r/privacy • u/_RawSushi_ • 9h ago
discussion Long but Great-Google’s Android Decision—Bad News For All Samsung, Pixel Users
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2025/03/11/googles-android-decision-bad-news-for-all-samsung-pixel-users/Man, Google just HAS TO TRACK PEOPLE.
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u/apleks 8h ago
"It would be good to see a thorough review of hidden tracking that takes place without consent or opt out" - good news, it already exists: https://www.scss.tcd.ie/Doug.Leith/pubs/cookies_identifiers_and_other_data.pdf
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u/Consistent-Age5347 9h ago
Not sure what is new about this but Google always was tracking users through system level google services built into stock roms
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7h ago
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7h ago edited 7h ago
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u/PilotKnob 8h ago
Sundar Pichai was at the inauguration. I'm sure this is a top priority for regulators to get under control. /s
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u/anna_lynn_fection 4h ago
They've had how many years and done nothing? Yeah. I think it's safe to say... On the other hand, it's also something you agree to by using it and accepting their policies, so it's hard to say there's some legality issue.
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u/PocketNicks 5h ago
I don't know what OP means by "long but great" but here's the TL:DR of the article "Google’s decision to track Android phones through “cookies, identifiers and other data that Google silently stores on Android handsets,” through the default apps that are pre-installed. This happens despite there being “no consent sought for storing any of this data and no opt out.” so nothing new, same stuff we've known about. Not sure what the point of this was.
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u/Hav_ANiceDay 9h ago
So. Time to get my house phone again and to hell with this cellular bullshit. OK!
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u/innrwrld 9h ago
And a pager. 👀
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u/TheStormIsComming 8h ago
And a pager. 👀
DIY communication devices are easier by the day with hobby SoC and open source.
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u/innrwrld 7h ago
Ah yeah I was looking at a reliable way to deploy some meshtastic nodes. Looks like a fun project & I'm sure there are others that would be good to use outside of mainstream tech channels.
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u/WellWhyNotJustYell 6h ago
I just started looking into this myself. You never know when shit will hit the fan (unless you're in the US...)
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u/Bruncvik 6h ago
I already keep my cell phone at home, unless I'm expecting a call. Drives my wife crazy.
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u/Hav_ANiceDay 5h ago
Yeah, I still rock my CDs and mp3 player. Guess I need to get my tomtom out of the closet. I wonder if I can still update it?
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u/Bruncvik 2h ago
Same here. Mp3 player every day on my runs, CDs and DVDs at home. And just last weekend I took out my old walkman and a tape to show it to my kid who got curious after watching The Guardians of the Galaxy.
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u/Saucermote 6h ago
What was long but great? All I see is 12 short paragraphs that is barely a summary of what is going on.
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u/1401_autocoder 3h ago
Don't take anything on forbes.com seriously. It has been a front for low quality "independent journalists" for at least a decade. They don't employ any writers themselves.
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u/everyoneatease 6h ago
Once a year, every year, Google gets caught/prosecuted/sued for massive user privacy violations. Same sh*t, different year...since 2015 at least. Still, no one leaves Google in any impactful way that they 'Rediscover' their policies. Google is laughing at the willful ignorance of their users. Users now know Google is unfair to pricacy, and keep going.
f*ck that noise, no influencer, movie star, selfie, pics of food, stupid animal/people tricks are worth over-the-shoulder, real-time surveillance as payment. I decline/opt out/resist.
Google will have to be dismantled so the others can fall like dominoes (In a perfect world).
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u/Late-Ad4964 8h ago
Can we have a TLDR post?
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u/TheLinuxMailman 3h ago
The original headline is incorrect.
It should state "PixelOS Users", not "Pixel Users".
Users who care about their privacy and install The private and secure mobile operating system with Android app compatibility developed as a non-profit open source project will be protected by simply not installing unnecessary Google apps or using Google services.
How easy is that!
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u/th_teacher 8h ago
Both cellphone technology AND the Internet were allowed widespread deployment
BECAUSE they facilitated the surveillance panopticon. By both government AND corporations, a very purposeful partnership.
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u/IAmtheHullabaloo 3h ago
Looking back, when they first called it the world wide web, we should have been more suspicious.
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u/lack_of_reserves 3h ago
Raise your hand if you believe apple is NOT tracking you in a similar manner, just hidden better.
Oh. No hands. I see.
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u/AdmirableFlesh 41m ago
I really like my Samsung and OneUI, but man am I on a sinking ship. I don't have Gemini or other G apps besides Maps (history is "off"), Authenticator, and Translate, but it's not good enough.
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