagnostics, etc.
Yes but we do what we can.
Same, I wish there was a better options. I’m on android right now but when it comes time to upgrade I always try to choose the lesser evil and it’s hard.
demand compensation we should be paid for it
I wish there was a paid google of no spying… I mean what does google one get me, but the ability for google to spy on more or my data?
Everyone thinks about the spying as relating to themselves, the individual.
Google doesn’t give a shit about you. Google gives a shit about us. Collectively. They can monitor the collective soul of the world. When people are busy, when they’re not paying attention, when they’re mad, who, and for how long; how they react to certain subjects…how to get them to listen about certain subjects, how to bring them around to certain subjects, how to keep them disagreeing with other viewpoints, etc.
They’re literally developed “a remote control for the flock” and everyone’s out here like “why do I care if Google see my save games I have 500 hours in CoD so wut”
They’re really good at providing value for your data, I feel the same way about YouTube premium. I do it to better support creators and remove ads but they probably have one of the most detailed profiles on me.
They’re really good at providing value for your data
Perhaps you perceive that to be, which is totally fine, but how do you actually know that? We have no clue what that value truly is to them since they won’t share with us. If you are happy with what the googs get you, great (no sarcasm).
Myself, I fail to see the value being returned.
To each it’s own, I’m trying to move away from Google too. I still think it’s a better return than you would ever get from Facebook, Microsoft, or Amazon. There’s something to be said about most people being completely happy with using Gmail, YouTube, chrome, or search with minimal complaints. For a while we even got “free” unlimited storage for photos.
Again, we have no idea of the value our data is to any of these companies because they are not transparent about it, but I agree that google does provide more than those others. Especially for me as I’ve eschewed FB for a long while now and have distanced myself from Amazon too.
I am all over YT though until we can get a successor. Way too much good content there.
Once a month google sends me this email. “Your timeline”.
It’s a map with this line drawn on it showing everyplace I went that month. Home to work to the grocery store to my dealer’s etc.
Why are they showing this to me? Is it an advertisement of services? A brag? A threat?
It’s a smidge disturbing.
For me, it is useful. At the very least, such a blatant display of tracking information means people will know about it and disable it if necessary.
It should be an opt in feature, but it has helped me a couple times. I got beat up pretty bad after leaving a bar and couldn’t remember anything about the night, was able to retrace my steps from the google stuff.
It is opt in. someone didn’t read.
Oh that’s spooky. What phone do you have? I was almost gonna say that it’s likely a pixel thing, but I have one too, so idk why they would brag with your data.
Its baked into Google Maps.
Huh, interesting. Thanks for sharing.
It would be fun if some government required companies that off free services to disclose how they make money and allow each user to see their particular value. This might help open some eyes…
open their eyes to what? the fact it costs money to run a service? its either some data mining or everything costing a helluva lot more. and im sure youd complain about prices too.
and im sure youd complain about prices too
A universal claim only takes one case to disprove, and I’ll be that case: you’re wrong. I actually seek out the pay services and cut out the “free” ones.
My real complaint is when the huge companies offer a paid plan, but then still try to double dip and abuse my data and I. So I leave for the smaller guys who have an actual reputation to protect and so have garnered some trust. The hard part are things like google street view, or youtube, where competition is way behind due to the sheer inertia that incumbents have (e.g., creators using youtube due to the huge potential audience).
Other thing hard to ditch for me is android, as I really don’t like how tightly locked down apple’s walled garden is - not being able to run real firefox with my choice of extensions is a showstopper for any mobile platform.
How much money do you think a single user is worth? I can’t imagine it’s anything valuable
I use alternative for all google services.
YouTube - piped.video
Google drive - Mega Drive or Anonfile
G-Mail - Proton
Google Map - OSM (Open Street Map)
I think you meant:
Google maps - OSM
and
Google Search Engine - almost a thing else (duckduckgo)
Yea, But my search engine is ecosia.org
Ecosia is cool. Should probably also switch to it…
in your android phone
And if you try to revoke their spying access on a rooted stock device, they force a reboot ☹️
Hence GrapheneOS sandboxing the Play Store. It is ironic that Google is the only phone manufacturer that allows for installing a different OS. But I suppose the fact that GrapheneOS has pushed security updates that have made it into stock Android and the fact that most users won’t bother installing an alternative OS on their pixel phones is why they allow such shenanigans.
It is ironic that Google is the only phone manufacturer that allows for installing a different OS.
What do you mean by that? There are definitely other manufacturers that make it easy to unlock the bootloader so you can install other ROMs.
I stand correctted then. Please tell me a few of these other manufacturers!
Pinephone is the obvious one, BUT! Have you heard of FairPhone? These things also make it easy to install other operating systems on them. Also Beter for the climate ig.
I actually have a Pinephone from a few years ago (2 years now I think?). I never used it as a daily driver as it was very slow and had comparatively less features than the iphone and samsung phones i had had previously.
Upon recently deciding on purchasing the Pixel 7a and installing Graphene OS on it, i did heavily consider the Fairphone, but I’m in the US and they only just started to come to our shores. The family plan I’m on wasn’t a supported carrier, so that more or less made the decision for me.
The observation about the pinephone and fairphone being more environmentally friendly is intriguing. Care to elaborate a bit please?
I’m not the right person to do that, they got some good advertisement tho.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6gtj1ynstU
I’d encourage you to wait a bit tho, because it seems like they are about to announce a new one.
Motorola has always made it easy. I’ve unlocked and rooted LG phones, although not sure on how easy they make it normally. Oneplus is well known for being open to unlocking. I’ve done it with Samsung too, although you have to be careful with the model, US variants are very difficult to unlock and have very limited support, but my last phone was a US s10e and I did it. Otherwise the international Samsung phones are unlockable.
With Samsung these days, it’s usually impossible to root without some sort of exploit on US models unfortunately.
Yeah, that’s why I said the US variants are very difficult to unlock, I had to pay to unlock that s10e that I mentioned and it’s fairly sketchy.
I stand very corrected. My apologies for not investigating this further before posting. I suppose i should rephrase my previous comment as:
I find it ironic that Google allows its flagship product to be rooted with an OS dedicated specifically to limiting data harvesting of Pixel users.
I don’t do Android development, but I would imagine rooting makes it easier to test things, as you wouldn’t have to rely on ADB all the time.
I use rooted LineageOS on my 4a 5G, though I do still have GApps on it. Next phone I buy I’m thinking I’ll give GrapheneOS a try. Leaving behind my rooted system level adblocking would be difficult for me though.
In regards to ad blocking. My solution isn’t as all encompassing as that, but for general web browsing, I use the Mull browser as you can install some addons like ublock and noscript. I’ll admit though if you’re looking to install advertisement heavy Play Store Apps though, I’d say maybe look into using a PiHole to adblock your home network?
I mostly just use my phone for/at work. I already have a server that could operate as a pihole at home, but my PC already blocks everything under the sun, so it’s not really needed.
I get most of my stuff off f-droid unless I don’t have any other choice, and use firefox with ublock+noscript on my phone as-is. But it is nice to not have to worry about getting ads in anything else when I do install an odd game or something, though.
What works for me is a pi-hole at home, a wireguard service on my (dd-wrt) router with the pi-hole functioning as dns server and my phone using wireguard as an always-on vpn.
All traffic on my phone is now routed through the pi-hole at home, which filters out all tracking, wherever I am.
Can users who use Google Fi switch too? Will call screening still work?
I don’t use Google Fi, but a quick search shows that many have gotten it to work with Graphene OS just fine. You can still install Fi from the Play Store, and it appears all works as intended as long as you grant it Network Permissions.
I’d do research on it though if you’re truly interested. They have a link to their Matrix chat on their website where you can field general questions.
Sure, but all of those, except the phone (and TV mentioned in another comment), are part of the web.
In your car, your TV, your network, your dns…
Everywhere.
They are even part of paying for the massive underwater cables between continents that all internet traffic runs through.
They took everything over.
It’s the most extensive surveillance network in the world.
Literally 1984.
Except that instead of an authoritarian government using it to totally control the learned populace, they are showing you ads.
We’ve still got a way to go before 1984. If it did happen, you wouldn’t be able to discuss it.
started uploading pics to maps as a ‘guide’ back in 2000s. G has sent me a few trinkets over the years(coveted lego phone stand). a level 8 guide, w/e that means. millions of pic views. what do I care. it’s a hobby. Moved a home phone line to Voice. Get email transcript of any voice mails. set it to do not disturb. phone never rings. voicemail or nothing. I use them for free. They use me. Or think they do
Google: I only spy the web
Oh you poor child…
How many years has it been since chrome had a “bug” that had it activate some “antivirus” project that was scanning files on the entire machine even when it wasn’t running?
Both Android and ChromeOS are Linux, and Google’s spying there…
We should all be thankful that ChromeOS is flaming hot garbage that no one should be using on UX alone.
Very sadly ChromeOS has a significant market share thanks to schools.
Why are they using it rather than windows?
Probably because Google encourages OEMs to keep the hardware dirt cheap so that they can expose as many kids as possible to Google everything and they can harvest their data for life.
CHEAP hardware
CHEAP e-waste
My nephew’s school has been using the same Chromebooks for at least the four years he’s been there.
How long do you expect them to last?
They’ll last until either: the school stops using gsuite or some other company comes up with something even trendier to market that is cheap enough to justify a grant.
And “easy” central control.
Do we really need to bring back “GNU/Linux” for the pedants?
ChromeOS is GNU/Linux
This is one of the reasons why I think something like “Freedesktop Platform” is a more appropriate term than “Linux”.
Your logical inference is wrong.
Stalking. Spying sounds like a kids game or movie. This isn’t observing. This isn’t passive. It is actively exploiting. It is predatory, targeted, manipulative, with intent. It is stalking.
You’re right and I’m making the switch to using this word while bitching about their stalking.
Linux*
*Except Ubuntu
deleted by creator
Idk that they are overtly spying, but they have telemetry reporting turned on by default now, and you have to manually turn it off. There has been concern in the community over what they’re doing with that data.
Apple fanboys will lose their shit if they see this meme. I sometimes dont understand these fanboys like apple doesn’t pay them nor does they credit these idiots for word of mouth free marketing instead these idiots pay top $ to buy their product and act like them invented it. Stupid mofos!!
Well it’s more the fact that they have payed top $ so it can’t be a flawed product. That’s most likely why some apple users react in that fashion.
The new Mac Pro would like a word with you LOL
That’s so true. You make a good point.
Microsoft: Gets slapped with antitrust lawsuits for including Internet Exploder with Windows.
Microsoft: Hold my beer.
Crazy how Google hasn’t been hit for forcing everyone to use Play Store by making it unreasonably inconvenient to use 3rd party stores to update software.
It hasn’t been hit directly but the EU Digital Markets Act will make that behaviour illegal, among other things.
You can just install a third party store and update apps through that easily…
Yeah, manually downloading and clicking install/update on each app, waiting 5-10 seconds between apps. So much easier than just pressing “update all” or using automatic updates. Totally comparable.
Personally, I just sideload a couple of apps and they tend to not have issues. It’s kinda nice
If you’re forced to use Windows for some things, use Windows 10 LTSC. If you can’t buy it (because Microsoft refuses to let consumers buy a non-spyware version of their OS) then sail the high seas for it. It takes the telemetry out and you’ll have full control over the OS, can more easily remove Edge and can set your group policy and other stuff to completely block telemetry to your taste.
I keep 11 for some machine specific settings. It is on a separate drive from Linux and it exists in a post internet age of behind a router that will never give it access to anything. If I need something for it, Linux will placed those files on a separate drive to manually carry them over to little double middle finger OS. Maybe it can have internet one day when it grows up and vomits all its source code in a bankruptcy… Assuming it is not to late to abort this little monster toddler.
Yo really? Sounds good, gonna install that for my VR machine.
Facebook: you guys hide it?
Google: Laughing in Android.
The amount of telemetry that comes with GMS is insane.
Google: Laughing in Chrome, scanning your entire file system
Google: Laughing in bloody web DRM
Oh no my previous private keys 😱
linux is not inherently immune ya’ll
All you can really do is make the spying as difficult as possible. That’s really all we can do 🤷🏿♂️🤷🏿♂️
True. And unfortunately certain privacy measures can make it easier to digitally fingerprint you as a user. Also my mind is still blown since I learned about canvas fingerprinting. EFF.org describes it as follows:
Canvas fingerprinting is invisible to the user. A tracker can create a “canvas” in your browser, and generate a complicated collage of shapes, colors, and text using JavaScript. Then, with the resulting collage, the tracker extracts data about exactly how each pixel on the canvas is rendered. Many variables will affect the final result. These include your operating system, graphics card, firmware version, graphics driver version, and installed fonts.
These settings are different from one computer to the next. But they tend to be consistent enough on a single machine to clearly identify a user.
somebody never reads the logs
Pretty sure Google also spies through the OS.
It depends of the OS. The vast majority of Android devices " yes". But there are few exceptions like GrapheneOS for example, where Google code was almost completely purged from the system except from the firmware level (unfortunately), for basic reasons.
the reason they put so many cameras on phones is not for selfies
I always love that scene in Batman where he’s hacked everyone’s phone to see all their cameras.
It looks like everyone in the world is standing around everywhere pointing their phone cameras in the most convenient directions to give a great view of streets, rooms and hallways everywhere.
In real life, if you tuned into people’s cameras right now, fifty percent would be the inside of pockets, purses or clothing. A quarter would be pointed at blank walls, ceilings, floors or the sky. And the rest would be terribly close close-ups of people faces or the shower/bathroom/sink.
If I remember correctly, it was the cameras, it wasn’t the microphones. It was able to recreate 3d scenes with some kind of sonar algorithm (probably by combining the microphones from multiple people in the same room?) (I actually really liked Batman using sonar). 3d images from microphones still sounds farfetched but, may actually be possible soon
Saw a tiktok where they trained ai to use wifi signals like a camera to identify locations of humans in a room
Phones also work as Wi-Fi emitters so if you hacked a whole network of them it could work on phones too
Scary thought
I mean, Batman’s software could probably filter out that stuff and show only the ones that are actually useful.
Y’all worried about cameras when there’s a microphone too. IMO that’s a way more intrusive than spying on camera.
It’s for food and cats photos too
Guess it’s a good thing my case has a slider that blocks the camera. They can tell where but not what. Though with mic they can probably tell what most of the time too for me, yay for spying on me watching cartoons and playing video games. Now that I typed it I realized how little had changed in 30 years, thankfully there’s new of both to enjoy.
