Fuck you Google

[thisismyusername]

Just so we have the counter-point on the iPhone vs Android wars:

ANDY-KUN MODERATOR WARNING: ANY GOOGIE BALLGARLGING IN THIS THREAD WILL GET YOU BANNED.

"Oh can we talk" about Android security: https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/86wksp/facebook_scraped_call_text_message_data_for_years/ (or for those that don't want to reddit: https://twitter.com/dylanmckaynz/status/976368845635035138 or http://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/android-permission-structure-allowed-facebook-to-harvest-our-call-and-sms-logs-for-years-4404471.html )

Can we discuss why the fuck apps were given carté blanch with app permissions for so long? Can we discuss why the fuck it's impossible to delete the app (talking Facebook here) on some OEM's phones? Can we discuss Android's upgrading/support for older-models/security for the poor problem?

Seriously, why the fuck can't you tell the app on install "no, I'm not allowing you to access that?" Yes, there's a warning in the Google Play store about what permissions are being given, but you can not deny it individual permissions.

Yes, this OP is about the Facebook app, but there's other reasons to scratch your head about Android.

(NudeMac's emote here about iPhones. Let's get this war started?)

[team filler]

 

[Joe Molotov]

Pics of the mom?

[thisismyusername]

Pics of the mom?

You'll have to contact the Tweeter.

But seriously: WTF at Google. Apple doesn't have these sorts of permissions being allowed on their OS, meanwhile Android is Linux-style of an OS (given it's a fork of it) and yet you can't deny Facebook for doing these. I mean, you can in the settings but you can't stop it from scraping your SMS because the SMS permission is part of the contacts permission.

WHISKY TANGO FOXTROT.

[recursivelyenumerable]

Not gonna take a side in this but I wonder where that leaves platforms like Win32 (or at least until recently MacOS or desktop Linux) where any app can do pretty much whatever it wants.

[Coax]

Not necessarily directed at you timu, but I'm reveling in this whole controversy tbh. Seen so many people gradually become indifferent/conditioned to questionable practices, frequently with the 'I've got nothing to hide' argument, that to see some of them flip out over this news is some ronpaul.gif schadenfreude.

Some are at least still consistent with their blasé view of the data collection (cue donald-duck-macro.jpg) but it still amuses me it was something Trump related that made #deletefacebook trend, and subsequently led to this new discovery.

[thisismyusername]

Not gonna take a side in this but I wonder where that leaves platforms like Win32 (or at least until recently MacOS or desktop Linux) where any app can do pretty much whatever it wants.

I mean I wouldn't be surprised if Win32 (and Linux) have similar bullshit happening. But on a phone? Especially with Apple touting how they protect users privacy, you'd think Google would've been working on something similar.

Not necessarily directed at you timu, but I'm reveling in this whole controversy tbh. Seen so many people gradually become indifferent/conditioned to questionable practices, frequently with the 'I've got nothing to hide' argument, that to see some of them flip out over this news is some ronpaul.gif schadenfreude.

Some are at least still consistent with their blasé view of the data collection (cue donald-duck-macro.jpg) but it still amuses me it was something Trump related that made #deletefacebook trend, and subsequently led to this new discovery.

Oh, I agree. I'm just "WTF"ing at the fact that Android allowed permissions to be grouped together and that the user (by default, I don't know if there's a way in Google Play) can't deny it until they go into the settings page to disable it and that before a certain SDK update, the permissions were given by default.

Also Arse Tech. updated with a Facebook response:

Call and text history logging is part of an opt-in feature for people using Messenger or Facebook Lite on Android. This helps you find and stay connected with the people you care about, and provide you with a better experience across Facebook. People have to expressly agree to use this feature. If, at any time, they no longer wish to use this feature they can turn it off in settings, or here for Facebook Lite users, and all previously shared call and text history shared via that app is deleted. While we receive certain permissions from Android, uploading this information has always been opt-in only.

OprahSquint.gif

[Rufus]

Seems to be the most applicable thread for this

https://twitter.com/iamdylancurran/status/977559925680467968

[Great Rumbler]

I downloaded my Facebook data and looked through it, but I didn't really find anything interesting.

[Rufus]

I requested my stuff from Google. Curious to see how much they know.

[Trent Dole]

Google forced some dumbass remote control your tv with your phone app on me and there is no way to remove it. Thing loves to serve random ads at me too.

[Corporal]

Well, you get what you pay for. Cheap or free stuff usually has a HUGE ASS caveat attached.

Well, you can live a privacy minded life, but that takes work.

Root your phone. Ideally, install a custom ROM you can trust (lol). Rip out the google apps. Rip out any preinstalled crap. Freeze any processes that refuse to stay down using e.g. Titanium Backup. Grab a copy of a privacy minded messenger (e.g. Signal, but don't use their profile stuff), install and configure a hardened browser (that's a week's worth of tweaks and tutorials on its own, hint: most likely no chrome based browser, and even mozilla is after your data like you wouldn't believe). Don't even think of using a free email address and email program. Disable most functionality by default, like GPS, WLAN or the wireless data connection and use it on an as-needed basis. Scrape any file you send from your phone for data (most blatant example, EXIF and GPS data in images). Use a prepaid phone contract and occasionally switch providers. Create a VPN to your own home, don't trust paid or free VPNs. You can still use them going from there, just don't expect them to actually do anything.

Or just get a "feature" dumbphone and get a small form factor lappy like e.g. a Dell XPS 13" with an at least slightly hardened Linux or a rooted and sanitized tablet.

Also, lol, social anything. If you install or use those things you might as well not bother.

It's a lonely life being your own man/woman.


Honestly though, even a little bit helps. Disable third party cookies, install ublock Origin + umatrix, privacy badger, cookie autodelete, decentraleyes, disable remote fonts, and spend a bit of time properly setting up your browser so that it doesn't leak your data like a sieve (e.g. by disabling WebRTC, enabling the fingerprint setting in about:config in firefox and wiping local storage, cache and cookies at least every restart). That's as good as you can get "on the cheap". Don't use any dedicated social media apps and rely on your slightly hardened browser to protect you. Kinda, sorta. Better than nothing.

[Corporal]

 
Well, what ISN'T solved using that tactic.

...Getting murdered in the digital realm doesn't work, though. How sad.


Some more srs because I just can't let go of it: If nothing else, disabling javascript globally via umatrix or noscript or any other such extension will already hugely decrease your leakage. Just temporarily allow scripts whenever you find a terrible webpage that relies on it that you can't live without.
Or permanently on bore, because we're all good chums here.
 

[Joe Molotov]

I downloaded my Facebook data and looked through it, but I didn't really find anything interesting.

Sounds like they've got everything. 

[Nabbis]

I pretty much expect companies to fuck me over. Hopefully that upcoming EU legislation will give me some options to avoid data collection and use.

[Rufus]

I requested my stuff from Google. Curious to see how much they know.

336.6 Kbytes total. itsnothing.gif

I kind of expected this, because I don't use most Google services, but I was still surprised it's so little.

Most of it is from Chrome. Everything that's being synced for your 'convenience', basically. Bookmarks, Search Engines (including random search fields on Wikia and Torrent sites ), Browser History, Extensions, Autofill (never used it ), etc. I switched back to Firefox a while ago, so all of it is outdated.

There' also a couple copies of public Google Docs I've made and of course my Youtube subs.

I'd much rather see my demographic data used to court advertisers, but I guess that'll never happen. Maybe for business reasons, maybe because it's properly anonymized. Who knows?