Google's spying on your Android phone...

[TreasonousBastard]

and it's getting worse. And in very practical, real-world terms, this is far worse than anything government spooks are doing. (Apple and Microsoft are way ahead of Google in personal security)

http://www.howtogeek.com/177904/androids-permissions-system-is-broken-and-google-just-made-it-worse/

Mobile apps are harvesting entire address books and uploading them to ad servers, tracking users’ movements via GPS, and doing other nasty things. But Android’s permission system doesn’t do enough to help users fight this.

Android’s permission system offers an all-or-nothing choice that most users will ignore. The hidden App Ops interface looked like an in-development solution to this huge problem, but Google has now removed it entirely.
<...>

Some people think this entire problem boils down to user responsibility. Users have a choice when installing an app whether they want to install that app or not. If they choose to install the app, they shouldn’t be surprised if their entire contacts list is uploaded to a server somewhere, if their movements are tracked by advertisers, if the app uses their microphone to eavesdrop on them, or if the app runs in the background and sends premium-rate SMS messages (this is no longer possible in modern versions of Android, thankfully).

This isn’t acceptable. Android isn’t just used by geeks, it’s used by many “normal” people around the world. In fact, it’s the most popular smartphone operating system worldwide. Google has an obligation to design Android in a way that puts smartphone users in control of their devices. The devices belong to smartphone owners, not app developers.

<...>

This isn’t all theoretical. An Android flashlight app was recently fined for deceiving users and tracking their GPS movements, while a variety of apps have been found uploading entire address books in the background. Users need control; the situation is getting out of hand.

[mnhtnbb]

1. My son works for a software company that designs apps for smartphones.

I'm sending him the link to see what he says about this.

[FarPoint]

2. I used my original Motorola Droid for 4 years.

I had to upgrade in October. Oh...how things have changed! I noticed then how everything on all Verizon smart phones were all about Google. It wasn't hard to analyze the intent at that time. I want to learn how to reduce the snooping!

[hobbit709]

3. Another reason I keep my dumbphone.

Makes calls, receives calls. Does nada else.

[Atman]

4. Apple Sux!

Just wanted to be the first.

[adirondacker]

5. NSA Corporate McPravda Approved. nt

[alc]

6. not worse than the government

* they aren't combining as many sources (phone, gps, email, US mail, credit cards, license plate cameras, etc).

* if I suspect google of violating my rates I'd feel free going to the FBI (or other agency) with evidence. If I suspect NSA of that I'd feel scared to let anyone know what evidence I have.

* at least for now google is using any information to make more money. with the smaller number of sources they likely don't have the data to blackmail congressman and candidate (and families, campaign managers, etc) AND to cover up any mistakes they make so it's a HUGE risk. The NSA has the breadth of information and the position (connections in the government) to use what they know to increase their power (congressional oversight, FISA decisions, presidential appointments to FISA, discouraging "bad" congressional candidates, etc).

I'm not saying that what google is doing is ok. But they cannot become the most powerful (and unrecognized) branch of the US government. The technology that the NSA is putting is place can literally make them the most powerful branch of the government if they get a director in the future who decides that it's the best way to protect the country. Most of us won't know that it happened and those who do know won't be able to tell anyone via electronic communications of any kind.