And even though we knew that, it is MUCH worse than anyone guessed. Because they can, and because they never thought anyone would know. Apple, Google Both Track Mobile Telemetry Data, Despite Users Opting Out | Threatpost
This is from a little more than a week ago, because I am behind the times on security news...
None of the data that these two behemoths are collecting is good, but this bit about what is collected by Apple is a bit concerning.
iOS sends the MAC addresses of nearby devices, e.g. other handsets and the home gateway, to Apple, together with their GPS location. Currently there are few, if any, realistic options for preventing this data sharing.”
Apple has been asked for a comment, a couple of times, but is replying with silence. What can they say? The company that "sells privacy" is spying on your every move.
The fact that they are both tracking you constantly is a bit disturbing. On average your phone connects with Apple or Google about once every 4 and a half minutes.
It's really a sad state; can't run iOS, can't run Android. Is there no privacy oriented smartphone?
ReplyDeleteApple has p*ssed me off too much with not recognizing right to repair. At least not all repairs. It's just the usual "what are the options?" problem.
There is a de-Googled version of android from /e/ Foundation/. It doesn't run on my current handset, though it may in the next year or so.
DeleteThe /e/ Foundation will also sell you a refurbished Samsung S9 with their OS installed.
The real problem is that some of the insanity is baked into the Google Play Store app. /e/ has their own app store, with many apps, though I don't know how extensive... More research on that before I buy my next phone.
And the other problem is F*c*book. Even if you don't have a FB account, most apps - any that have a "log in using FB" feature or "share data with your friends" option - were developed with the FB developers' framework. This phones the mother-ship with tons of info about what you do. A bit of research from a few years back showed that if you don't have a FB account it sends MORE info back to F*c*book than if you do have a FB account. (They know a lot about you if you are logged into FB.)
I turn my phone off from time to time, and put it in a Faraday cage, and I leave it at home a lot, though that is often just me being in a hurry...
What part of "monopolies" do legislatures not see?
Delete