3 ms·

My Android device shows me no ads.

oblio 9y ago
That's cause Android pushes Chrome and Google Search and Gmail and... you get it, the whole data collection and ad serving mechanism provided by Google. I bundle telemetry/data collection with ads for my post since in the end they're just different ends of the same continuum.
- ferongr 9y ago
  Don't move the goalposts from "ads" to bundled apps. Furthermore, the "data collection" would be the same whether I accessed those services from my GNU/Linux desktop or Android device so I don't understand where you're going with that claim.
Sylos 9y ago
Well, the apps do. And Google has unfortunately forgotten to give you the tools to block those from doing that by not giving you ways to block internet access.
- ferongr 9y ago
  Talk about moving the goalposts. Regardless, simple hosts-based adblocking works well on Android.
  - Sylos 9y ago
    No point in leaving the goal posts where they are when they don't reflect the goal: Not having ads in your face all the time. Hosts-file-based blocking requires Root, which Google has also practically cut off from end-users. Yes, the manufacturers can give you root, so clearly it's their fault, but Google doesn't implement user access control, making Root extremely insecure on Android.
    - ferongr 9y ago
      I'm not "having ads in your face all the time" in apps shipped with android distributions. 3rd party apps, anything goes but that's true for all platforms.
      - oblio 9y ago
        I was talking about the combo of tracking + ads, especially as they lead to misaligned incentives for me and Google. Google ultimately wants to sell more ads. It doesn't care about me as a software user. A company that sells (subscription) software does.
        icebraining 9y ago
        Why? Comcast et all sell subscriptions, are they paragons of customer care?
      - Sylos 9y ago
        Well, I just pointed out that Google actively encourages and enables 3rd party apps to ship ads and track users, and your only rebuttal is that theoretically you can pull off the same on other platforms. So, if you really need more examples of Google's doing to convince you that it is the platform which causes Android's 3rd party apps to have so much more ads and tracking than other platform's 3rd party apps: - Android has an "AdvertisingID", uniquely identifying you towards advertisers or anyone else who has a use for it, with essentially no effort required. - Google's ad display component is a native UI element on Android, so when developing an Android app, you pretty much just need to drag and drop it onto your UI to be 90% there to displaying ads. Really, you don't even need to plan on making revenue with the app, it's so easy to just include ads. - The Play Store doesn't even attempt to quality control apps in terms of advertisements. No other major software distribution platform is as laissez-faire with that.
        jenscow 9y ago
        Replace Google/Android with Microsoft/Windows in your comments throughout this thread, and it will still be correct. But at least Android is $0, and I have the choice to use a fork. (not that I would use Android for productive work)
- izacus 9y ago
  What tools does Apple give you to block iAds in apps?

That's cause Android pushes Chrome and Google Search and Gmail and... you get it, the whole data collection and ad serving mechanism provided by Google. I bundle telemetry/data collection with ads for my post since in the end they're just different ends of the same continuum.

ferongr 9y ago
Don't move the goalposts from "ads" to bundled apps. Furthermore, the "data collection" would be the same whether I accessed those services from my GNU/Linux desktop or Android device so I don't understand where you're going with that claim.

Sylos 9y ago

Well, the apps do. And Google has unfortunately forgotten to give you the tools to block those from doing that by not giving you ways to block internet access.

ferongr 9y ago
Talk about moving the goalposts. Regardless, simple hosts-based adblocking works well on Android.
- Sylos 9y ago
  No point in leaving the goal posts where they are when they don't reflect the goal: Not having ads in your face all the time. Hosts-file-based blocking requires Root, which Google has also practically cut off from end-users. Yes, the manufacturers can give you root, so clearly it's their fault, but Google doesn't implement user access control, making Root extremely insecure on Android.
  - ferongr 9y ago
    I'm not "having ads in your face all the time" in apps shipped with android distributions. 3rd party apps, anything goes but that's true for all platforms.
    - oblio 9y ago
      I was talking about the combo of tracking + ads, especially as they lead to misaligned incentives for me and Google. Google ultimately wants to sell more ads. It doesn't care about me as a software user. A company that sells (subscription) software does.
      - icebraining 9y ago
        Why? Comcast et all sell subscriptions, are they paragons of customer care?
    - Sylos 9y ago
      Well, I just pointed out that Google actively encourages and enables 3rd party apps to ship ads and track users, and your only rebuttal is that theoretically you can pull off the same on other platforms. So, if you really need more examples of Google's doing to convince you that it is the platform which causes Android's 3rd party apps to have so much more ads and tracking than other platform's 3rd party apps: - Android has an "AdvertisingID", uniquely identifying you towards advertisers or anyone else who has a use for it, with essentially no effort required. - Google's ad display component is a native UI element on Android, so when developing an Android app, you pretty much just need to drag and drop it onto your UI to be 90% there to displaying ads. Really, you don't even need to plan on making revenue with the app, it's so easy to just include ads. - The Play Store doesn't even attempt to quality control apps in terms of advertisements. No other major software distribution platform is as laissez-faire with that.
      - jenscow 9y ago
        Replace Google/Android with Microsoft/Windows in your comments throughout this thread, and it will still be correct. But at least Android is $0, and I have the choice to use a fork. (not that I would use Android for productive work)
izacus 9y ago
What tools does Apple give you to block iAds in apps?