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Doesn't Google OWN Niantic? So now Google has access to our Google data? Don't see the issue.

by thoreauway 10y ago

andrewguenther 10y ago
They no longer own them. They were spun during the housecleaning before the Alphabet announcement.
- jfoster 10y ago
  Yep, though they also soon after made a further investment in Niantic. It may sound bizarre at first, but there might be good reasons why they did that. For instance, Nintendo might've been less likely to team up with a wholly Google-owned Niantic. (purely speculation on my part) https://nianticlabs.com/blog/niantic-tpc-nintendo/ https://nianticlabs.com/blog/niantic-tpc-nintendo/
  - pg_is_a_butt 10y ago
    more like google wants 2 layers of protection from the inevitable lawsuits from stalking victims and families of car crash victims caused by ingress or go.
  - ocdtrekkie 10y ago
    I strongly suspect a direct Google/Nintendo tie was considered less favorable than some little ex-Google company that still uses Google servers working on a Nintendo game. The announcement timing was pretty close.
joelg 10y ago
1. Google no longer owns Niantic, they spun off as their own company last year. 2. The security risk isn't that Niantic is going to turn evil, it's that Niantic becomes an access point for other (evil) hackers.
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nnutter 10y ago
Niantic spun off https://plus.google.com/+Ingress/posts/GVvbYZzWyTT https://plus.google.com/+Ingress/posts/GVvbYZzWyTT
ceejayoz 10y ago
> So now Google has access to our Google data? Don't see the issue. Even if they were still owned by Google, a compromised phone with Pokemon Go has a nice juicy access token with admin rights to your account to siphon off.
elwell 10y ago
Having been created by ex-Googlers you would think they knowingly chose to get full-access permissions. I wonder if there is a some ulterior motive to the app. Some have suggested up-to-date street-view mining; that wouldn't require full google account access though.

Doesn't Google OWN Niantic? So now Google has access to our Google data? Don't see the issue.

andrewguenther 10y ago

They no longer own them. They were spun during the housecleaning before the Alphabet announcement.

jfoster 10y ago
Yep, though they also soon after made a further investment in Niantic. It may sound bizarre at first, but there might be good reasons why they did that. For instance, Nintendo might've been less likely to team up with a wholly Google-owned Niantic. (purely speculation on my part) https://nianticlabs.com/blog/niantic-tpc-nintendo/ https://nianticlabs.com/blog/niantic-tpc-nintendo/
- pg_is_a_butt 10y ago
  more like google wants 2 layers of protection from the inevitable lawsuits from stalking victims and families of car crash victims caused by ingress or go.
- ocdtrekkie 10y ago
  I strongly suspect a direct Google/Nintendo tie was considered less favorable than some little ex-Google company that still uses Google servers working on a Nintendo game. The announcement timing was pretty close.

joelg 10y ago

1. Google no longer owns Niantic, they spun off as their own company last year. 2. The security risk isn't that Niantic is going to turn evil, it's that Niantic becomes an access point for other (evil) hackers.

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nnutter 10y ago

Niantic spun off https://plus.google.com/+Ingress/posts/GVvbYZzWyTT https://plus.google.com/+Ingress/posts/GVvbYZzWyTT

ceejayoz 10y ago

> So now Google has access to our Google data? Don't see the issue. Even if they were still owned by Google, a compromised phone with Pokemon Go has a nice juicy access token with admin rights to your account to siphon off.

elwell 10y ago

Having been created by ex-Googlers you would think they knowingly chose to get full-access permissions. I wonder if there is a some ulterior motive to the app. Some have suggested up-to-date street-view mining; that wouldn't require full google account access though.