Quick straw poll for a community that is probably more aware of the risks and security conscious than the general population - will you be opting out of the new Google offline, crowdsourced Find My Device service out of any concern for your privacy/security etc?
https://support.google.com/android/answer/14796936?visit_id=…
Looks like it only works on Pixel phones?
Yeah, the standard GrapheneOS is Pixel only, because it's the only hardware that is actually secure :/
But because it's open source you can find ports to other manufacturer phones on XDA-Developers website …
Ah yeah cool. I'd say more people here would probably have Samsung over Pixel given the deals we've seen.
But lose Google Pay.. they have the upper hand at the moment. Still waiting for those clever devs to work around Googles latest effort :(
will you be opting out of the new Google offline, crowdsourced Find My Device service out of any concern for your privacy/security etc?
Hate to tell you, unless you have opt'd out, you have always been able to find your device. Head here
https://www.google.com/android/find/
What was released was a update, that allows a 'airtag' style type of find my device. Which I say bring it on!
I stopped using my chromebook a few months ago because I don’t trust google. As much as I hate Apple, they are the lesser of 2 evils; although I think someone already mentioned Graphene
As a dedicated Chromebook user, what trust issues should I be having?
The fact that you have to provide person details to create a google account, that they sell your details to third parties, that they track every website you go to (including in incogneto mode)…
I stopped using my chromebook a few months ago because I don’t trust google
LOL Based on what?
Apple, they are the lesser of 2 evils
So the ones that leaks your iCloud photos a years ago are safer? Hmmmm
LOL Based on what?
It could be that Google generates the majority of its revenue (roughly 80 - 90%) from targeted advertising, which explicitly relies on harvesting, storing and disseminating its users data.
Meanwhile, Apple generates the majority of its revenue (roughly 80%) from the sale of hardware products.
It could be that Google generates the majority of its revenue (roughly 80 - 90%) from targeted advertising, which explicitly relies on harvesting, storing and disseminating its users data.
The LOL was to why they stopped trusting Google. Google hasn't leaked data unlike Apple.
So based on your comment, you have stopped using facebook as well? As this is how the model works for them also.
Most people get confused as Google doesn't 'sell' your data as such, it sells targeted advertising. If I want to advise to males aged 35-45, located in the USA who earn $80k a year or more and who also like wearing high heal shoes, then I can create a ad that targets these people, I have zero idea who they are.
Meanwhile, Apple generates the majority of its revenue (roughly 80%) from the sale of hardware products.
Comparing Apple to Google like that isn't really comparing 'Apples to Apples'. Googles is a services company that sells some hardware, Apple is a hardware company that sells some services.
Google hasn't leaked data unlike Apple.
Yes they have. Here's one:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Google_data_breach
These pages have a pretty good summary of Google's and Apple's data breaches:
https://firewalltimes.com/google-data-breach-timeline/
https://firewalltimes.com/apple-data-breach-timeline/
Neither are glowing, but also neither are particularly worse than one another.
So based on your comment, you have stopped using facebook as well?
Yes I have happily not used any Meta platforms in 4+ years. But I never said I stopped using Google; there are a few Google services I can't live without.
Most people get confused as Google doesn't 'sell' your data as such, it sells targeted advertising.
I work in data. I don't think many people believe Google actually "sell" their user's data in a literal sense. But my point is, Google's business model relies on meticulously tracking its users as pervasively (within legal confines) as possible. That's the part that I think most people don't realise; the extent to which they harvest your data. They'll store any data they can gather about you.
Most popular websites (particularly businesses) have Google trackers installed, so they're tracking you across most of the websites you visit (including what you do on those websites) and even if you sign out of your Google account, they'll still attempt to track you via other means (IP address, device info, location data, etc) to attempt to link data back to you. As a rule of thumb, any data that Google can legally collect about you, it will.
My point is, Apple don't do that. Apple's business model doesn't rely on the users (and their data) being the product. Apple's main products are overpriced hardware. In fact, Apple often lead the charge on implementing new features that try to curb online tracking and bring more transparency to what other companies collect about them - because they're in the unique position to be able to do that, often to Mark Zuckerberg's chagrin.
I don't think many people believe Google actually "sell" their data in a literal sense
Then you would be wrong. Go ask the average user on the street if they think google 'sells' their data, they will say yes!
But my point is, Google's business model relies on meticulously tracking it's users as pervasively (within legal confines) as possible. That's the part that I think most people don't realise; the extent to which they harvest your data. They'll store any data they can gather about you.
The old saying goes, if you're not paying for the product, then you are the product.
For me, I get a 'happy' exchange for the data they collect.
My point is, Apple don't do that. Apple's business model doesn't rely on the users (and their data) being the product. Apple's main products are overpriced hardware.
That is because Apple is a hardware company, not a services company.
If Apple was a services company, then they too would be collecting data just as much as Google or Facebook.
They have different business models. Not sure why you keep trying to link the two so directly.
@JimmyF: This is all trivial - I'm only comparing Google and Apple because you were replying to a comment where someone mentioned they thought Apple were the "lesser of two evils" and I replied to this comment from you.
LOL Based on what?
Likely based on the fact that Google tracks and stores your every move online.
So the ones that leaks your iCloud photos a years ago are safer? Hmmmm
The LOL was to why they stopped trusting Google. Google hasn't leaked data unlike Apple.
I've proved that they have.
I'm only comparing Google and Apple because you were replying to a comment where someone mentioned they thought Apple were the "lesser of two evils" and I replied to this comment from you.
And yet, no real reason to not trust google has been presented.
Tell me how good Apple is again?
https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/23/apple_wifi_positionin…
Its not like Apple tracks your phone either….
https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/iphone/iph32b15b22f/io…
Oh wait they do.
or kept a hidden list of all your locations you have been
https://onezero.medium.com/your-iphone-has-a-hidden-tracking…
oh wait they did that too…
I've proved that they have
So a API data leak that exposed names, emails, addresses, occupations, genders and ages for some people. Hardly worrying stuff compared to leaking your private nude photos like Apples iCloud.
Optus data breach was bigger than that. Did you stop using Optus?
@JimmyF: Mate you are just flailing wildly with a bunch of whataboutisms, but I'll bite.
So in the second link you provided (iPhone User Guide), it mentions:
"The Maps app uses information about your significant locations from Location Services to provide you with personalized services like predictive traffic routing. Your significant locations are end-to-end encrypted and can’t be read by Apple."
I suppose you're implying they're tracking their users with encrypted data that they can't read? Ok, makes perfect sense. Let's move on.
In the third link you provided (the Medium article), where you mention the "HIDDEN" list of locations. The article headline is:
"It’s called the Significant Locations list, and you probably didn’t know it existed"
Wait a sec, is that the same "Significant locations" list that Apple mentioned in the second link you posted? It can't be obviously, because it's supposed to be hidden and secret, Apple would never allude to it publicly, let alone in a help article.
So a API data leak that exposed names, emails, addresses, occupations, genders and ages for some people. Hardly worrying stuff compared to leaking your private nude photos like Apples iCloud.
Interesting how you rationalise 500k users as "some people". And you're comparing that to the iCloud nude photo scandal where literally "hundreds" of celebrities (ironically, a much better representation of "some people") had nude photos leaked in a targetted attack? That's the one you're talking about? The one where hackers specifically targetted celebrities with social engineering and spear phishing attacks and compromised their accounts individually? The one where 4 men were eventually arrested and pleaded guilty to it? Did you know those very same hackers also compromised Gmail accounts as well? gasp! Not gmail!
"A man agreed to plead guilty to hacking into 550 Apple iCloud and Gmail accounts, including those of celebrities in Los Angeles, officials said Monday. Emilio Herrera, of Chicago, fooled hundreds of men and women, including 40 celebrities, into sending him username and password information by using phishing emails that looked as if they came from Apple, Yahoo and Hotmail, according to the U.S. attorney’s office… Authorities began investigating Herrera after nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence and dozens of other celebrities were hacked from their Apple devices… Herrera is the third person to be prosecuted as part of the investigation. Edward Majerczyk of Chicago was sentenced to nine months in federal prison for a phishing scheme that gave him access to more than 300 iCloud and Gmail accounts. Ryan Collins of Lancaster, Pa. was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison in a similar scheme." Source.
So to summarise; this iCloud "leak" was not the fault of Apple. You could rightfully argue that Apple bear some of the responsibility for not enforcing better security standards, but the fact of the matter is; these were individual targetted attacks on "hundreds" of celebrities who were deceived into handing over their credentials. Ironically (to your point), many Gmail accounts were also compromised in exactly the same manner by the same hackers.
The Google API+ breach affected literally 1000x the users and was caused by a bug in Google's software. These are not the same thing.
Optus data breach was bigger than that. Did you stop using Optus?
Irrelevant. Optus were a piece of s*** company long before the breach.
Interesting how you rationalise 500k users as "some people". And you're comparing that to the iCloud nude photo scandal where literally "hundreds" of celebrities
Yeah 500k people out of the near billions of google users is just 'some' people.
and yeah, "hundreds" of celebrities nudes being leaked is far worse than your name and email etc being leaked.
So you're happy for your nudes to be leaked but not your email? Interesting.
Irrelevant. Optus were a piece of s*** company long before the breach.
Its not Irrelevant, more data was leaked than the google leak, but some how google is evil.
At the end of the data, Google has had one small leak for users who used Google+ and that is it. Nothing really earth shattering to stop using their products.
CalyxOS or GrapheneOS
Huawei without Google services?
What's the big deal with Google collecting my data? Serious question, not trolling - isn't my data being tracked in various forms by other companies already anyway?
How will having Google find my device turned on affect my usual day to day life?
I'm not particularly suspectable to ads, if I need a product which is over a certain threshold I do my due diligence trying to get a complete view rather than relying on one particular view, how will Google gaining my 'data' change this?
Just install GrapheneOS to your Android device and never worry about crappy tracking/spying apps ever again !!