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Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app

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On Sun, 16 Mar 2025 19:06:46 +0000, Jeff Layman wrote :


>> If that app doesn't have over 10 times the functionality of the Google Play
>> Store search engine, I'll never again post to Usenet. It's that good.
> 
> You can have a /greater/ degree of privacy by following your 
> instructions noted in the previous thread in relation to a Google 
> account and the DSID cookie. 

Hi Jeff,
We've worked together in the past, where privacy, like cleanliness, is
something that is never fully achieved but which should be strived for.

> But "privacy" isn't a term to be assumed where Android is concerned. 

If, by saying that, you're comparing to iOS, then that bothers me, as there
are many ways to achieve privacy on Android which are impossible on iOS.

But if you mean that privacy isn't a term to be assumed when using any
computer, or worse, any phone... then I can't disagree with that statement.

Privacy is like cleanliness.
There are degrees of privacy. 

But giving up isn't the correct option.

> There's an interesting article at 
> <https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2025/03/13/googles-android-decision-bad-news-for-all-samsung-pixel-users/>
> "Google has an awkward Android problem that a recent report highlighted. 
> The AI space race between Google and Samsung and between Android and 
> iPhone has exposed long-standing issues that the companies need to 
> address, issues buried within Android's core."
> 
> Note in particular "...issues buried within Android's core".

Well, the DSID cookie is definitely buried within Android's core.
But it's disabled simply by hitting that "skip" button. 

So being "deeply buried" does not mean it's difficult to neuter.

> "None of this changes the nature of the bad news for Google or Samsung 
> users given Android's tracking, or the need for transparency and clarity 
> as to what is being done on-device, how and by whom. It would be good to 
> see a thorough review of the hidden tracking taking place without 
> consent or opt out �X that means silent Android tracking and digital 
> fingerprinting. It would be good to see default opt outs introduced 
> across the board."

While Apple's on-device SSID tracking is actually far worse than Google's
off-device SSID tracking, I can't disagree that "hidden tracking" is evil.

> Hmm."...hidden tracking taking place without consent or opt out �X that 
> means silent Android tracking and digital fingerprinting". And I 
> wonder how deep down those default op outs will be hidden if they are 
> forced to introduce them. :-(

While we'll never know what we can't know, much of that silent tracking is
self inflicted. If someone is dumb enough not to hit the "skip" button, for
example, then I can rightly claim that they deserve no privacy if they
won't even lift a finger (almost literally, although to hit the button you
have to lift and then drop the finger) to opt out of Google's silent
tracking.

It's not too strong of a statement for me to say nobody has the right to
claim they can't have privacy if they don't hit that skip button.

They're just whining.  Which isn't helpful. Because they're dead wrong.

> (*** NB - scrolling down the article webpage results in a message: 
> "Application error: a client-side exception has occurred (see the 
> browser console for more information)". The browser page is then lost. I 
> got round this by turning off my Wi-Fi immediately the page had loaded. 
> The whole page could then be read by scrolling down)

Let me look at that Forbes article... using the Epic Privacy Browser... 
Works for me. 

My problem with the media is that they don't know how iOS & Android work.
They only know the propaganda spewed by Google & Apple (and others).

Rarely does the media talk about a device, for example, which doesn't have
the Apple or Google mothership account set up on it - which my devices are.

It makes sense that they talk about devices where people do EXACTLY what
the Apple/Google marketing teams tell them to do - as most people do that.

But having NOT hit the "skip" button, they have no right to claim that
privacy is not possible - since they've never really thought about it.

For example, the Forbes article says (verbatim) this, which is wrong.
  "a study published by Trinity College, Dublin has exposed 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."

Given that's dead wrong, how can you believe anything in that article?

Having hit that "skip" button for, oh, I don't know, at least five or six
years running, my firm opinion is that anyone who complains that they can't
have privacy is no different than a slave complaining they can't have
freedom.

The first step in breaking free, is to hit that "skip" button.
That alone, gives you more privacy than you could possibly imagine.

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Thread

How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app anon <anon@invalid.info> - 2025-03-16 14:22 +0100
  Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Retro Guy <retroguy@novabbs.org> - 2025-03-16 13:47 +0000
    Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app CrudeSausage <crude@sausa.ge> - 2025-03-16 10:20 -0400
      Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-03-16 18:00 +0000
        Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-03-16 18:16 +0000
          Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2025-03-16 19:06 +0000
            Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-03-16 20:51 +0000
              Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2025-03-17 14:04 +0000
                Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-03-17 20:55 +0000
                Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app black hats <tipped@partners.invalid> - 2025-03-18 09:52 +0100
            Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-03-17 12:56 +0100
              Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2025-03-17 13:27 +0000
                Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-03-17 14:55 +0100
                Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2025-03-17 14:13 +0000
                Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-03-17 19:30 +0100
              Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2025-03-17 15:59 +0000
                Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2025-03-17 18:33 +0000
        Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-03-17 12:59 +0100
          Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-03-17 21:07 +0000
            Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-03-18 20:25 +0100
              Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-03-19 01:44 +0000
            Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Nomen Nescio <nobody@dizum.com> - 2025-03-20 17:33 +0100
    Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> - 2025-03-16 11:10 -0400
      Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-03-17 13:01 +0100
        Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> - 2025-03-17 12:05 -0400
          Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-03-17 19:33 +0100
            Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-03-17 21:16 +0000
            Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> - 2025-03-18 16:38 -0400
              Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-03-19 03:13 +0000
      Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app "R.Wieser" <address@is.invalid> - 2025-03-17 14:43 +0100
  Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app bad sector <forgetski@_INVALID.net> - 2025-03-16 17:28 -0400
  Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Arno Welzel <usenet@arnowelzel.de> - 2025-03-18 12:09 +0100
    Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-03-18 14:37 +0000
  Re: How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app CrudeSausage <crude@sausa.ge> - 2025-03-18 10:56 -0400

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