Privacy and Android

E

_elf_

New member
My apologies if there was already lots of discussion about it and I failed to find it here but I was wondering how much information is going to Google if I don't use the build in web browser but instead Opera, if I don't synchronize my contacts or calendar with google and I don't use any other Google services? Do they have information about my Sms usage, my contacts that I saved on my Nexus One? I love Android and I bought the Nexus One because I believe that this great phone and OS is worth paying for but I rather keep my personal information under my control.
Thanks.
 
They would never have access to your SMS messages or usage anyway.

If you turn sycnronization off, and keep it off, then they won't know about your contacts or calendar entries either.

They can also get location from the MAC address of nearby WiFi routers (these have been mapped along with Street View), or from your cell tower location (which isn't very accurate, but could place you within a 100m or so from where you are), or from GPS. You can prevent Google from knowing your location from any of these sources by unchecking "Share with Google" in Menu -> Settings -> Security and Location.

GMail? Well if you use that it's obvious what they know.

They may well know the MAC address of your phone too, so any time you access Google's servers they could associate that with your phone, but if they don't know anything else about your phone it's not a lot of use.
 
They would never access your private message unless you agree with. And by the way, if you first time run the web browser, it will ask you wheather you would like to share your position? And you should choose no, if you don't like others to know where you are every moment.
 
But if I'm not mistaken google would need a court order to access any real information about you contacts such as names and what not bu then again I could be wrong abou that. Th bes way to find out is to read the privacy statement or if that still doesn't answer your question call google and ask th source directly

Sent from my MB501 using Android Community App
 
They wouldn't need a court order to access your data if you agree to it though. And how many people actually read through those HUUUUGE pricacy policies and terms and conditions before hitting Next or OK or Install and running the app?

That aside, Android is Open Source, and many thousands of people have picked through the code. If they were doing anything dodgy there would be a huge outcry.
 
Thank you so much guys. I also believe that any kind of recording data in the background that people usually don't want to share (e.g. sms, calls etc.) if it became public Android would loose so many of its costumers and and Apple would suddenly gain reputation as a save have for your data. So I guess Google is well aware of that and therefore would touch these sensitive data.
Last question did anyone happen to have like a privacy guide with android and/or the google services? The NY Times did one a while ago for the privacy setting for Facebook. So I am wondering if there is something comparable for Google Services and Android.
Take care,
 
Not that I know of. But in terms of your phone all of the settings you can tweak are either in the main settings for the phone (of which there aren't that many to look through), or in Google's own apps, which are pretty obvious to spot. It would only take a few minutes to go through every Google related setting and adjust them as needed.

Hey you don't know a guy called John Connor do you? I hear he needs to live "off the grid" too.
 
Thanks for your help extorian.
No I didn't know John Connor but I just looked it up. In contrast to John Connor I do not fear the Androids ahhh I mean Machines . I just want to control my grid and not live off it.
Do I make sense
 
Let's not forget the Google corp "accidentally" recorded information about open wireless networks on their rounds with the streetview cameras. My friend is keen on open communications an ran an open wireless access point. He recently found some information relating his (external) IP address to a postal address, but with the house number wrongly assigned. I'm sorry that I don't know the exact details of where he found these details, but he blames google's data collection activities for this.
Also, up until recently, Google assisted the Chinese government in their political Internet censorship.
I think privacy worries where Google is concerned is quite ligitimate!
 
It wasn't really accidental or on purpose. They just recorded data packets so they could get the MAC addresses of the WiFi access points and map them on Street View. I doubt it even crossed their mind that some of the data may contain personal stuff. Some of these packets, specifically ones on open/unencrypted WiFi points contain a very small amount of raw data. All personal stuff (passwords, for example) should be secured with SSL / HTTPS or similar. So even if the WiFi wasn't encrypted, the data probably was. For example no online banking site will let you not use HTTPS.

The cars would only be in range for a tiny amount of time. So if they did get any personal information (that was being transmitted in that fraction of a second, that the car grabbed that specific packet of, on an unsecured WiFi, with unsecured data) they'd have to have been extremely lucky, or the person extremely unlucky. The chance of this happening is very slim.

If people choose to transmit/receive personal information over an unsecured network and it's their own fault. They're broadcasting that stuff all the time to the entire neighbourhood. Google at least has a privacy policy, your neighbours and people "war-driving" past your house wouldn't give a monkey.

What your friend found out is well known. Google use WiFi MAC addresses to figure out locations on any device that uses WiFi in any area that's been covered by Street View. It augments positioning data very well as GPS doesn't work inside very well, but there are commonly WiFi points near by (your own, for example). There is another company called Skyhook that have also done this.

You can also use geoip tools to figure out where a device with a given IP address is. Try going to http://whatismyip.com to find your IP and then putting your IP into http://geoiptool.com/ For me it's about 100 miles out, but on some cable internet providers it can be in the right street or even block of flats. If the IP is static (such as on a business or university) it'll narrow it down to a building. This kind of system has existed for 15 years though.
 
Just like going to a meeting and accidentally dialling a friend from your mobile, then accidentally leaving the mobile with the live call still active on the desk as you leave the room, and your friend accidently recording everything the other meeting participants say about you when you're out, on his mobile. Then going back to get your "lost" mobile 10 mins later.

Just because you *can* do something, or that something isn't technically illegal, doesn't mean you should do it.

Whats more I think connecting to a wireless network you haven't been given permission to use from the owner *is* illegal, whether its encrypted or not.

Large corporations collecting data about individuals, makes those individuals suspicious.

As you have already said - if you're silly enough to leave any sort of personal data exposed, don't be surprised if someone collects it, archives it, sorts it and sells it to someone else, who then publishes it on the Interweb.

Privacy vs large corporations / governments : The individual will lose, unless you take careful precaution.
 
I agree that the morality of it may be somewhat dubious in some people's eyes.

I would have thought connecting to a network without permission would be illegal, but I can find no examples of it outside of people deliberately causing damage once connected to such networks. That doesn't mean to say it isn't illegal, it just means I can't find any solid evidence that it is.

However, that is a moot point, they didn't connect to the networks at all. In fact their cars don't even transmit. They just receive. Listening to radio signals you can receive publicly, and are intended to be received publicly (as SSID and MAC information from wireless access points is), is not illegal. As long as Google don't actually do some kind of deep data analysis on what they recorded in an attempt to extract private information, and then used the information, what they did is not illegal. I imagine this is why they destroyed the data pretty quick when it came to light. Marking the location of wireless access points isn't illegal though, as best as I can tell. If it were, then the ability to scan for wireless access points with your mobile phone or laptop would also be illegal.
 
Geeb's conclusion is what I apply for myself even if things get more complicated and less convenient. I just wish more people would do that and in no time there would be an alternative "grid" with more control in the hand of the individual. Well I am glad that I have the choice not to use and Apple restriction product and can choose an open source system.
 
It worked for the Galactica at least...

As soon as I start asking questions like "What's in it for Google?" and "What do Google get out of giving me free email, internet search, etc", I get scared.
 
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