Privacy on Android

[stackberry369]

There are jobs, it's just that the jobs available require skills that most people don't have and can't go to school to attain.

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[mrsmumbles]

There are jobs, it's just that the jobs available require skills that most people don't have and can't go to school to attain.

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What would they be, the jobs I mean?

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[alexlam24]

I feel sorry for kids today. You're in a much more complicated world than when I was a kid. You do have cool tech toys, but as you say, the cost of living is prohibitive for most of the things normal for teens. And college costs an absolute fortune. When I was young, the cost of going to a state university was within most people's means. And we had jobs and earned our own pocket money, there wasn't the scarcity of jobs that exists today. And people didn't take minimum wage jobs with the expectation of supporting a family on it. Those jobs were almost exclusively held by teens. Not to be depressing, though, because I'm sure through young eyes the world still may look good.

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Eh, inflation has risen faster than minimum wage. Technically if everything rose at the same time, minimum wage would be around $14 or so. I tried applying to work at a super market this summer. You need a high school degree to put groceries a bag. I don't like working at fast food because the smell just gives me a headache. Oh and on the topic of privacy, today the supreme court ruled NSA spying on your phone is perfectly constitutional

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[mrsmumbles]

Eh, inflation has risen faster than minimum wage. Technically if everything rose at the same time, minimum wage would be around $14 or so. I tried applying to work at a super market this summer. You need a high school degree to put groceries a bag. I don't like working at fast food because the smell just gives me a headache. Oh and on the topic of privacy, today the supreme court ruled NSA spying on your phone is perfectly constitutional

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It sucks. Oh well. Hopefully things will improve during your lifetime.

On jobs though, I used to work at plastics factories. The smell of liquid plastic will really get into your nose. And stay there a while. That was one reason I wanted a college degree.

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[alexlam24]

It sucks. Oh well. Hopefully things will improve during your lifetime.

On jobs though, I used to work at plastics factories. The smell of liquid plastic will really get into your nose. And stay there a while. That was one reason I wanted a college degree.

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Become a politician! Free money and you get bribes from corporate companies!

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[mrsmumbles]

Become a politician! Free money and you get bribes from corporate companies!

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I've never been that lucky. Maybe you will be, though.

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[PDX97229]

What ways do you protect your privacy on your device? I disabled Google Plus so there is no auto upload, and I am working on deleting all the various services and apps I tried out but didn't like. It's not that I'm paranoid, I just like to keep my number of services and sites and companies that have access to my info to a minimum. Bad enough Google shoves Google plus down everyone's throat all the time. But I have no choice with Google, they provide superior services.

Posted Via VZW Moto X on the Android Central App

Great question. I really miss my Palm TX. The data was confined to my device and my desktop hd. No worries there. Now it seems everything is out there for the taking. I'm considering reactivating my old flip phone that only knows how to make calls and only stores phone numbers that I might need to call from my cell phone. Then I would use my brand new Motorola Maxx with KitKat that would only connect to the web via my inhouse highly secure, hidden, password protected, wifi. The only problem is I can't seem to find a way to back up the data that is stored internally (which is most of it!). Ugh!

Thanks to everyone who has replied to this thread. I have read all of the responses as of this posting and am carefully considering my next move.

 

[PDX97229]

Overall if you are using a cellphone at all, and imo especially though Verizon network, you should forget about privacy. As for being connected to the internet, especially if you already have a Google account (but not necessarily), privacy out the window too, unless you use VPN and preventing all servers from logging your activity, that's not easy to do. I know this isn't what you meant in your discussion, but you did not specify either, I still consider it a major aspect of privacy.

I don't think it matter which popular mobile OS you use, they all collect data in some form, or the apps you use. Google make money from ads and they do it by collecting your data, most of the time anonymously, if you use their mobile OS or services you'll just have to accept that fact. The answer to these simply is to not use the services.

For the most part, you don't really have control over Google taking photo of your house with their driverless car, map it on their map, collecting WiFi info, aggregating your info that is already present from other public sources and make it searchable on their search service. You already mentioned google.com/dashboard, Google let you control what info are saved and shared.

I guess you can protect yourself from virus and prevent certain apps from accessing certain data on your phone, mostly this is the only level where users have real control over. Mostly it come down to common sense and careful of what you're downloading and signing up to. Read the permissions of apps add read the developer explanation of it before downloading. Even then Google removed that in KitKat 4.4.2 by making App Ops inaccessible unless you have root. In term of virus and malware, Android is pretty secure and the PlayStore scan apps installed for them. My only concern is controlling permissions of apps, you can't really do much without root, I would argue that even Black Berry and iOS let users control permissions more than Android right now (without root). But a recent incident of a flashlight app that have mulltimillions of downloads collecting user location without their permission and settling with the FTC shows that users don't have that much control in Android as they think, if even apps with millions of download invade your privacy without you knowing (sure you say check the permissions, but it's hard for an average Joe to do that when it have 5stars and millions of download, by that standard the public will have a hard time). Atleast in iOS you can disallow location per apps. I think Google have some improvements to make. For an Android fan I think it's a little embarrassing.

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Thanks for the post. Very useful information, although I don't know if I feel better or worse after reading your post.

 

[PDX97229]

What steps do you take personally?

Posted Via VZW Moto X on the Android Central App

Thanks for your post. It helps to put things into perspective, although leaving my house unlocked may put the contents at risk, but my reputation and bank accounts would still be intact. Even less is at risk if someone steels my car, although it has more security features than my cell phone ever will. However leaving my information on my cell phone open to be taken by any hacker or company out there who compiles the information in case some day it can find a market for it is far more damaging. Potentially I could loose my reputation, credit score, and everything associated with my name. The only thing that keeps me sane is the thought "who cares about me anyway". Still, while I need and want this technology, I don't like the price we have to pay. But as you point out, there is no privacy anymore anyway.

 

[PDX97229]

To each their own how they wish to protect themselves. But personally, I'm not going to just throw my hands up in the air, say oh well and do nothing. I'm going to take appropriate measures that I feel help protect my privacy and security. It's only practical.

I mean do you leave your house or car unlocked for anyone to gain access whenever they wish? Do you secure your Wi-Fi or leave it wide open for anyone to use? Do you leave your window shades open at night or close them to keep people from being able to easily see you? Do you speak openly in public around complete strangers about your private matters or are you discreet about them? Etc.

Great Advice. Thanks

 

[barth2]

Become a politician! Free money and you get bribes from corporate companies!

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Politicians don't make much money.

It's only after they leave office and go into lobbying or "consulting" that they make the dough.

 

[tgp]

I mean do you leave your house or car unlocked for anyone to gain access whenever they wish? Do you secure your Wi-Fi or leave it wide open for anyone to use?

No, but it's not quite the same thing. Even though we don't leave our houses or vehicles unlocked, we will give the keys to certain people. Just because Google or Microsoft or the NSA have your data doens't mean that it's widely available to the public, or even that they'll do anything with it.

 

[A895]

No, but it's not quite the same thing. Even though we don't leave our houses or vehicles unlocked, we will give the keys to certain people. Just because Google or Microsoft or the NSA have your data doens't mean that it's widely available to the public, or even that they'll do anything with it.

They do it's called ads. A lot of them in googles case seeing how almost 100% of their revenue is ads.

Posted Via VZW Moto X on the Android Central App

 

[tgp]

They do it's called ads. A lot of them in googles case seeing how almost 100% of their revenue is ads.

Yes, but I don't see how that harms us. We'd see ads anyway. Google's info makes the the ads relevant. I guess it makes us spend more, but that's our problem, not theirs.

 

[A895]

Understood, the point though is to reduce your risk/exposure. With your data, that can be done by limiting what is out there for them (Google, Microsoft, NSA, etc.) to collect in the first place.

That what I do. I closed some more online accounts, and out very limited info on my Google account. I out no history on everything on my Google account as well.

Posted Via VZW Moto X on the Android Central App

 

[alexlam24]

Politicians don't make much money.

It's only after they leave office and go into lobbying or "consulting" that they make the dough.

I think $200k as a senator is good money

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[mrsmumbles]

I think $200k as a senator is good money

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How do you feel about life as one very long student council meeting with endless note taking and studying? Plus you have to be beyond reproach in your not very private private life.

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[stratct]

This is why for my at one should teach your children how to be kids and not let them throw their faces on the screen all the time. If kids are addicted to Facebook and the like it's the parents fault, I will be twenty next year and haven't been on Facebook in years. That social media crap is atrocious about how much kids are into it. We should calling texting and hanging out with friends face to face not iming and Facebook messaging, and tweeting, and Instagraming, and vining to contact each other. It's a mess.

Posted Via VZW Moto X on the Android Central App

Agreed. Also going to be 20 in a month!

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[alexlam24]

How do you feel about life as one very long student council meeting with endless note taking and studying? Plus you have to be beyond reproach in your not very private private life.

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Have you ever taken a government class before?

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[mrsmumbles]

Have you ever taken a government class before?

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Yes. Have you ever worked in government? It helps to have a law degree, too.

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