5 ms·

This makes no sense to me. I was under the impression that Android is essentially spyware for google.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
ac29 5y ago
You don't need a Google account to use an Android phone, and even if you choose to use one, you can turn off sensitive things like location and app tracking if you want.
- geraneum 5y ago
  I am not if Google (Facebook, etc.) always respect the location tracking preferences of users. https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/27/18114111/google-location-tracking-gdpr-challenge-european-deceptive https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/27/18114111/google-location... https://apnews.com/article/north-america-science-technology-business-ap-top-news-828aefab64d4411bac257a07c1af0ecb https://apnews.com/article/north-america-science-technology-... https://www.businessinsider.com/google-location-data-violates-user-trust-nothing-will-happen-2018-8 https://www.businessinsider.com/google-location-data-violate...
  - ac29 5y ago
    All those articles seem to say if you leave App Tracking on, and use Google Maps, yes, Google will save your location. Someone who is anti-Google shouldn't be leaving any tracking on, and shouldn't be using Google's Apps. If you have any evidence that someone who uses Android without a Google account and doesnt use Google Apps is still getting tracked by Google, I'd be interested to see it.
    - simfree 5y ago
      Apple also tracks your GPS trace just like Google Maps does, the difference is they don't seem to share it with you. Apple Maps employees use these "anonymized" GPS traces to correct roads, show business hours, find new points of interest that are unmapped, etc
      - applefangirl 5y ago
        They don’t share it with you because they can’t. It’s anonymized.
        simfree 5y ago
        The GPS trace is not practically anonymized, comparison with public and semipublic datasets would deanonymize a large portion of the GPS traces.
- Fnoord 5y ago
  You don't have to use Android. You can use AOSP. You can use /e/. You can use LineageOS with microG. Even then, with microG, you don't have to use any Google services.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

ac29 5y ago

You don't need a Google account to use an Android phone, and even if you choose to use one, you can turn off sensitive things like location and app tracking if you want.

geraneum 5y ago
I am not if Google (Facebook, etc.) always respect the location tracking preferences of users. https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/27/18114111/google-location-tracking-gdpr-challenge-european-deceptive https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/27/18114111/google-location... https://apnews.com/article/north-america-science-technology-business-ap-top-news-828aefab64d4411bac257a07c1af0ecb https://apnews.com/article/north-america-science-technology-... https://www.businessinsider.com/google-location-data-violates-user-trust-nothing-will-happen-2018-8 https://www.businessinsider.com/google-location-data-violate...
- ac29 5y ago
  All those articles seem to say if you leave App Tracking on, and use Google Maps, yes, Google will save your location. Someone who is anti-Google shouldn't be leaving any tracking on, and shouldn't be using Google's Apps. If you have any evidence that someone who uses Android without a Google account and doesnt use Google Apps is still getting tracked by Google, I'd be interested to see it.
  - simfree 5y ago
    Apple also tracks your GPS trace just like Google Maps does, the difference is they don't seem to share it with you. Apple Maps employees use these "anonymized" GPS traces to correct roads, show business hours, find new points of interest that are unmapped, etc
    - applefangirl 5y ago
      They don’t share it with you because they can’t. It’s anonymized.
      - simfree 5y ago
        The GPS trace is not practically anonymized, comparison with public and semipublic datasets would deanonymize a large portion of the GPS traces.
Fnoord 5y ago
You don't have to use Android. You can use AOSP. You can use /e/. You can use LineageOS with microG. Even then, with microG, you don't have to use any Google services.