How much privacy do I have to give up with this phone in U. S.?

[sfrrr]

I was about to set up my new Note 9, but it seems to want me agree to give Google my phone number, agree to let them place ads wherever and whenever Google chooses, and let Samsung use my personal info in any way it chooses. It seems that if I don’t agree, my phone won’t phone, text, or receive mail, nor will I be able to use the Web. Am I reading this right? Can I avoid it? (I'm basin this on the first part of the set up process that involves agreeing to *all* of Samsung's terms and conditions.)

Thanks,

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

Can you link what you're reading that says those things? Samsung does give themselves almost total ownership of your personal data, relative to your usage of their software on the device you buy, and there's no avoiding it using Smasung's phones. The Google ads part seems a little weird, because that's not a condition of using Google services or most of their apps, etc.

 

[anon(20964)]

Not sure there is a work-around.
Giving up privacy can be worrisome.

Best wishes.

 

[ajb1965]

I gotta dust off my tinfoil hat.....

 

[sfrrr]

Can you link what you're reading that says those things? Samsung does give themselves almost total ownership of your personal data, relative to your usage of their software on the device you buy, and there's no avoiding it using Smasung's phones. The Google ads part seems a little weird, because that's not a condition of using Google services or most of their apps, etc.

Yes, the Google part surprised me a lot. I could be wrong, but the phone I'm moving *from *is a Pixel XL, and I didn't have to sign away this much.

I was hoping there would be work arounds--something like, "go into System Apps and turn off X and Y, then send an email opting out of Z."

If I bought a European Note 9, would I give up less privacy? Would my carrier's SIM card work in it?

Thanks.

 

[sfrrr]

I'll try to photograph it with someone else's phone.

 

[LCW]

OP you may as well go live with the Amish and wrap yourself up in a tinfoil burrito.

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

Yes, the Google part surprised me a lot. I could be wrong, but the phone I'm moving *from *is a Pixel XL, and I didn't have to sign away this much.

I was hoping there would be work arounds--something like, "go into System Apps and turn off X and Y, then send an email opting out of Z."

If I bought a European Note 9, would I give up less privacy? Would my carrier's SIM card work in it?

Thanks.

Settings will likely be the same in terms of the user agreement and default permissions. So just got an S8+ a few weeks ago and had a similar surprise reading through the terms and permissions.

 

[sandra_17]

... It seems that if I don’t agree, my phone won’t phone, text, or receive mail, nor will I be able to use the Web. Am I reading this right? Can I avoid it?...

Some of those terms you see during the setup process look like you can't continue past that screen if you do not check them. However, if you pay close attention, you will see that checking some will automatically check another that doesn't necessarily need to be (is really optional).

What I did, especially with some of Google's location "terms", was agree to each until I saw I could choose "next", but then go up and start unhecking one at a time to see what the bare minimum I had to agree to was. In the end I was "required" to share far less than both Samsung and Google make it appear you have to.

 

[felloffthetruck]

You must give up complete privacy here in the US. Privacy went out the window in the 1980's

 

[nrfitchett4]

they are taking you whether you agree or not. Isn't there's a black phone for people that want total privacy?

 

[Itsa_Me_Mario]

they are taking you whether you agree or not. Isn't there's a black phone for people that want total privacy?

Yes but it doesn't offer total privacy and the first gen blackphone is massively insecure, having not been updated in over two years. The blackphone 2 was discontinued as well and now they offer some of the functionality of those phones as apps for Android and iOS. For lack of a full explanation, it essentially amounts to using a $10 per month version of Signal.

 

[Rukbat]

Yes, the Google part surprised me a lot.

That's Samsung. Google doesn't put that into Android.

I could be wrong, but the phone I'm moving *from *is a Pixel XL, and I didn't have to sign away this much.

You really don't have to "sigh away" anything. In the past week I've factory reset and started 2 Pixel 2s (Google keeps sending me refurbs to correct a problem with mine - and they all have the problem), and I just passed everything - turned off all the "share" junk on that one page in the setup.

I was hoping there would be work arounds--something like, "go into System Apps and turn off X and Y, then send an email opting out of Z."

I used to be able to bypass all that in Samsungs. I guess not any more, huh?

If I bought a European Note 9, would I give up less privacy? Would my carrier's SIM card work in it?

Check gsmarena.com for the frequencies in the F (European) model (or check here - it seems easier if all you want are the frequencies), then check your carrier's frequencies (the 4G - the 2G frequencies are universal for GSM - and the same frequencies for CDMA, but a CDMA radio won't hear a GSM signal and vice-versa).

Would you give up less privacy? I doubt it - as I said, those notices are from Samsung.

 

[sfrrr]

OK. As many of you said, this is a Google problem. Except, were I a brand new Samsung phone user, I'd think that I had to sign up to use my Note 9 through Google. Without a pause or explanation, the new user segues from Samsung's Terms and Conditions to setting up a Google account (or inputting a previous one), or giving Google your phone's number, or giving your new Note your Google logon, as if you can't use your Note without the Google logon, and other intimacies. How did Samsung and Google get so chummy? Has one of them bought a big piece of the other?

My previous phone is a Google Pixel XL, and Google didn't ask for as much Google info for the Pixel as Samsung is asking for for the Note 9.

By the way, if you want to opt out of some of Samsung 's privacy terms and advertising intrusions, read the various Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Diagnostic Data sections before you click OK. You' ll find there are Web sites and email addresses to change what you have had to agree to.

And thanks for everyone's help. I'm about to finish setting up and start playing with my new toy. I hope it's worth it.

 

[jeffg9]

Every company has info on you. I work in advertising. They regularly take your IP address and are able to compare it to not only your home address but to what you watch on TV/internet and then compare to what you buy in stores using loyalty cards or other identifying info. This is how they target ads on TV and the internet for you.

 

[sfrrr]

Some of those terms you see during the setup process look like you can't continue past that screen if you do not check them. However, if you pay close attention, you will see that checking some will automatically check another that doesn't necessarily need to be (is really optional).

What I did, especially with some of Google's location "terms", was agree to each until I saw I could choose "next", but then go up and start unhecking one at a time to see what the bare minimum I had to agree to was. In the end I was "required" to share far less than both Samsung and Google make it appear you have to.

Thanks. I've resisted where I could. I'm now going through all the location and other privacy settings on Google's web site on my PC, and turning off everything I can. Then, I'll write Samsung at the addresses they provide in their Terms and Conditions to opt out of several of the terms they made me agree to in order to set up my phone - - agreeing to arbitration will be the first to go.

I'm hoping How-To Geek and/or other independent publications run more privacy news and how-to pieces about this year's crop of gadgets.

So, thanks for your help.

Thanks.

 

[srbell67]

If Google wants to see which porn sites I visit, more power to them. Have fun. lol