Big brother knows you, and his name is Google!

[tallboy]

I have played around with my new smartphone - my first one - and I have not activated many apps and functions, only those I need for talking, text messages an the camera. The phone is a Huawei Mate 20 Pro, the phone's OS is Android EMUI9.1. Increased personal security is a new setup for this Andriod version from Huawei.
So, I decided to test webmail, and I started to tap the letters webm, and up came webmail as a suggestion, which I accepted.
I entered @, and to my surprise the phone then suggested as the next word, my ISP (Internet Service Provider) as first choice, and my old University of Oslo provider as second choice. I stopped in my tracks, how the he.. do they know? And what more; how do they dare?
My Puppys are set up to block all Google links, there are more than 22.000 blocked sites in my /etc/hosts. I delete everything in /root/.cache/ when opening a new browser window, no passwords have ever been stored.
I have not used the phone for other purposes than talk and sms, so Google must have used my phone number to assosiate me with their stored pesonal info on me. I may add that I have never had a Google account, or registered with them in any way.

Well, big brother, F.U!

[rufwoof]

And Google is just one feed into the NSA (who also have access to your call records, facial recognition, street camera location, financial activities etc.).

1GB of space for every person in the world requires storage capacity of 7 exabytes. Current NSA zettabyte systems (1000 exabytes = 1 zettabyte) are likely being upgraded to yottabytes, or even brontobytes, with mid/longer term views aiming for geopbytes (1TB of storage capacity for every person in the world).

Seemingly nothing much you can do about it 6345323482 ... I mean tallboy. Big Brother uses Big Data.

[tallboy]

I don't care about NSA, they have no say on this side of the Pond. Besides they are so undermanned that thay have no real possibility to follow up on the info they store. Just wait, some day soon, some official will tell the american public that the recent mass-shooters have been on the attention list of FBI, NSA, DEA and godknows who else, for a long time.

Whitout the manpower to follow it up.

What I oppose to, is that Google, through Android, almost demonstrate to me that I am present in their file system. And no, I have not activated wifi, or GPS positioning.

Maybe we should start marking all emails and sms's and mms's with 'forbidden' words and sentences that raise the alarm, as in the 'old times'. People did that, to have some agent physically investigate all such messages, and they were just as short of manpower then. Which meant that a lot of people did a lot of no good.
The problem today, is that the vocabulary of a rapper, or in a movie or in a game, contain all those 'bad' words, so we would have to invent a way to circumvent the analyzing software that eliminate the 'not so bad' words from those.

This really annoys me!

[Mike Walsh]

@ tallboy:-

I don't care about NSA, they have no say on this side of the Pond.

Umm.....I wouldn't be so sure about that one, Olaf. The NSA apparently have, or are trying to establish, long-term ties/reciprocal arrangements with most Western governments.....wherever possible. Personally, I wouldn't put anything past them.....but then, as a long-term Google a/c holder, they've doubtless had their pound of flesh out of me for years, and no doubt have gigs of data on me, too.

Couldn't care less, really, since their eco-sphere works very well for me, and always has done. Say what you like, but everything in their 'system' is designed to integrate & work beautifully with every other part.

And that's exactly what it does. It does exactly what it "says on the tin". It's definitely made my life easier for a long time; after all, there's no such thing as a 'free lunch', y'know?

(You also need to be aware that modern smartphones automatically activate multiple tracking devices, the first time you power them on. And no; you're not even aware of them, let alone have the ability to affect their operation, 'cos they're not even linked into the OS itself.....)

Much more 'Big Brother' than you realised, I suspect. Just one reason why you'll never catch me using one....


Mike.

[rufwoof]

....but then, as a long-term Google a/c holder, they've doubtless had their pound of flesh out of me for years, and no doubt have gigs of data on me, too.

Couldn't care less, really ...

Freedom for some to monitor your every move/action is paramount to the creation of a open prison. Where the unaccountable few in control can at will impose penalty on any of the many.

Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say. -- Edward Snowden

[greengeek]

I suspect that the modern trend towards loss of individual freedoms is inevitable. Russia has done it for decades, China does it increasingly (google "china social credit" to understand what Android makes possible) These days smartphones and google allow Western governments to "profile" each of us thoroughly. It may not affect us day-to-day yet but i think it will in the not too distant future.

There is increasingly less tolerance for individuals who do not represent majority views. We are seen as weirdos who won't fit in.

I'd say we are roughly 5 years away from western citizens being indirectly forced to use either Windows, Android or Apple products only to access government websites and public services.

We shall see.

[rufwoof]

The UK treasury/state is striving to move towards it just sending you your yearly tax return for certification (signature) that the content is accurate, rather than you having to declare your earnings/expenses ...etc. Such is the intent for monitoring. Fine whilst a moderate government is in power, but historically there have been extremes, such as Labour in 1968 retrospectively raising tax to 130%. Yes a very dumb move that saw massive flight of money, but indicative of what HAS happened rather than what COULD happen. If the state knows everything about you including where your wealth/money is, then its no longer YOUR money, its just a loan, callable at any time. Monitoring to such extremes is a communistic principle and one that those that appreciate/prefer personal freedoms should oppose. But it is creeping in, in a manner where one day we'll just wake up and wonder how we got to where we are.

[Jake]

GOOG telegraphed they were up to evil when they made 'Don't be evil' its motto; I mean, please, who couldn't figure that out? As I wrote it seems long ago, GOOG from it's beginning was ANTI-American, 1st&2nd amend, Christian, human, & privacy. Here's something most people don't know: GOOG's been writing encryption code for the Linux kernel since ver 2. Here's a site that answers questions about a wide range of spy activities since 1998 and lates updat 2003 --`Trusted Computing' Frequently Asked Questions
- TC / TCG / LaGrande / NGSCB / Longhorn / Palladium / TCPA
[url]https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html[/url]

It's true though, if you want privacy don't use the www.

[greengeek]

Here's a site that answers questions about a wide range of spy activities since 1998 and lates updat 2003 --`Trusted Computing'
https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html
It's true though, if you want privacy don't use the www.

Thanks for the link. Very interesting read. I have had a gut feeling for a long time that the major benefit of 64bit code is that it makes it easier to do non-essential activities such as monitoring authentication, DRM and remote control - the article you linked firms up my feelings.

Modern developments in hardware and software seem to benefit corporations and governments more than individual users.

EDIT : this comment drew my attention too:

...When I asked him whether this meant getting rid of linux he replied that linux users would have to be made to use content screening.

[Burn_IT]

he UK treasury/state is striving to move towards it just sending you your yearly tax return for certification (signature) that the content is accurate, rather than you having to declare your earnings/expenses ...etc.

That has been the case for decades. It has always been pretty rare for people to have to fill in the full forms.

[s243a]

Here's a site that answers questions about a wide range of spy activities since 1998 and lates updat 2003 --`Trusted Computing'
https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html
It's true though, if you want privacy don't use the www.

Thanks for the link. Very interesting read. I have had a gut feeling for a long time that the major benefit of 64bit code is that it makes it easier to do non-essential activities such as monitoring authentication, DRM and remote control - the article you linked firms up my feelings.

Modern developments in hardware and software seem to benefit corporations and governments more than individual users.

EDIT : this comment drew my attention too:

...When I asked him whether this meant getting rid of linux he replied that linux users would have to be made to use content screening.

I'm reading the faq now. This is scary stuff!!!

[Jake]

Because the moderators were kind enough to allow the post about Trusted Computing -- which the authors of that site make clear it is about the big techies saying, 'Trust Us,' which has rolled over to the social networks FB, Twit, et al, more than it ever was making computing however secure, find some sites about actually making your computers and surfing secure posted below. I should like to point out that there have always been people who have made great effort to do just that, Barry & mods included; hey, Pups deliver three levels of encryption to secure your OS files. Often, which can make one suspicious, these people end up jailed or dead, and most can think of a couple right now. Scott R. Lemmon wrote a web filter so good that it took a long time to set up. The problem today is if you use a really good filter most sites just won't work; c'est la vie. Have not checked all following sites lately.

https://www.adaware.com/
http://www.antionline.com/
https://www.sei.cmu.edu/about/divisions/cert/index.cfm
http://homes.cerias.purdue.edu/~spaf/
http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/secur ... crypt.html
http://www.safer-networking.org/
http://www.zensur.freerk.com/
http://personalinfomediary.com/Privacy_resources.htm
http://www.scanwith.com/
http://www.securityfocus.com/
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm
http://www.proxomitron.info/
http://thefreesite.com/Anonymous_Freebies/
http://tor.eff.org/
http://www.webroot.com/

[s243a]

Because the moderators were kind enough to allow the post about Trusted Computing -- which the authors of that site make clear it is about the big techies saying, 'Trust Us,' which has rolled over to the social networks FB, Twit, et al, more than it ever was making computing however secure, find some sites about actually making your computers and surfing secure posted below. I should like to point out that there have always been people who have made great effort to do just that, Barry & mods included; hey, Pups deliver three levels of encryption to secure your OS files. Often, which can make one suspicious, these people end up jailed or dead, and most can think of a couple right now. Scott R. Lemmon wrote a web filter so good that it took a long time to set up. The problem today is if you use a really good filter most sites just won't work; c'est la vie. Have not checked all following sites lately.

https://www.adaware.com/
http://www.antionline.com/
https://www.sei.cmu.edu/about/divisions/cert/index.cfm
http://homes.cerias.purdue.edu/~spaf/
http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/secur ... crypt.html
http://www.safer-networking.org/
http://www.zensur.freerk.com/
http://personalinfomediary.com/Privacy_resources.htm
http://www.scanwith.com/
http://www.securityfocus.com/
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm
http://www.proxomitron.info/
http://thefreesite.com/Anonymous_Freebies/
http://tor.eff.org/
http://www.webroot.com/

This post looks like it was written by AI. For instance consider the vaugness of the statment, "people who have made great effort to do just that, Barry & mods included", but what does it have to do with "Trusted Computing" and why are we bringing up "Barry & Mods"?

[tallboy]

You also need to be aware that modern smartphones automatically activate multiple tracking devices, the first time you power them on. And no; you're not even aware of them, let alone have the ability to affect their operation, 'cos they're not even linked into the OS itself.....

I read up on the phone tech, Android, and the latest from Huawei, before I activated the phone. Huawei actually improved on the privacy settings in their latest EMUI9.1 version of Android, which I downloaded through the phone, not through wifi - which is turned off. (after all, I have 50 gig free/month for the next two months!) GPS has not been activated, all system settings and apps using GPS were turned off during activation.

[greengeek]

I read up on the phone tech, Android, and the latest from Huawei, before I activated the phone. Huawei actually improved on the privacy settings in their latest EMUI9.1 version of Android

Is Huawei capable of creating an operating system that gives you the sort of privacy you want? Is a Huawei phone even "off" when you turn it off??

China is developing a surveillance and rating system called "social credit" and this involves rating you based on your online interactions with other people.

Of course this relies on tech and how you use it.

Now that you have bought a Huawei phone you might want to Google "China Social Credit" to see what their government is focusing on. No doubt their "secure" version of Android has a part to play.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech ... it-system/

https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2018/03/chin ... nd-trains/

How do they know where you are if you have GPS turned off? Hmmm...
https://bgr.com/2019/01/22/china-social ... btors-app/

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/artic ... ly-popular

Who says government can’t innovate? In one Chinese city, the local court system recently launched a smartphone-based map that displays the location and identity of anyone within 500 meters who’s landed on a government creditworthiness blacklist. Worried the person seated next to you at Starbucks might not have paid a court-approved fine? The Deadbeat Map, as it’s known, provides pinpoint confirmation, the ability to share that information via social media and — if so inclined — a reporting function to notify the authorities.

https://nypost.com/2019/05/18/chinas-ne ... o-reality/

And according to this website: https://medium.com/@a.hanff/chinas-surv ... 2b3b10b197 even cycle users in Europe are monitored by the Chinese government via non-consented Android apps.

But maybe it is better to be an Android user rather than a "weirdo" non-Android user. Living within the herd is becoming safer and more socially acceptable than living a free and independent life.

[s243a]

I read up on the phone tech, Android, and the latest from Huawei, before I activated the phone. Huawei actually improved on the privacy settings in their latest EMUI9.1 version of Android

Is Huawei capable of creating an operating system that gives you the sort of privacy you want? Is a Huawei phone even "off" when you turn it off??

China is developing a surveillance and rating system called "social credit" and this involves rating you based on your online interactions with other people.

Of course this relies on tech and how you use it.

Now that you have bought a Huawei phone you might want to Google "China Social Credit" to see what their government is focusing on. No doubt their "secure" version of Android has a part to play.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech ... it-system/

https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2018/03/chin ... nd-trains/

How do they know where you are if you have GPS turned off? Hmmm...
https://bgr.com/2019/01/22/china-social ... btors-app/

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/artic ... ly-popular

Who says government can’t innovate? In one Chinese city, the local court system recently launched a smartphone-based map that displays the location and identity of anyone within 500 meters who’s landed on a government creditworthiness blacklist. Worried the person seated next to you at Starbucks might not have paid a court-approved fine? The Deadbeat Map, as it’s known, provides pinpoint confirmation, the ability to share that information via social media and — if so inclined — a reporting function to notify the authorities.

https://nypost.com/2019/05/18/chinas-ne ... o-reality/

And according to this website: https://medium.com/@a.hanff/chinas-surv ... 2b3b10b197 even cycle users in Europe are monitored by the Chinese government via non-consented Android apps.

But maybe it is better to be an Android user rather than a "weirdo" non-Android user. Living within the herd is becoming safer and more socially acceptable than living a free and independent life.

I'm in no way defending China here but I would like to point out that social media companies also assign a type of social credit score to users which could be used by payment processors, lenders and intelligence agencies. I'll need to do more research to say it what way's it's similar and what ways it's different.

[tallboy]

Is Huawei capable of creating an operating system that gives you the sort of privacy you want? Is a Huawei phone even "off" when you turn it off?

Yes. The basic Android setup from Google (who are they feeding with info??) actually prevent some further development when it comes to privacy.

It is a response to critics claiming that Huawei give the chinese government access to their customer's phones. Such undocumented claims are very easy to spread, because you cannot defend yourself against them. You cannot document that you are not being used! When it is spread by people in a government, who use it in a political campaign, and even clearly supported by Huawei's competitors, I regard it as unfair. Keep religion, business and politics within their separate framework. Huawei want to show the world that they don't let the government use them as a spy tool, and they take their customer's security seriously. After all, Huawei has already engineered and built a large part of the 4G mobile network hardware in the world, and nobody have complained about that. The fact that they are very good products, is one reason for scaring potential customer from letting Huawei build the new 5G networks.
My new Huawei Mate 20 Pro phone is awsome, and I totally recommend it.
My Huawei wifi 4G broadband modem/router is equally awsome, recommended!
BTW, I'm not chinese, or paid by them. I am more concerned about being placed on an opposing nation's blacklist, for writing these words that some AI text analyzing program pick up.

A small edit: All the info that the chinese are supposed to map, is in large parts already commercially available from companies, like Google and Facebook, who make their living from dealing in such info. Any nation can set up their own National Spy Center, by establishing a business who simply links all the comercially available info against their own people's identities. It may be illegal, but only just...

[hatemonday]

sometimes Google may be evil, but it keeps ethical bottom line.

Those who dislike Google can opt for Baidu



[/img]

[prehistoric]

Almost anyone running powerful services on the Internet can figure out if you are a unique individual unless you take exceptional steps to avoid detection. If you do, you need to disguise them from various web sites you use, or the simple fact of taking special care will put you on a special list.

Here's a general reference on browser fingerprinting. You can also check on just how much information web sites can glean from your browser at am-I-unique.

This is only one approach to identifying you in ways that allow profitable data mining across a wide range of Internet services.

People using Yandex or Baidu should be careful to avoid doing anything that attracts attention from "the organs of state security" in countries where such organizations have the manpower to do something about opinions they don't like.

Then again, there are some advocating tighter control and stronger penalties. Here's a topical example.

[8Geee]

prehistoric:

Interesting test at panopticlick.... I got the 3 green check-boxes, and the NO on the 3rd-party promise not to track (excellent) on both Firefox 27 & 66. But here's the rub...

Firefox 66 uses webm and Firefox 27 does not. I have come to the conclusion that webm coupled with HTML5/Canvas is the perpetrator of fingerprinting.

Because, IMHO, Firefox27 has webm disabled (and still surfs just fine) with HTML5... but the "backend" is cairo, not canvas.

As a result... FF66 shows lots of data tapped by fingerprinting, and FF27 cannot even run the test (BLOCKED!).

An interesting test
8Geee