4 ms·

What sort of privacy guarantees come with a Google Device?

dabockster 9y ago
Absolutely none. Source: Ran a Nexus 5 for a few years and found out about Google Location History after I traded it in for an iPhone.
- Twirrim 9y ago
  Oh, you mean just like the iPhone does too? http://www.iclarified.com/36198/how-to-view-the-location-history-of-your-iphone http://www.iclarified.com/36198/how-to-view-the-location-his... FWIW, you can disable location tracking on Android phones too.
  - millstone 9y ago
    Android phones send your location history to Google. iPhone location history stays on the phone. That's the key difference.
    - dabockster 9y ago
      This exactly. Android phones can't do a thing without connecting to some privacy-invading cloud service. And yeah, I've tried Replikant. Nice proof of concept, but not usable.
      - Sir_Cmpwn 9y ago
        Try LineageOS without GApps. More usable, but contains driver blobs.
    - cryptoz 9y ago
      > iPhone location history stays on the phone. Not if you take photos and use iCloud.
      - dymk 9y ago
        There is a clear difference between using iCloud (which is opt-in) with geotagged photos (which you can disable from on-phone settings), and your phone sending your location to Google at regular intervals.
        cryptoz 9y ago
        Yes for sure. Defaults matter and I agree that Google and Apple do things differently here. However, the phrase "iPhone location history stays on the phone" is false for nearly every iPhone user (100% of iPhone users I know).
        kllrnohj 9y ago
        Location history is opt-in as well although the assistant will push you to turn it on during setup.
        Filligree 9y ago
        The button starts in the enabled position, so it's opt-out. You can't accidentally avoid answering the question.
        kllrnohj 9y ago
        What button? If you skip setting up the assistant entirely you end up with location history disabled.
        Filligree 9y ago
        Assistant setup happens during initial setup of the phone, though. Yes, you can back out of it, but it wouldn't typically be by accident.
- colemickens 9y ago
  You mean the feature clearly listed on their privacy dashboard that can be disabled and have it's history wiped with two clicks? That you opt'd into when activating the Android phone and turning on Google Now?
- Mikeb85 9y ago
  That's a feature. Helps me find my car in parking lots, tells me what traffic is like on my commute, helps me retrace my steps after a heavy night of drinking...
mtgx 9y ago
That's like asking if there's cold beer in Hell. (spoiler: there isn't any)
- Filligree 9y ago
  Even for the devil?
AmIFirstToThink 9y ago
It's guaranteed that you would be tracked.

Absolutely none. Source: Ran a Nexus 5 for a few years and found out about Google Location History after I traded it in for an iPhone.

Twirrim 9y ago
Oh, you mean just like the iPhone does too? http://www.iclarified.com/36198/how-to-view-the-location-history-of-your-iphone http://www.iclarified.com/36198/how-to-view-the-location-his... FWIW, you can disable location tracking on Android phones too.
- millstone 9y ago
  Android phones send your location history to Google. iPhone location history stays on the phone. That's the key difference.
  - dabockster 9y ago
    This exactly. Android phones can't do a thing without connecting to some privacy-invading cloud service. And yeah, I've tried Replikant. Nice proof of concept, but not usable.
    - Sir_Cmpwn 9y ago
      Try LineageOS without GApps. More usable, but contains driver blobs.
  - cryptoz 9y ago
    > iPhone location history stays on the phone. Not if you take photos and use iCloud.
    - dymk 9y ago
      There is a clear difference between using iCloud (which is opt-in) with geotagged photos (which you can disable from on-phone settings), and your phone sending your location to Google at regular intervals.
      - cryptoz 9y ago
        Yes for sure. Defaults matter and I agree that Google and Apple do things differently here. However, the phrase "iPhone location history stays on the phone" is false for nearly every iPhone user (100% of iPhone users I know).
      - kllrnohj 9y ago
        Location history is opt-in as well although the assistant will push you to turn it on during setup.
        Filligree 9y ago
        The button starts in the enabled position, so it's opt-out. You can't accidentally avoid answering the question.
        kllrnohj 9y ago
        What button? If you skip setting up the assistant entirely you end up with location history disabled.
        Filligree 9y ago
        Assistant setup happens during initial setup of the phone, though. Yes, you can back out of it, but it wouldn't typically be by accident.
colemickens 9y ago
You mean the feature clearly listed on their privacy dashboard that can be disabled and have it's history wiped with two clicks? That you opt'd into when activating the Android phone and turning on Google Now?
Mikeb85 9y ago
That's a feature. Helps me find my car in parking lots, tells me what traffic is like on my commute, helps me retrace my steps after a heavy night of drinking...

mtgx 9y ago

That's like asking if there's cold beer in Hell. (spoiler: there isn't any)

Filligree 9y ago
Even for the devil?

AmIFirstToThink 9y ago

It's guaranteed that you would be tracked.