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Samsung isn't much better than Google on the privacy side. They're just replacing all the standard apps to make them more in line with OneUI in terms of UX. Bu

Samsung isn't much better than Google on the privacy side. They're just replacing all the standard apps to make them more in line with OneUI in terms of UX. But things like Samsung health send data home too unfortunately. They are stepping back from cloud services a bit now and letting Microsoft step in, also not privacy driven but more financial I think.

rrdharan 6y ago
Samsung security, privacy and general software qualify are all a joke as far as I can tell and it’s amusing anyone would put them in even the same ballpark as Google. Dog bites man is not news, and neither are most of the Samsung software travesties ranging from software supply chain debacles to TV spying to data breaches. Nobody even cares in the tech community because no one expects anything of them.
- GekkePrutser 6y ago
  We were just talking about privacy, in that sense I think Samsung is roughly at the same level (considering it can't get much worse than Google :) ). I think Google is doing a good job with their Pixel phones indeed in terms of security, though they need longer support IMO. Samsung seems to just call everything 'knox' but not really specify what exactly they're doing. So from a security point of view I agree.
  - dodobirdlord 6y ago
    > considering it can't get much worse than Google :) What? It can get way worse than Google. For all the privacy invasive things that Google does it’s one of the least bad. Unlike most companies that collect data it doesn’t directly sell user data, and it has a good history of avoiding security vulnerabilities that leak data.
    - GekkePrutser 6y ago
      Avoiding vulnerabilities that leak data to others except themselves you mean :) I suppose the Chinese state and the apps they control like WeChat is worse in terms of what they do with the data (this social credit score etc). You're right. I was mainly thinking about the collection itself, not what is done with it. What I mind mainly about Google is that they use it as payment for their services but don't provide any option to opt out and just pay with money. Though I suppose even if they did that at this stage, I wouldn't trust them.
  - dolmen 6y ago
    > I think Samsung is roughly at the same level (considering it can't get much worse than Google :) ) Well, what about Huawei who want to send your data to China?
    - GekkePrutser 6y ago
      True but Huawei is no longer a player on western markets. I didn't really consider them.
glenneroo 6y ago
After installing NoRoot Firewall on my phone, I discovered that every single Samsung app was phoning home: camera, gallery, contacts, bixby, health, messaging, etc. On the upside, I was able to remove 99% of the pre-installed apps without any special tools. The only one that refused to go was bixy (and no way to reprogram the dedicated button), but at least it can be "disabled" and denied all permissions via Android's app manager.
- johnisgood 6y ago
  > On the upside, I was able to remove 99% of the pre-installed apps without any special tools. I wish I could do this. I have 32 GB space on my phone. Half of it is wasted on pre-installed junk I cannot delete because "it came with the phone". This involves games, or something like "Booking.com", and so forth.
dodobirdlord 6y ago
> Samsung isn't much better than Google on the privacy side. Samsung is vastly worse. Consider off the bat that South Korea has wildly different (read ‘permissive and lax’) laws about police and government access to stored data.

rrdharan 6y ago

Samsung security, privacy and general software qualify are all a joke as far as I can tell and it’s amusing anyone would put them in even the same ballpark as Google. Dog bites man is not news, and neither are most of the Samsung software travesties ranging from software supply chain debacles to TV spying to data breaches. Nobody even cares in the tech community because no one expects anything of them.

GekkePrutser 6y ago
We were just talking about privacy, in that sense I think Samsung is roughly at the same level (considering it can't get much worse than Google :) ). I think Google is doing a good job with their Pixel phones indeed in terms of security, though they need longer support IMO. Samsung seems to just call everything 'knox' but not really specify what exactly they're doing. So from a security point of view I agree.
- dodobirdlord 6y ago
  > considering it can't get much worse than Google :) What? It can get way worse than Google. For all the privacy invasive things that Google does it’s one of the least bad. Unlike most companies that collect data it doesn’t directly sell user data, and it has a good history of avoiding security vulnerabilities that leak data.
  - GekkePrutser 6y ago
    Avoiding vulnerabilities that leak data to others except themselves you mean :) I suppose the Chinese state and the apps they control like WeChat is worse in terms of what they do with the data (this social credit score etc). You're right. I was mainly thinking about the collection itself, not what is done with it. What I mind mainly about Google is that they use it as payment for their services but don't provide any option to opt out and just pay with money. Though I suppose even if they did that at this stage, I wouldn't trust them.
- dolmen 6y ago
  > I think Samsung is roughly at the same level (considering it can't get much worse than Google :) ) Well, what about Huawei who want to send your data to China?
  - GekkePrutser 6y ago
    True but Huawei is no longer a player on western markets. I didn't really consider them.

glenneroo 6y ago

After installing NoRoot Firewall on my phone, I discovered that every single Samsung app was phoning home: camera, gallery, contacts, bixby, health, messaging, etc. On the upside, I was able to remove 99% of the pre-installed apps without any special tools. The only one that refused to go was bixy (and no way to reprogram the dedicated button), but at least it can be "disabled" and denied all permissions via Android's app manager.

johnisgood 6y ago
> On the upside, I was able to remove 99% of the pre-installed apps without any special tools. I wish I could do this. I have 32 GB space on my phone. Half of it is wasted on pre-installed junk I cannot delete because "it came with the phone". This involves games, or something like "Booking.com", and so forth.

dodobirdlord 6y ago

> Samsung isn't much better than Google on the privacy side. Samsung is vastly worse. Consider off the bat that South Korea has wildly different (read ‘permissive and lax’) laws about police and government access to stored data.