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An idle Android smartphone sends user data back to Google servers nearly ten times more frequently as an Apple device sends data back to Apple servers.
This is just one of the many findings of a 55-page research paper [pdf] published this week by research agency Digital Content Next. The research looked at what type of data is sent back to Google servers from idle Android devices.
The overall conclusion of the research is that Google tracks its users more often and collects more information about their movements and behavior when compared to Apple or to Google's ability to track users on Apple devices.
[...] For starters, researchers said that while a user interacts with a phone, 46% of all communications sent to Google servers were to Google's publisher and advertiser products, such as Google Analytics, DoubleClick, AdWords, and AdSense.
"Magnitude wise, Google's servers communicated 11.6 MB of data per day (or 0.35 GB/month) with the Android device," researchers said. "This experiment suggests that even if a user does not interact with any key Google applications, Google is still able to collect considerable information through its advertiser and publisher products."
[...] Moreover, even if most of the data Google collects about users is anonymized, researchers said that there are various details that Google accumulates from the same device that can deanonymize users.
For example, researchers said that advertising identifiers such as DoubleClick cookie IDs allow Google to track a user across web pages and apps, and associate "anonymous users" with known Google accounts.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday August 27 2018, @06:55PM (10 children)
Knowing that it could theoretically be done is one thing, but having some hard evidence that they are seriously tracking is another. I may have to bite the bullet and get Lineage OS setup on my phone. I'm assuming, it shouldn't have the same issues?
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by Nerdfest on Monday August 27 2018, @07:22PM
It shouldn't have any, although you can select to report some info to Lineage, I think. It's kind of annoying that they say "Android", when it's really Google's software running on Android. Don't like it, use FDroid and load your favourite replacements. You need to be pretty committed to get by without the Play Store though.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday August 27 2018, @07:49PM (8 children)
I've seen Google Maps clear out red traffic jam status on roads I'm driving through just after the jam cleared, almost as if they're seeing me roll through at the speed limit and coloring the road green as I pass through.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 5, Informative) by EvilSS on Monday August 27 2018, @07:56PM (2 children)
They are. That's how they generate traffic data. From you and everyone else with google maps.
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Monday August 27 2018, @09:01PM (1 child)
Yep. Not sure how GP thought they got all of that random traffic data... It's tracking the phones running traffic/map apps. How else would they come by traffic data on some random rural road you're driving on??
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday August 27 2018, @09:47PM
/s
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 27 2018, @11:06PM (1 child)
Jokes on you if the person that "cleared" a traffic jam was on a motorcycle and ran down between lanes -- with their phone turned on.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 27 2018, @11:57PM
Jokes on the person carrying a (smart)phone.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 27 2018, @11:35PM (2 children)
Yup, so how anonymous is your data? And the meta data from different "anonymous" sources often can unveil your anonymity with 99.99% accuracy.
People working with the data are usually too preoccupied with the cool shit they're able to do and won't understand why no one else is quite as thrilled as they are. They have blinders on and just hand wave away the bad things as unlikely or the worst "there is no expectation of privacy anymore" as if the fact that someone can see you driving down the road is even close to the same thing as mass privacy violations.
We are building a web that will trap us all and it will become increasingly difficult to dig the tumor out once it creeps into so much of our infrastructure.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Tuesday August 28 2018, @10:20AM
And one of only a very few Facebook users.
Consider the challenges faced by closeted gay right-wing Republicans.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Tuesday August 28 2018, @10:39AM
Infringen yer copyright [warplife.com].
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]