Tech Privacy Concern - Bluetooth Low Energy(BLE)

[GemStater]

Also known as a Mesh network using Bluetooth 4.0.

In short, wireless control of devices from a centralized source.

Currently known affected devices:

- Newer iPhones

- Apple Airtag

- Tile Trackers

- Amazon Echo

- Ring Cameras

More info here:

 

[wpod]

there is no privacy with any of our common everyday electronic devices. There never has or ever will be.

 

[alarmguy]

Good post, educational video. I think I have seen this guy before. There is only one thing that the general public never gets to see with videos like this and there are 1000's of them. They never get to see an opposing viewpoint to explain further. But I admit, this guy DOES present a balanced presentation, however I dont know if the public can decipher it. He does impress me.(read on)
The general public becomes alarmed and they forget the 20 seconds of the 22 minutes video where he states no one can see this information except Apple, its all encrypted.
He then follows up with statements like "could" "possible" and that is where the unfounded and unproven conspiracy/ speculation comes in. Suggesting Apple has control and "could" "possibly" ect. Well Apple is not going too, they are not going to spy on you and no one else can.

Hey, you either want the features or not from the one company Apple, in the Cell Phone world that philosophy is security and privacy. The information is encrypted by Apple. If you cant trust them, then trust another company, they all have your information. Ill go with Apple they are not going to put themselves out of business, they have been and are known world wide for privacy/security in countries where people have no rights and do not live free. This is what they are known for.

This is how I see this video. Yeah, hello, you lose your cell phone and you can find it even if the battery is dead. I can find my dog anyplace.
Apple if you think about it can put themselves out of business if there was a way for this to be taken advantage of.
(I'm tryin to keep this short)

It is ironic, the purpose I was coming in here today. was to post a thread about Apple Privacy controls. Its why I and my family are in the Apple world now and here is fact, not speculation, not "could" not "possibly" it is a factual statement on privacy in the strongest terms.
How many companies does one think there is in the world and how many apps of them on cell phones?

Well, here is fact from just one of hundreds of them, in their own words and Wall Street Disclosures to their shareholders! The privacy of Apple devices far, far far, exceeds anything in the Android world or that of any operating system.
Ok, ready?
Facebook, is just one company, here is their statement to their share holders = it expects a $10 BILLION hit to 2022 revenue because APPLE's newest update restricts Facebook from tracking through its app on iPhone and iPads. Think about that, just one company will have TEN BILLION DOLLARS LESS IN REVENUE THIS YEAR and future years. Multiply the money of ALL the companies that have apps on phones and look at how much information selling APPLE has ended from apps using your information. Android doesnt nothing to prevent it.

(source, page 33 Barrons March 21, 2022)
"Meta's near-term issues stem from Apple's (AAPL) new privacy policies, which restrict app tracking on iPhones and iPads. Meta said in February that it expected a $10 billion hit to 2022 revenue because of how those changes are hampering its direct response advertising business" (for those who do. not know META is Facebook)

Enough said, sure, Im part of the Apple world now, the location of Apple phones world wide are being transmitted for features such as finding your phone, finding the thief who stole your phone or iPad. Finding my dog if he gets lost through an AirTag. Fantastic. Funny we just made sure it was working this week, we test it once in a while. A couple days ago showed our dogs AirTag (our dog) on the right side of the house! *LOL* but couldn't tell us he was on the second floor ha ha.. Yesterday going home from dinner by wife checked again, once closer to the dog a compass arrow showed up on her phone and pointed the direction of where the dog was in the house!

All this stuff is encrypted, no one knows who you are and the only Apple receives the information, encrypted.

BTW- if you dont want this, this feature is not available with the iPhone SE. Not sure if it has the transmitter though but you cant use air tags with it. But there is one thing for sure, if you want privacy and security Apple FAR exceeds anything from Android and Google devices ...

 

[GemStater]

I am surprised to see this got two responses. My assumption was most would shrug shoulders and move along. But I do think a fair amount of people have at least some pause for thought when it comes to big tech privacy concerns. However many of those will still choose to remain willfully uninformed because they like the products. Can't imagine living life without them. Wait in anticipation for the next big shinny thing and accept whatever privacy issues may exist both now and in the future.

I think that when a company refers to cunningly devised press releases and public information as crafted by their legal and marketing departments indicating that they hold your security and privacy as a consumer to the utmost regard. It could very well be based on half-truths. As in they WILL protect your information from external nefarious threats, absolutely! But what stops them as a company from using their products against you, the consumer? Is it their promise they won't do it? Is it faith on the part of the consumer that a reputable company would never do such a thing? Is the answer buried somewhere deep in the ever-changing Terms and Conditions you agreed to? Whatever the case may be, CEO's come and go. Governmental leadership comes and goes. Are we that confident that as technologies advance and increase in capabilities, as more consumers become dependent on these technologies in all aspects of their lives, that this tech will continue to remain benign and not a threat to our individual freedoms?

I myself am not that confident.

I take a more broad approach when considering this topic. I consider the human condition, (1). Draw upon human history, (2). Compare and contrast those two things with recent events, (3).

For Example:

1) Part of the human condition is to accumulate maximum wealth, resources and power often times at the expense of others.
2) Much of human history shows examples of leaders that embody this human condition as it relates to harnessing wealth, resources and power to gain control over vast populations. In many cases, this absolute power becomes corrupted.
3) One doesn't have to look far back into recent events to see highly concerning things playing out as it relates to big tech and corruptible power.

In my view, it is now within reasonable consideration and beyond the realm of tin foil hat conspiracy theory that an authority having jurisdiction can-and-will act in concert with big tech to carry out any number of objectives. This is not a matter of if. It's a matter of when. The question is, what side of that objective will you and your family be on?

I choose to be safer than sorry and am actively taking steps to reduce and eliminate my dependency on popular tech products. No! This doesn't mean I'm living in a cave off the grid. In fact, I do carry a Smartphone. It's a Smartphone that doesn't utilize iOS or Google Applications. And you couldn't pay me enough to use a Amazon Echo or Ring Camera at my house. I'll pass on that, thanks!

TLDR... Shrugs shoulders and move along...

 

[alarmguy]

I am surprised to see this got two responses. My assumption was most would shrug shoulders and move along. But I do think a fair amount of people have at least some pause for thought when it comes to big tech privacy concerns. However many of those will still choose to remain willfully uninformed because they like the products. Can't imagine living life without them. Wait in anticipation for the next big shinny thing and accept whatever privacy issues may exist both now and in the future.

I think that when a company refers to cunningly devised press releases and public information as crafted by their legal and marketing departments indicating that they hold your security and privacy as a consumer to the utmost regard. It could very well be based on half-truths. As in they WILL protect your information from external nefarious threats, absolutely! But what stops them as a company from using their products against you, the consumer? Is it their promise they won't do it? Is it faith on the part of the consumer that a reputable company would never do such a thing? Is the answer buried somewhere deep in the ever-changing Terms and Conditions you agreed to? Whatever the case may be, CEO's come and go. Governmental leadership comes and goes. Are we that confident that as technologies advance and increase in capabilities, as more consumers become dependent on these technologies in all aspects of their lives, that this tech will continue to remain benign and not a threat to our individual freedoms?

I myself am not that confident.

I take a more broad approach when considering this topic. I consider the human condition, (1). Draw upon human history, (2). Compare and contrast those two things with recent events, (3).

For Example:

1) Part of the human condition is to accumulate maximum wealth, resources and power often times at the expense of others.
2) Much of human history shows examples of leaders that embody this human condition as it relates to harnessing wealth, resources and power to gain control over vast populations. In many cases, this absolute power becomes corrupted.
3) One doesn't have to look far back into recent events to see highly concerning things playing out as it relates to big tech and corruptible power.

In my view, it is now within reasonable consideration and beyond the realm of tin foil hat conspiracy theory that an authority having jurisdiction can-and-will act in concert with big tech to carry out any number of objectives. This is not a matter of if. It's a matter of when. The question is, what side of that objective will you and your family be on?

I choose to be safer than sorry and am actively taking steps to reduce and eliminate my dependency on popular tech products. No! This doesn't mean I'm living in a cave off the grid. In fact, I do carry a Smartphone. It's a Smartphone that doesn't utilize iOS or Google Applications. And you couldn't pay me enough to use a Amazon Echo or Ring Camera at my house. I'll pass on that, thanks!

TLDR... Shrugs shoulders and move along...

This is good, encouraging to see your post, I do what I consider an "educated" response to as much as I can and like you say, not live in a cave.
IOS has proven itself around the world, in repressive governments. Remember years back here in the USA when Apple refused the FBI demands that they come up with a formula to unlock a criminals phone in CA? Your not going to get the level of privacy with android IF it matters to you, most "shrugs shoulders and move along" I try to avoid all things google not really for "security" concerns but "just because"
I dont want to help google make the MASSIVE amount of profits that they do by using their products "for free". The are the epitome of selling/using personal information for profit. BTW I hate Amazon for other reasons, but I use them when I need too only.

Other small things I do is use duckduckgo, clear browser cookies all the time, small common sense things jsut because I do not want companies making money off me. Keep in mind on desktop computers Safari also prevents trackers from profiling you. Again, for profit.

When clicking for more info this is what it looks like, I regularly clear out my browser cookies, when I dont in a short time is could be hundreds that Apple Safari prevented.
Apple also hides your IP address when visiting the sites of known trackers and some other stuff.
The other OS's out there do none of this.
WIth that said, like you, you know other entities are following you, creating a portfolio to sell, your internet IP, your cell phone company ect ect... but its better to me and you too that at least your trying to limit it. Can you imagine how fast things would change lets say if people stopped using google products, the company would change it a heartbeat what it collects ya da ya da...

Ok, off to the gym soon and oh yes, my gym, Orangetheory tracks my heart rate, distance and a whole slew of data on my performance on the tread mills and rowing machines... do they do anything with this info? I assume maybe... its all digitized and even emailed to me, each session
"shrugs shoulders"

 

[alarmguy]

This is just from a very short while since I cleared all my cookies, typically these numbers go into the hundreds.
This is NOT "last 30 days" its more like 30 minutes because I cleared my cookies and history last night.
From the "trackers" tab you see below when you click on it (you cant do that from the photo I posted) the list of trackers is PAGES and PAGES long and this is only from roughly 60 minutes on the computer since clearing it all out.

 

[Schandyman]

Scary stuff. Only way around this is have no tech in your life. Guess having no internet access in your home or mobile devices you alone can starve the tech giants.

 

[GemStater]

IOS has proven itself around the world, in repressive governments. Remember years back here in the USA when Apple refused the FBI demands that they come up with a formula to unlock a criminals phone in CA?

The 2015 San Bernardino Terrorist Attack is the one smoking gun, no pun intended, you Apple fans use as your singular data point. Your absolute proof that Apple hasn't and never will turn it's known surveillance capabilities on it's own consumer base. Have you ever considered that might be a ruse; an illusion?

Whatever is built can be broken. Let's not forget the Azimuth connection...

So one of the premiere intelligence agencies in the world showed a desire, 6-years ago to crack the code. And now you are perfectly confident they do not already have the keys to the back door regardless of if Apple gave it to them or not?

Remember that Snowden guy? He uses a smartphone and it's not iOS or Google based.

Hint: https://www.phonearena.com/news/what-does-cia-whistleblower-use-edward-snowden-graphene-os_id137050

You don't have to continue wasting your time harping on Goggle products. I avoid Google at every corner. Perhaps take some time and research the alternatives to iOS and Google. They're not the only games in town. A lot of people think they are but lots of folks are already enjoying smartphone functionality with zero iOS or Google influences. It's a really freeing thing. I recommend it.

With that said, you're still missing the point I've been trying to make. And that is, it's not what's has been done or is currently being done. It's what could be done in the future if/when these technologies fall into the wrong hands. And for that, there are no guarantees, none!

BTW, I'm not using GrapheneOS but rather one of the other many alternatives to it.

Good Day!

 

[Schandyman]

You gotta live life like it were the 60s. Just like in leave it to beaver. No cell phone, pc or credit cards.

 

[alarmguy]

Scary stuff. Only way around this is have no tech in your life. Guess having no internet access in your home or mobile devices you alone can starve the tech giants.

OR, as I do, selectively DENY companies. We (not you) humans tend to "shrug" our shoulders thinking nothing can be done because the overwhelming amount of data out there on you and your family. But you can deny selected companies that data if you choose too. You can deny them making money off your family data, sure some other company might pick up some slack but less of it. I mean, literally the people have the power to put any tech giants profits in the toilet which could force change all over the world (google/android)

People dont have to use google/chrome, people dont have to use google apps, people dont have to use android and experience no inconvenience.
Just the same as people could, lets say, watch news from Fox or Newsmax and deny CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ect ect.
We have choices here in the USA and EU if the people cared, they would choose companies that they feel right about. We hear the same old argument "you cant stop it" that is BS, you can limit it but most dont want to bother and that is ok too, we all have choices.
We dont even demand protections from our public servants, yet the E/U on its own is light years ahead of the USA in privacy laws.

You can roll over or people can fight. (just look at Ukraine, 3 days into an invasion we offered the President of Ukraine a free safe ride out of his country, he said no thank you to the USA, against all odds, he is still there AND literally sending a super power (Russia) back 50 years of progress in the world when no one thought they would last a week, so far back their economy is just as bad or worse then the Soviet Union Days and isolated from the world to 3rd world status and worse, no politics, just a statement)
Do you know what happens if people fight? Some companies come along figure a way to fight with you and make money at the same time. The most successful so far is Apple. But even Apple gives you choices, but you can work in the Apple system and limit things much more easy than the others.
(ok, time to finish the first of two morning cups of coffee *LOL*)

 

[Schandyman]

OR, as I do, selectively DENY companies. We (not you) humans tend to "shrug" our shoulders thinking nothing can be done because the overwhelming amount if data out there on you and your family. But you can deny selected companies that data if you choose too. You can deny them making money off your family data, sure some other company might pick up some slack but less of it. I mean, literally the people have the power to put any tech giants profits in the toilet which could force change all over the world (google)

People dont have to use google, people dont have to use google apps, people dont have to use android and experience no inconvenience.
Just the same as people could, lets say, watch news from Fox or Newsmax and deny CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ect ect.
We have choices here in the USA and EU if the people cared, they would choose companies that they feel right about. We hear the same old argument "you cant stop it" that is BS, you can limit it but most dont want to bother and that is ok too, we all have choices.
We dont even demand protections from our public servants, yet the E/U on its own is light years ahead of the USA in privacy laws.

You can roll over or people can fight. (just look at Ukraine, 3 days into an invasion we offered the President of Ukraine a free safe ride out of his country, he said no thank you to the USA, against all odds, he is still there AND literally sending a super power (Russia) back 50 years of progress in the world when no one thought they would last a week, so far back their economy is just as bad or worse then the Soviet Union Days and isolated from the world to 3rd world status and worse, no politics, just a statement)
Do you know what happens if people fight? Some companies come along figure a way to fight with you and make money at the same time. The most successful so far is Apple. But even Apple gives you choices, but you can work in the Apple system and limit things much more easy than the others.
(ok, time to finish the first of two morning cups of coffee *LOL*)

Do you use duck duck go?

 

[alarmguy]

The 2015 San Bernardino Terrorist Attack is the one smoking gun, no pun intended, you Apple fans use as your singular data point. Your absolute proof that Apple hasn't and never will turn it's known surveillance capabilities on it's own consumer base. Have you ever considered that might be a ruse; an illusion?

Whatever is built can be broken. Let's not forget the Azimuth connection...

So one of the premiere intelligence agencies in the world showed a desire, 6-years ago to crack the code. And now you are perfectly confident they do not already have the keys to the back door regardless of if Apple gave it to them or not?

Remember that Snowden guy? He uses a smartphone and it's not iOS or Google based.

Hint: https://www.phonearena.com/news/what-does-cia-whistleblower-use-edward-snowden-graphene-os_id137050

You don't have to continue wasting your time harping on Goggle products. I avoid Google at every corner. Perhaps take some time and research the alternatives to iOS and Google. They're not the only games in town. A lot of people think they are but lots of folks are already enjoying smartphone functionality with zero iOS or Google influences. It's a really freeing thing. I recommend it.

With that said, you're still missing the point I've been trying to make. And that is, it's not what's has been done or is currently being done. It's what could be done in the future if/when these technologies fall into the wrong hands. And for that, there are no guarantees, none!

BTW, I'm not using GrapheneOS but rather one of the other many alternatives to it.

Good Day!

No mention of any attack from me. Ok heck I dont even know what attack your talking about for that matter.
You just confirmed to me, you like I, avoid google like the plaque.

I think your missing my point as well. You cant get to the future if the world continues to support google, android ect.

Your knocking iOS but leaving out the FACT that they are light years ahead of google in protecting your private data and you keep flossing over that fact.
There is NO comparison between google/android.windows and iOS but you make it sound like there is and for some reason have a strong Bias against them when they are far better than the others. Thats my only point and I dont understand why, your response above signals that.

The public is NOT going to switch in one day but if they start learning and migrating towards data privacy and security, guess what?
Some smart dude and dudes out there are going to create a paradigm shift and learn how to make boatloads of money off of it while protecting privacy.
Apple is the one company that people can get into and send a message to the other super companies out there. If they did, guess what, other companies will finally be coming up with products to beat even iOS.
However the demand isnt there right now, it would be/will be if people start caring. But humans by nature are lazy, they follow leaders, so the only way things will change is government actions, which here in the USA we just dont care like they do in the EU. We are lazy and fat.

You may think I am disagreeing with you but Im actually happy to see your posts, you right years ahead of me and light years ahead of my knowledge as to what to even do next (or if I am too lazy too) but I CAN tell you one thing, I started a few short years ago and iOS was one way to start, I have google/android nothing now so I took the first step. But I know unless something bad happens society itself wont bother.

 

[alarmguy]

Do you use duck duck go?

Yes, always, on my Mac Desktop, MacBook Air, iPhone XR.
I dont use any google products that I am aware of. Using duckduckgo.com as I have for years now, almost exclusively can seem a bit funky at first, you will get some odd results in-between perfectly good ones but I have found that I like that! By odd I mean, like search a review on a product, you may find yourself seeing some reviews from the companies in the EU that do reviews. Sometimes shopping maybe the same but I kind of got used to it? Maybe like not feeling like a search engine is limiting me?
I could be wrong on this but I think duckduckgo results are provided through Bing. Only recently learned of this or at the least there is some type of agreement between them which is fine with me and haven't researched it yet.

For email I use = @iCloud.com and @protonmail.com but admittedly still use @outlook.com/@live.com too.

Ive been computing decades, at times as much as a dozen websites running (through hosting not my own servers) to create sales in my past industry and slowly limiting @outlook/@live.com but I do admit they are REALLY GOOD email services in the way you can delete emails ect.

More or less windows email has options that are great "keep only the latest email and delete all others, delete all emails after 10 days, send all emails direct to junk mail" it is convenient and most likely I will always keep one. I have well over half dozen email accounts that I am trying to get down to maybe 3 or 4 at the most, 2 or 3 would be better. Im overwhelmed right now and no longer need them.

 

[Schandyman]

I have a Hotmail email I probably should migrate all my emails well at least the important ones over to Hotmail. I can also use my iCloud address.

Do you have a preference or choice.. would you use the Hotmail or iCloud for say "estatements"?

 

[alarmguy]

I have a Hotmail email I probably should migrate all my emails well at least the important ones over to Hotmail. I can also use my iCloud address.

Do you have a preference or choice.. would you use the Hotmail or iCloud for say "estatements"?

Right now I use hotmail/ @Live.com for credit cards and shopping because its so easy to filter out and stop the garbage. MS has as far as I am concerned the best email when it comes to preventing junk mail, managing email from lets say news letters that you may want but tend to pile up, its so nice to be able to "save only the last and delete all others" or "delete all after 10 days" I love that feature.

But for other accounts such as bank/investment I use protonmail. One thing people need to be aware of is protonmail is encrypted, your password is the encryption key, if your one to forget passwords and you do forget you will LOSE ALL YOUR EMAILS. There is no way to retrieve them since you are the only one who had the key to decrypt. You will still have your proton mail account and you will still be able to reset your password but all emails under the old password are gone forever.

I only at this point use @iCloud for family and friend stuff, so easy using it to send links, photos and information since everything I do now is in the Apple world.
I have WAY to many email accounts and working to get them down. But I think safe to say I will have at least 1 of each from those three providers.

 

[GemStater]

No mention of any attack from me. Ok heck I dont even know what attack your talking about for that matter.

In an earlier post you replied:

Remember years back here in the USA when Apple refused the FBI demands that they come up with a formula to unlock a criminals phone in CA?

I assumed you meant 2015 San Bernardino California in which Syed Rizwan Farook shot 14-people. The FBI wanted to unlock his iPhone. They asked Apple to unlock it. Apple wouldn't do it. The FBI then turns to a third party source, Azimuth, which found a way to hack the iPhone and thus gaining access to it. That's not what you were referring to?

Your knocking iOS but leaving out the FACT that they are light years ahead of google in protecting your private data and you keep flossing over that fact.

You seem to think that Android and Google are inseparable. Not true. Android is Open Source. Developers create custom operating systems with what's called the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). These custom operating systems can run independently of Google applications.

My phone uses a custom operating system via AOSP. As such I don't log into a Google account. I don't have any Google apps running on my phone. My phone is not on cloud back-up. It does not communicate with any cloud. My phone isn't tracking and listening to me. There are pros and cons to this, but once one gets used to it, it's the only way to go.

Apple on the other hand has created the illusion they are the most secure, the most private. It's simply not true.

 

[Schandyman]

I want one of those phones.. how and where do I go about buying one?

 

[alarmguy]

In an earlier post you replied:



I assumed you meant 2015 San Bernardino California in which Syed Rizwan Farook shot 14-people. The FBI wanted to unlock his iPhone. They asked Apple to unlock it. Apple wouldn't do it. The FBI then turns to a third party source, Azimuth, which found a way to hack the iPhone and thus gaining access to it. That's not what you were referring to?



You seem to think that Android and Google are inseparable. Not true. Android is Open Source. Developers create custom operating systems with what's called the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). These custom operating systems can run independently of Google applications.

My phone uses a custom operating system via AOSP. As such I don't log into a Google account. I don't have any Google apps running on my phone. My phone is not on cloud back-up. It does not communicate with any cloud. My phone isn't tracking and listening to me. There are pros and cons to this, but once one gets used to it, it's the only way to go.

Apple on the other hand has created the illusion they are the most secure, the most private. It's simply not true.

First before I say anymore, let me say great post! I enjoy conversation and debate, Im not a confrontational guy in anyway. But some think so

1. I referred to the FBI trying to break into a phone because a crime was committed. Apple flat out refused, yes now that you mention it is was the 2015 case. It wasnt an important fact, I could not remember. I believe it went on for a couple weeks before they found a 3rd party to finally break into the phone. The point was the FBI could not break into the phone.

2. I do not think Android and Google are inseparable and actually learned in this forum some time ago that Android in open source.
HOWEVER lets be realistic

A. 99% or more of the apps come from the Google Play Store 2.56 million apps. The Android phone is useless to almost all Americans without Google Apps and removes any purpose of the phone. I wonder if you run any apps on your phone?

Facebook by itself as I posted is going to have TEN BILLION dollars less in revenue this year because of Apple iOS requirements and Apple App requirements. That is just Facebook, now multiply that by the other 1.85 million Apple apps that can use your information for profit but no longer. Notice I say can not all did but now they can not. This is NOT an illusion.

B. The Google Play Store does not require the same privacy standards as the Apple Store. Not even close, its why as I posted what I did above. Android does not protect the user from cross tracking and tracking you when you are not using the apps. Its just fact. Google Play store doesn't require this privacy and the Android system does not prevent it.

C. Your mention of Android being open source and Not Part of Google is technically correct but it doesnt matter to the public, every Android phone handed to the public comes imbedded with google company apps and then the other 2.56 million apps in the Google Play Store are also (compared to Apple) like the Wild West, almost anything goes, cross app tracking, tracking when apps are closed, Im sure the list is endless and is not at all my expertise but there is a reason Facebook is going to lose TEN Billion dollars because of what Apple did and Facebook will not lose a penny because of their app on Android. This goes for all apps not just Facebook.

3. Can you strip google out of an Android phone? To your credit (and I mean that) Im sure you did and can, you and what? Maybe 3% of the population? I doubt even that many. Even so, the resulting "clean" Android system I would assume does not protect you from any of the 2.58 million apps in the Google Play store from privacy invasions. (that would be your expertise to answer)

Last but not least, so how can you make the statement that Apple is creating an illusion of security?
A phone is only as secure as the user but I was/am talking about privacy.
Apple privacy controls and requirements for apps in the Apple App store (play store) is unmatched by the google app store. Its not an illusion it is fact. Right out of the box any user using an Apple device has privacy and knows what is being used.
Android is the Wild West and so is the google play store. (google play )

I mean, its not even debatable. Apple is the privacy leader. As people learn this it is putting pressure on google, but google still is nowhere near the privacy of an Apple device and never will be. After all Android and Google are two separate entities.

 

[alarmguy]

oops

 

[GemStater]

alarmguy, I'm not going to get too deep in the weeds on this but I believe you and many others are putting a lot of trust into companies ran by human beings. These companies are demonstrating ever increasing advanced surveillance capabilities. You trust their word they haven't and won't use it to spy on you. I don't trust them. It's that simple.

Fact of the matter is an ever increasing number of people don't trust big tech and are looking for privacy alternatives. I don't have the numbers, but I do know De-Googled cell phones are increasing in popularity with decent solutions for the average end user.

A De-Google phone is a Android phone that came from the manufacturer running Google Applications but has now been reprogrammed and thus stripped of Google Applications. This can't be done on iOS because iOS is closed source.

As far as apps go. Through a signature spoofing app, one can download many popular apps available on the Google Play Store via Play Store alternatives. There are a few apps that won't work on the De-Googled phone because they require Google Services. That's a key indicator you don't want them on your phone anyway.

For that, I am not beholden to Apple. I am not beholden to Google. I am not beholden to Facebook or Meta. I choose to not participate in big tech. For now, carrying a De-Googled phone is the best solution I can find. Is it perfect? No! But nothing is.

You like Apple and that works for you, great. Having personal choice is a good thing. I used to be on iOS. Now I choose not to be.

Good day!