Privacy Issues - Are you paying attention?

[aloyouis]

We all use the devices. We all use apps.

I have always been concerned about big tech and privacy. I have avoided Google and Android in general. That said I am an Apple fan boy.

Maybe my brain is just picking the lesser of two (or 200) evils.

Thoughts?

Apple to Ban Apps With X-Mode Tracker That Sells Data to U.S. Defense Contractors

Both Apple and Google this week told developers that they need to remove X-Mode Social tracking software from all of their apps or risk a ban, reports The Wall Street Journal. Apple and Google are aiming to prevent X-Mode Social from collecting location information from smartphones after it...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[HSanders]

google is awful privacy wise. no doubt about it. but i'm not down with the way apple has such little freedom in their phones(i.e. i am an android girl and up until last phone, always had one i could change the battery on), you can't put a memory card in an apple phone either.

 

[aloyouis]

google is awful privacy wise. no doubt about it. but i'm not down with the way apple has such little freedom in their phones(i.e. i am an android girl and up until last phone, always had one i could change the battery on), you can't put a memory card in an apple phone either.

Both ecosystems and hardware sets have there are pluses and minuses.
our family is heavily invested in the Apple platform across multiple hardware types including laptops and phones.

With regard to privacy, my main concern with the purveyors of android has been then monetizing me and my personal information as their product.

I’m trying to decide how much better (if at all) Apple is about this. On the surface, they speak to being much better.

does anyone have unusual experience?

 

[Undertaker #59*]

My problem with Apple has always been their closed ecosystem. You are stuck with what you get. I am not speaking of just phones, but all the way back to the original Macintosh. With PC and Android, you have multiple companies competing with far more open hardware and software, driving competition and improvements, and supplying more choice.

 

[johnlocke]

My problem with Apple has always been their closed ecosystem. You are stuck with what you get. I am not speaking of just phones, but all the way back to the original Macintosh. With PC and Android, you have multiple companies competing with far more open hardware and software, driving competition and improvements, and supplying more choice.

Yeah, this is why I don't own Apple products as well as Sony.

The proprietary nature of their systems makes them not very valuable to me and their costs tend to be much higher than others.

I remember buying a Sony mini-disc player/recorder and the software for loading songs was just an abomination that made me not want to use a closed system ever again.

 

[aloyouis]

This is understandable and it is a knock on Apple.

That said, what’s kept me from android, Alexa and other devices and software from Google and Amazon has been their primary design of collecting data. How do you feel about being the product for them rather than the customer?

 

[johnlocke]

This is understandable and it is a knock on Apple.

That said, what’s kept me from android, Alexa and other devices and software from Google and Amazon has been their primary design of collecting data. How do you feel about being the product for them rather than the customer?

Actually, so long as it is upon my approval I have no issue. And I actually like the recommended purchases and things I get on FB and stuff based on my searches and stuff.

That said, I don't and will never own an Alexa or Google thing like that as I've seen horror stories of the authorities using data from them to charge people with crimes.

 

[Baron Samedi]

I guess it depends on which violation of privacy flavor you prefer.

The government accesses all of your data, on all of your devices, including whatever smart devices you have at home. Not just what you watch on TV mind you, or when your coffee machine is programmed to brew in the morning...many of these devices have microphones built into them that are powered even when the device is off.

So...I suppose you can try to fight selling your data for marketing or whatever (good luck...anything networked is data mined), but you can't escape your own government mining your data....especially the Amazon devices and Google devices...people forgo any claim they have of a right to privacy in favor of being able to turn on the lights and play music by talking to their personal spying device....which they paid for with their own money! ROFL You don't need a warrant to surveille any more, you just need to put them on sale on Amazon. ROFL

 

[johnlocke]

I guess it depends on which violation of privacy flavor you prefer.

The government accesses all of your data, on all of your devices, including whatever smart devices you have at home. Not just what you watch on TV mind you, or when your coffee machine is programmed to brew in the morning...many of these devices have microphones built into them that are powered even when the device is off.

So...I suppose you can try to fight selling your data for marketing or whatever (good luck...anything networked is data mined), but you can't escape your own government mining your data....especially the Amazon devices and Google devices...people forgo any claim they have of a right to privacy in favor of being able to turn on the lights and play music by talking to their personal spying device....which they paid for with their own money! ROFL You don't need a warrant to surveille any more, you just need to put them on sale on Amazon. ROFL

The is a difference between government surveillance and something the end-user of a product or service agrees to. And it's a big one.

 

[aloyouis]

Actually, so long as it is upon my approval I have no issue. And I actually like the recommended purchases and things I get on FB and stuff based on my searches and stuff.

That said, I don't and will never own an Alexa or Google thing like that as I've seen horror stories of the authorities using data from them to charge people with crimes.

That is my primary concern. I have asked for an HomePod mini for Christmas (inlace of my usual underwear/hoodie combo). This will be the first foray into open air listening devices around here and only because you can turn the open listening off on the Apple device. I have turned off the speaking feature on both recent streaming devices which has cause some level of perturbed-ness (making up words) with the boss.

 

[aloyouis]

I guess it depends on which violation of privacy flavor you prefer.

The government accesses all of your data, on all of your devices, including whatever smart devices you have at home. Not just what you watch on TV mind you, or when your coffee machine is programmed to brew in the morning...many of these devices have microphones built into them that are powered even when the device is off.

So...I suppose you can try to fight selling your data for marketing or whatever (good luck...anything networked is data mined), but you can't escape your own government mining your data....especially the Amazon devices and Google devices...people forgo any claim they have of a right to privacy in favor of being able to turn on the lights and play music by talking to their personal spying device....which they paid for with their own money! ROFL You don't need a warrant to surveille any more, you just need to put them on sale on Amazon. ROFL

This post of YOURS was already forming in my mind as I started the thread. You are 100% correct. The government knows. I would like to keep as much as possible from Google etc. Call it my small, make myself feel better, win.

 

[patfan64]

Siri and Alexa are always listening...

 

[Baron Samedi]

Siri and Alexa are always listening...

How else are they supposed to respond to your voice on demand? LOL They wouldn't work if they weren't always listening.

 

[aloyouis]

Siri could be listening to your conversations!

Apple has been listening to conversations with Siri in order to improve accuracy and some people are annoyed. Here's how to turn Siri listening off and how to get Siri to stop recording on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, HomePod and Apple TV. Keep your conversations private!

www.macworld.co.uk

 

[Baron Samedi]

Turning off the microphone on Apple devices doesn't work, by the way. There are built in back doors where they can be remotely activated, just like cameras.

All out there in public thanks to Snowden.

 

[aloyouis]

Turning off the microphone on Apple devices doesn't work, by the way. There are built in back doors where they can be remotely activated, just like cameras.

All out there in public thanks to Snowden.

I am sure that is correct as it applies to what the government can do/is doing. Nothing we can do about that. I am speaking more to what the companies themselves are doing to steal information and monetize it.

 

[patfan64]

Turning off the microphone on Apple devices doesn't work, by the way. There are built in back doors where they can be remotely activated, just like cameras.

All out there in public thanks to Snowden.

Watched Snowden recently. Really good movie.

I hope Trump pardons him.

 

[Baron Samedi]

I prefer CitizenFour.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiGwAvd5mvM


Incidentally, I already emailed the White House with a plea to pardon Snowden as well as Assange. I urge anyone else who feels the same to do the same, regardless of how you feel about Trump. Trump is the perfect president to actually respond to direct solicitation from the people. Other presidents respond to money.

 

[aloyouis]

INVASIVE TECH: Amazon's New Health Band Collects All Sorts of Personal Information Never Before Collected - Big League Politics

Who in their right mind would go out and buy one of these?

bigleaguepolitics.com

 

[Big/Sky/Fly]

They all data mine you. Pick your poison...