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The first time I had a samsung phone I noticed after about two weeks that every single word I typed into any application was being collected and sent to a third
by autoexec 3y ago
The first time I had a samsung phone I noticed after about two weeks that every single word I typed into any application was being collected and sent to a third party whose privacy policy said it was used to collect data about my interests, my social life, to make guesses about my intelligence level and education, and that the data would be sold for "market research" among other things.
No user would ever suspect that the keyboard that came with their cell phone would be letting third parties read all their texts and emails to do those things. I'd assumed the keyboard was just a part of the OS. I only found out after I just happened to long press a key long enough to get an "about samsung keyboard" window and clicking around to find a privacy policy that said which company they were sending keystrokes to, and then reading that company's privacy policy.
I immediately found an open source keyboard to replace samsung's with. I'll say one thing for them, collecting everything everyone types into their devices meant that the samsung keyboard had really good spellchecking/predictive text capabilities. I'd never go back to using it, but there are times I wish the keyboard I replaced it with had a better spellchecker.
- rightbyte 3y agoOh dear. I had disabled the Samsung keyboard for some other, but it seems it got reenabled again. Maybe Google broke some API endpoint and the old keyboard didn't do the update grind. No warning what so ever for their spyware taking over the keyboard functionally. The need for some FOSS mobile is really over due by now. Edit: > I immediately found an open source keyboard to replace samsung's with Which keyboard did you pick?
- autoexec 3y agoAnySoftKeyboard I've been using it ever since. It's got a lot of customization options and all the keys I need.
- 9029 3y agoOther alternatives: OpenBoard, FlorisBoard and HeliBoard (OpenBoard fork). Excluding FlorisBoard beta and HeliBoard, these also have quite infrequent releases like ASK.
- rightbyte 3y agoThanks. It seems good. I did the mistake of trying to find one via Google Play. It pushes so much malware to the top and wont allow you to filter the search. Discoverability there is zero. It is like I always forgot I need to use fdroid and open Play by muscle memory.
- account42 3y agoF-Droid tends to be a much better first stop if you are searching for non-hostile apps.
- ac29 3y agoHmm, seems to not be available for my Pixel 6. The github looks very active but there hasnt been a release there (or Google Play or Fdroid) in over 2 years.
- andrepd 3y agoThe need for stronger legislation is overdue by now. There is already a Foss mobile OS, it's called Android, or more specifically a distribution of it like LineageOS. But installing it is so difficult that only 1% of people have the technical know how to even attempt it, and it's getting more difficult as manufacturers introduce more and more hurdles in this process. Which is all irrelevant anyway because the vast majority of people done even realise that everything they see, do, or type on their phones is reported to hundreds of companies, processed, and te-sold to thousands of companies all over the world. We need regulation, full stop.
- rightbyte 3y agoYe that is true. As I see it the problem is with the phone manufacturers, only supporting Google. Also, there is this problem with banks requiring signed OS:es for their silly app "security".
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- bornfreddy 3y agoThere should be regulation that requires bank to offer a dedicated hardware OTP solution. Mobile apps security (banking or not) is abysmal anyway.
- rightbyte 3y agoYe it is strange that they abandon the simple, safe, cheap and idiot proof key device and go for some convoluted 2FA app that is run on the same device anyways.
- throwaway11460 3y agoIt's regulation that forces people into Google and Apple ecosystems. Due to the payment security regulation I'm no longer able to use Android phone without Google services. SMS authentication is gone and I must have a bank app that must be installed from Google Play and uses Google services, also it detects root and stops working. Also, my bank used to have an app that completely bypassed Google Pay and worked even offline, like a card would - also canceled by the regulation.
- MaxBarraclough 3y ago> I noticed after about two weeks that every single word I typed into any application was being collected and sent to a third party How did you discover this? Has it been written about? Seems pretty scandalous.
- Charlie_32 3y agoHe goes on to explain it was in the keyboards About menu
- MaxBarraclough 3y agoRight you are, thanks.
- daghamm 3y agoBut there is no "privacy policy" on the Samsung keyboard about page. The Samsungs privacy policy on the web states this: Samsung Keyboard information: The words that you type when you enable “Predictive text”. This feature may be offered in connection with your Samsung account to synchronise the data for use on your other Samsung mobile devices. You can clear the data by going to the “Predictive text” settings. Source: https://privacy.samsung.com/privacy/samsung https://privacy.samsung.com/privacy/samsung
- autoexec 3y agoI wouldn't doubt if it's changed a few times. The phone was a 2016 Galaxy J3 V. I no longer remember the name of the 3rd party they were using for predictive text at the time, but I know that in the past they've used SwiftKey and Grammarly
- andrepd 3y agoIndeed. 99% of people will never even realise this is happening. Its crazy that "reading everything typed in a person's device without that person's awareness" is not something that has been legislated into oblivion.
- hulitu 3y ago> No user would ever suspect that the keyboard that came with their cell phone would be letting third parties read all their texts and emails When we were young, this was called a keyloggger and one running was a sign that your computer was compromised. I guess times have changed.
- ryandrake 3y agoIt still is compromised, but somehow we have normalized the idea of our own systems being compromised by our OS and system app developers.
- paulryanrogers 3y agoKeyloggers are generally installed without consent. These keyboards are chosen, even if there terms are buried in a EULA it would take days to read.
- account42 3y agoIf you buy a laptop and the OEM has pre-installed a keylogger then it is still a keylogger. Most people don't choos their Android keyboard but use whatever is the default on the device they bought.
- bboygravity 3y agoI find it mind blowing that: 1. Samsung is able to sell phones like that legally. 2. People are not in jail. 3. Governments somehow think it's ok that random companies can see everything their citizens do online. National security risks maybe? Trade secret issues? It's almost suspicious to the point where I would start thinking those third party spy companies are possibly (US/5 eyes) government run?
- cyanydeez 3y agocapitalist democracy suverloence means getting around those pesky nonspying laws by just buying free market privacy invasion data.
- croes 3y agoThey don't care as long they are not Chinese.
- red-iron-pine 3y ago> as long as they are South Korean
- BLKNSLVR 3y agoLike this: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-17/coalition-steps-up-calls-to-ban-tiktok-china-links/103597764 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-17/coalition-steps-up-ca...
- Terretta 3y ago> mind blowing “Mind blowing” is too strong a word when every thread about Apple on HN is demanding the iPhone be opened up to the same, taking away non-tech people’s choice to buy a bloat free and privacy defaulted device designed to stay that way even if people more technically savvy try to hook in. It’s a fine line, of course, since the same non-tech people love IAP and ad-supported, as shown by the folks opting into ads on Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime decades after similarly opting into ads on paid cable. So how to let users have ad-tech supported apps, without ending up like the Android ecosystem? > legally … not in jail Apple’s approach was a curated ecosystem, and the level of hate for it tells you app makers aren’t worried they should be in jail, they’re worried iOS users have that sweet sweet “wallet share”. HN’s EU DMA threads tell you plenty voices don’t just want what they do legal, they want it illegal to slow their roll. PS. A lot of big data and big analytics cross pollinates with the US government. Three letter agencies even do VC deals.
- idle76 3y agoI suspect it's npt just Samsung. Both google and microsoft (SwiftKey) does the same thing. The worst part is that the most used national ID-function now stops you from using third party "approved" keyboard due to (misguided) security reasons. Both AnySoftKeyboard and AOSP keyboard is banned.
- pooper 3y agoI wouldn't mind so much of Google/Microsoft/Samsung etc collected all data in house (including subcontractor companies who won't share this information with anyone else). If they kept it to themselves and said "just trust me, bro" to advertisers and kept my data to themselves I don't think I'd mind too much. But clearly that's not what happens here. They don't have nearly enough leverage against the advertisers.
- HenryBemis 3y agoNoRoot Firewall app (I'm not affiliated). I must have brought it up in every Android security related post in HN that I've came across. I use it on all my Android devices. I block all traffic in most apps. Some Android phones allow you to allow/block Data and/or WiFi separately. My Samsung 4G tablet doesn't allow me to switch off Data or WiFi for some apps, especially the system ones. This is where NoRoot Firewall does all its good work. It has Global Block list (all ads/trackers go there) and for each app I individually block or allow certain IPs. So if "Samsung Keyboard" app wants to send your typing home, you block Data/WiFi and leave it trying :)
- miroljub 3y agoCan you please provide an installation link? Searching Google Play for it brings a lot of junk.