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> Your smartphone sends back way more data if you're that concerned. That's not true. My iPhone asked me if I want to share iPhone / iCloud analytics and I sai

> Your smartphone sends back way more data if you're that concerned. That's not true. My iPhone asked me if I want to share iPhone / iCloud analytics and I said no. This wasn't an opt-out, but an explicit question. I remember my Google Nexus asking me about it as well, including for Google's Keyboard. I said no and again no opt-out happened. And in fact it would be illegal to collect user telemetry in the EU without the user's explicit consent ;-)

deleted 9y ago
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nonamechicken 9y ago
I have very limited apps in my phone. And I have disabled almost all Google creepware (except Google Play Services, Maps etc) and opted out of anything Google allows me to do. Still, I see this in Disconnect Pro: https://imgur.com/a/ajRbI https://imgur.com/a/ajRbI
- taneq 9y ago
  Google Play Services is THE creepware. It's essentially a MITM on most of your phone's live status information.
- bad_user 9y ago
  Are you asking me to debug your phone? Google Analytics is a service that can be used by websites, online services and mobile apps to track users. If I were to guess, those are requests made by the browser or by the apps that you have installed. I was also talking about a Nexus 6 phone, with the pure Android experience, not whatever Samsung or the others are doing. I don't feel this is relevant to the discussion at hand though.
  - kuschku 9y ago
    The little symbol at the right side means that this connection is initiated by the Google Services Framework, also called Google Play Services.
  - nonamechicken 9y ago
    According to Disconnect Pro, these are the apps does the tracking in my phone: Google Play Services, YouTube, SmartThings, Outlook & Firefox Focus (https://imgur.com/a/Ga9Bj https://imgur.com/a/Ga9Bj). I understand that other apps could be doing analytics through Google Play Services. But I don't want that. Whether it is Google doing it (I still get location based alerts even though I have disabled location history) or third party apps, Google is facilitating it (of course I am aware of the argument you are the product if its free). Since I have no way of opting out, I have to install Disconnect with admin privileges (which in itself is scary to me). I am also in the process of setting up a pfsense box so that I can block Google and Microsoft telemetry at home. I shouldn't have to do all these.
Yetanfou 9y ago
I wouldn't be so sure about what that iPhone sends out, with or without your consent, given the fact that Apple has deemed it necessary to dole out 'special' permissions to the likes of Über (not exactly the most scrupulous of companies) to work around limitations in their platform: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15411533 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15411533 The only way to find out what your device - no matter which device - send out is to sniff out all the traffic it generates. While easy to do on Wifi this is harder to accomplish on the mobile data connection.
- bad_user 9y ago
  Putting your tin foil hat on is healthy, but not relevant for the discussion at hand. If indeed iOS is collecting user data without the user's consent, or allowing a company like Uber to collect that data, then I'm pretty sure a class action lawsuit or a huge EU fine will happen. But that is a separate discussion altogether, the fact at hand being that iOS does ask the user explicitly whether telemetry should be enabled or not and I remember that Android does that too.
  - Yetanfou 9y ago
    No, the fact of the matter is that Apple gave Über this special permission which allows it to do whatever it wants with the frame buffer. It did not ask for permission to get that permission, nor did it tell you what it would do after it got said permission. This is directly in contrast to your trust in the platform to "ask the user explicitly whether telemetry should be enabled or not". As to the tin foil hat statement I'd like to add that 'tin foil hat' refers to the belief in unsubstantiated rumours of a conspirational nature. In this case it has been proven beyond doubt that something fishy is going on - and has been going on for years - so the statement is not applicable.

deleted 9y ago

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nonamechicken 9y ago

I have very limited apps in my phone. And I have disabled almost all Google creepware (except Google Play Services, Maps etc) and opted out of anything Google allows me to do. Still, I see this in Disconnect Pro: https://imgur.com/a/ajRbI https://imgur.com/a/ajRbI

taneq 9y ago
Google Play Services is THE creepware. It's essentially a MITM on most of your phone's live status information.
bad_user 9y ago
Are you asking me to debug your phone? Google Analytics is a service that can be used by websites, online services and mobile apps to track users. If I were to guess, those are requests made by the browser or by the apps that you have installed. I was also talking about a Nexus 6 phone, with the pure Android experience, not whatever Samsung or the others are doing. I don't feel this is relevant to the discussion at hand though.
- kuschku 9y ago
  The little symbol at the right side means that this connection is initiated by the Google Services Framework, also called Google Play Services.
- nonamechicken 9y ago
  According to Disconnect Pro, these are the apps does the tracking in my phone: Google Play Services, YouTube, SmartThings, Outlook & Firefox Focus (https://imgur.com/a/Ga9Bj https://imgur.com/a/Ga9Bj). I understand that other apps could be doing analytics through Google Play Services. But I don't want that. Whether it is Google doing it (I still get location based alerts even though I have disabled location history) or third party apps, Google is facilitating it (of course I am aware of the argument you are the product if its free). Since I have no way of opting out, I have to install Disconnect with admin privileges (which in itself is scary to me). I am also in the process of setting up a pfsense box so that I can block Google and Microsoft telemetry at home. I shouldn't have to do all these.

Yetanfou 9y ago

I wouldn't be so sure about what that iPhone sends out, with or without your consent, given the fact that Apple has deemed it necessary to dole out 'special' permissions to the likes of Über (not exactly the most scrupulous of companies) to work around limitations in their platform: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15411533 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15411533 The only way to find out what your device - no matter which device - send out is to sniff out all the traffic it generates. While easy to do on Wifi this is harder to accomplish on the mobile data connection.

bad_user 9y ago
Putting your tin foil hat on is healthy, but not relevant for the discussion at hand. If indeed iOS is collecting user data without the user's consent, or allowing a company like Uber to collect that data, then I'm pretty sure a class action lawsuit or a huge EU fine will happen. But that is a separate discussion altogether, the fact at hand being that iOS does ask the user explicitly whether telemetry should be enabled or not and I remember that Android does that too.
- Yetanfou 9y ago
  No, the fact of the matter is that Apple gave Über this special permission which allows it to do whatever it wants with the frame buffer. It did not ask for permission to get that permission, nor did it tell you what it would do after it got said permission. This is directly in contrast to your trust in the platform to "ask the user explicitly whether telemetry should be enabled or not". As to the tin foil hat statement I'd like to add that 'tin foil hat' refers to the belief in unsubstantiated rumours of a conspirational nature. In this case it has been proven beyond doubt that something fishy is going on - and has been going on for years - so the statement is not applicable.