Google becoming too invasive

[Ca_lvn]

So the last few days I have received notifications from Google and in the corner it says Google app.
Today was just to much I don't need Google to manage my life for me and yes Google assistant is turned off, however it was on for a day a couple of weeks ago.
Today Google told me I have a bill do and I mean specific info on this, also that my drive to work would be 28min with the address listed however it's my girlfriends address and also news feeds I could care less about.
Every time sothing like this happenes I search Google settings to turn sothing off but it's not on, this never happened before I tried Google assist for a day, so invasive that they decided to manage my personal Information

 

[Almeuit]

So the last few days I have received notifications from Google and in the corner it says Google app.
Today was just to much I don't need Google to manage my life for me and yes Google assistant is turned off, however it was on for a day a couple of weeks ago.
Today Google told me I have a bill do and I mean specific info on this, also that my drive to work would be 28min with the address listed however it's my girlfriends address and also news feeds I could care less about.
Every time sothing like this happenes I search Google settings to turn sothing off but it's not on, this never happened before I tried Google assist for a day, so invasive that they decided to manage my personal Information ??????

That is what Assistant and other things do if you allow them to. If you don't read the settings and just click you accept they can look in your emails and such. That is all it did -- same with your way to work.

 

[Aquila]

The bill is because you received an email (to a gmail address) regarding the bill which probably included a due date and/or amount. The address is something it's been doing forever, it finds places you seem to go regularly and asks if you want transit time to those locations. These settings are in the Google App if you don't want to be notified regarding those updates.

 

[Ca_lvn]

Yes correct but assistant is turned off should I still be receiving these notifications and all other Google feeds are off too

 

[Aquila]

Those notifications are part of Google Now; disabling Google Now (in addition to Assistant) will prevent it from listing those things for you.

 

[Ca_lvn]

Those notifications are part of Google Now; disabling Google Now (in addition to Assistant) will prevent it from listing those things for you.

That was it thanks looked at feed before but didn't release I needed to click on it to open another page

 

[TabGuy]

That was it thanks ?????? looked at feed before but didn't release I needed to click on it to open another page

Here's the thing... All you did was turn off notifications of the information Google knows about you. You did NOT stop Google from knowing these things. Somehow people feel comforted when Google isn't telling them the things it knows. I look at it the opposite way. I feel comforted when Google tells me what it knows. It's always better to be informed, in my opinion.

 

[L0n3N1nja]

Do you use your Google email for paying bills online? I get emailed reminding me to pay bills for that reason.

Turn your phones location settings off if you don't want Google knowing where you are.

You do know your call logs, text messages,websites you visit are all known by your cell carrier? Anything you do on your computer or phone at home on the internet is known as well. We aren't really invisible unless we go off the grid and quit using technology.

 

[Almeuit]

Do you use your Google email for paying bills online? I get emailed reminding me to pay bills for that reason.

Turn your phones location settings off if you don't want Google knowing where you are.

You do know your call logs, text messages,websites you visit are all known by your cell carrier? Anything you do on your computer or phone at home on the internet is known as well. We aren't really invisible unless we go off the grid and quit using technology.

Or use a VPN.

 

[deadbeatles]

Google AND Samsung are both becoming ridiculously intrusive on the phone. Also, they're letting you do less and less without allowing them full blown access to everything you do on your phone. It's getting absurd.

Although I plan to have this phone last me for about 5 years, this will be the very last Samsung or Android phone I buy if I have any choice in the future. I'll just try to figure out another less intrusive option, if one even exists at the time. The sad thing is, I doubt there will be.

 

[Aquila]

Google AND Samsung are both becoming ridiculously intrusive on the phone. Also, they're letting you do less and less without allowing them full blown access to everything you do on your phone. It's getting absurd.

Although I plan to have this phone last me for about 5 years, this will be the very last Samsung or Android phone I buy if I have any choice in the future. I'll just try to figure out another less intrusive option, if one even exists at the time. The sad thing is, I doubt there will be.

From a privacy and data protection standpoint, Apple and Google are the only two companies in the business with tolerable privacy policies. All of the companies we deal with, carriers, OS creators, OEM's, etc. are collecting ever bit of data that they can. I am not familiar with most of the OEM's policies, but Samsung, Microsoft, Verizon, AT&T, etc. all sell user data. Google and Apple currently do not sell user data. Apple allows themselves permission to do so, but so far isn't doing it and Google doesn't give themselves permission to do so. I'd strongly recommend going with an Apple or Google phone next - but if that's 5 years from now, then it would make sense to research their policies at the time you're shopping as things may have changed by then.

 

[the_munc_e]

It's technology. People have been selling their freedom for it, for years.

 

[deadbeatles]

From a privacy and data protection standpoint, Apple and Google are the only two companies in the business with tolerable privacy policies. All of the companies we deal with, carriers, OS creators, OEM's, etc. are collecting ever bit of data that they can. I am not familiar with most of the OEM's policies, but Samsung, Microsoft, Verizon, AT&T, etc. all sell user data. Google and Apple currently do not sell user data. Apple allows themselves permission to do so, but so far isn't doing it and Google doesn't give themselves permission to do so. I'd strongly recommend going with an Apple or Google phone next - but if that's 5 years from now, then it would make sense to research their policies at the time you're shopping as things may have changed by then.

The problem with researching policies is that they are all bad and there is no good option for a "private" cell phone. There's a HUGE market for it though, IMO. The phone wouldn't need to be a gee whiz, super fast awesome phone. If it was a decent phone with decent components, but if the company who sold it was dedicated to tracking and saving as little data as possible and never selling it, I would buy that phone in a heartbeat. It's not even like I do anything worth hiding or anything. It's not necessarily all the tracking, it's tying acceptance of the tracking to basic usage of the phone. The fact that you pay $700-900 for a phone and to then be told that you also have to give up a bunch of personal data just to use some of its most basic functions I find to be insulting.

 

[Aquila]

The problem with researching policies is that they are all bad and there is no good option for a "private" cell phone. There's a HUGE market for it though, IMO. The phone wouldn't need to be a gee whiz, super fast awesome phone. If it was a decent phone with decent components, but if the company who sold it was dedicated to tracking and saving as little data as possible and never selling it, I would buy that phone in a heartbeat. It's not even like I do anything worth hiding or anything. It's not necessarily all the tracking, it's tying acceptance of the tracking to basic usage of the phone. The fact that you pay $700-900 for a phone and to then be told that you also have to give up a bunch of personal data just to use some of its most basic functions I find to be insulting.

I definitely agree that market is there. The "blackphone" attempts to fill that niche, but doesn't have much momentum yet. https://www.silentcircle.com/products-and-solutions/devices/

 

[Misterb]

Google AND Samsung are both becoming ridiculously intrusive on the phone. Also, they're letting you do less and less without allowing them full blown access to everything you do on your phone. It's getting absurd.

Although I plan to have this phone last me for about 5 years, this will be the very last Samsung or Android phone I buy if I have any choice in the future. I'll just try to figure out another less intrusive option, if one even exists at the time. The sad thing is, I doubt there will be.

5 years? Good luck with that

 

[jimbo1mcm]

From Google HQ to OP: We know where you live.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Data has been sold time and time again. Every time you use a debit/credit card, information is gathered, filed, sorted, and sold. One that is really bad is Microsoft. Check out some of the things they can do on Windows 10.

As for me, I guess it doesn't bother me so much. Mainly due to I look at it as the only way I can truly cut myself off from being tracked is to go off the grid, and a cash only buyer. Sorry...I love my technology too much.

 

[BOSSY TEXAS CHICK]

Google AND Samsung are both becoming ridiculously intrusive on the phone. Also, they're letting you do less and less without allowing them full blown access to everything you do on your phone. It's getting absurd......

yup yup... about 3 or 4 years ago i started this thread in here http://forums.androidcentral.com/go...me-giggle-because-they-having-last-laugh.html and all i can remember were a sea of replies "don't like it, use something else" : (

for years i have REALLY come to despise Google, but i just "oh well" it because it would just take too much effort and energy to do anything about it. complacency is now my middle name...

BTCC

(Bossy Texas Complacent Chick) :-*

 

[PapaGary]

The problem with researching policies is that they are all bad and there is no good option for a "private" cell phone. There's a HUGE market for it though, IMO. The phone wouldn't need to be a gee whiz, super fast awesome phone. If it was a decent phone with decent components, but if the company who sold it was dedicated to tracking and saving as little data as possible and never selling it, I would buy that phone in a heartbeat.

Been done. It was called Blackberry and you know how well that went over.

 

[BOSSY TEXAS CHICK]

Been done. It was called Blackberry and you know how well that went over.

Somewhat true, but there is a chance a device marketed with "the consumer's mobile experience in mind" could draw a fair share of the market because these days i think A LOT more ppl are getting to feel the convenience of having all your info available across all devices in addition to cloud accessibility is becoming a too big a price to pay. Not saying a device like deadbeatles proposed would outsell Google devices, but it wouldn't surprise me if one was available that it would do well if marketed properly, as more & more ppl feel like telling Google to, "back off Googooloo" (George Harrison reference, get it deadbeatle?! lol...

BTCC