Privacy Discussion Thread

[Tealk]

Ah, okay. So let's say if I have a Mastodon account, all of my data on the instance that I'm a part of, stays on that instance, correct?

yes and no, so your posts you write are also displayed on other instances, otherwise it wouldn't be decentralized anymore, but your account and the associated data are only on the instance.
I run an instance myself, it is very interesting.

Sorry, don't take any offense to this. I just find that very hard to believe.

It was about the sieve filter and the rejection of mails from gmail, because I have a catche all mail has made the problem with the filter, he helped me and explained me why this is currently not possible and that it is on the todo.
He is also active in the forum of Kuketz answering questions.

 

[Mathematical]

yes and no, so your posts you write are also displayed on other instances, otherwise it wouldn't be decentralized anymore, but your account and the associated data are only on the instance.
I run an instance myself, it is very interesting.

Ah, I get it much better now. So, if posts were to be restricted to one instance, then that kills the purpose of decentralization, correct?

It was about the sieve filter and the rejection of mails from gmail, because I have a catche all mail has made the problem with the filter, he helped me and explained me why this is currently not possible and that it is on the todo.
He is also active in the forum of Kuketz answering questions.

Hm. Okay then.

Again, I don't really believe it, but I'll take your word for it anyway.

In regards to the email service, I think I'll give Disroot a shot. See what it's like, what it has to offer, and when I do sign-up, wait for my account to be approved(I'm pretty sure the account needs to be approved anyway, from what I've gathered so far from their FAQ).

 

[Mathematical]

In regards to the email service, I think I'll give Disroot a shot. See what it's like, what it has to offer, and when I do sign-up, wait for my account to be approved(I'm pretty sure the account needs to be approved anyway, from what I've gathered so far from their FAQ).

Nope. Screw that idea.

When I tried to sign-up, I was then told to insert a security-code that would be sent to an existing email of mine. I waited for about 15 minutes and there was no email. Waited a few more, still nothing. I just gave-up.

I might actually consider giving Mailbox a shot. Plus, as you said, it isn't really expensive. It's actually quite cheap. And if many people on Reddit, the Internet, and yourself recommend it, why not give it a shot?

It does support Thunderbird, doesn't it? Just want to make sure, as I want to be able to utilize Thunderbird, and have an interface that I can encrypt my emails through(Enigmail in this case).

 

[Tealk]

I waited for about 15 minutes and there was no email.

If I see the anti bot question correctly, the account is checked by hand

Plus, as you said, it isn't really expensive.

You can watch it for free for 7 days.

It does support Thunderbird, doesn't it?

Yes it supports imap and pop3, so you can use any mail client you want.
For iOS there is even a profile that you can set up.

Whereby I find Evolution to be the better mail client.

interface that I can encrypt my emails through

as already mentioned, this is even possible via the web interface of mailbox.org

 

[Mathematical]

If I see the anti bot question correctly, the account is checked by hand

Yes, the accounts are checked by hand, but it may take as long as up to 48-hours. But instead of being given a message like: "Please wait for your account to be approved", I was asked to insert a security-code that I never received. Unless an administrator sends me the code, I dunno. But at the end of the day, I never got a code, even when I was told that I was getting one.

You can watch it for free for 7 days.

7 days? Doesn't it state on their website that you can get a trial for 30 days?

Yes it supports imap and pop3, so you can use any mail client you want.

Awesome. Thanks for double-checking for me on that one.

as already mentioned, this is even possible via the web interface of mailbox.org

Yeah, I was reading a review for it a few minutes ago, and the review did state that it was possible to encrypt emails via the web interface.

Overall, the service does seem quite trustworthy and transparent about what it does. I will of course, take everything that they say with a pinch of salt, and will be keeping an eye for any reports or discussions that pop-up regarding them.

 

[Tealk]

7 days? Doesn't it state on their website that you can get a trial for 30 days?

If I am not mistaken you can use it 7 days for free then you have to pay, but you will get your money back within the 30 days

 

[Mathematical]

If I am not mistaken you can use it 7 days for free then you have to pay, but you will get your money back within the 30 days

Nope. I've just checked and it is 30 days. But hey, that doesn't matter, a trial is a trial.

I intend on trying it out later.

 

[Tealk]

ok maybe it's been changed, I've been around a while.

 

[Tealk]

I think this is also a very nice topic.

Complaint filed against Google Tracking ID

Today noyb.eu filed a formal GDPR complaint against Google for tracking users through an “Android Advertising ID” without a valid legal basis.

noyb.eu

At the moment I'm a bit busy with googlefree mobile phones.
LineageOS and e.foundation are known to me for that. I am currently looking for a cheap mobile phone that is supported and also meets my requirements to test it

 

[Mathematical]

I think this is also a very nice topic.

At the moment I'm a bit busy with googlefree mobile phones.
LineageOS and e.foundation are known to me for that. I am currently looking for a cheap mobile phone that is supported and also meets my requirements to test it.

Nice to hear Google about to get itself into a pickle again. Of course, if they succeed, the fines will be measly. Although with the Covid-19 pandemic going on, their advertising revenue has been severely damaged, so if the fines are bigger, the more damage that can be done.

Regarding that article, I did my best to disable or block all tracking on my Android phone and every so often, I reset the advertising ID associated with my phone. There's probably some other measures that I haven't taken yet, but I'll be sure to look into what else needs to be done to minimize the tracking.

The only time that I'll ever try to install something such as LineageOS on my phone, is when it stops receiving software-updates. At that point, I will replace the phone, but I may consider keeping it, so I can install a Non-Google OS on it. I was considering getting an iPhone, but I think I'd rather stay in an open ecosystem rather than a walled one, where I'll know less about what's going on behind the scenes, and I also won't be able to modify my phone.

 

[Tealk]

Although with the Covid-19 pandemic going on, their advertising revenue has been severely damaged

What makes you think that? You take the chance to track more!

Regarding that article, I did my best to disable or block all tracking on my Android phone and every so often, I reset the advertising ID associated with my phone. There's probably some other measures that I haven't taken yet, but I'll be sure to look into what else needs to be done to minimize the tracking.

Unfortunately I only have a German manual for this

I was considering getting an iPhone, but I think I'd rather stay in an open ecosystem rather than a walled one, where I'll know less about what's going on behind the scenes, and I also won't be able to modify my phone.

So iOS and Andorid don't take much, everyone collects data. with iOS you at least manage to escape google, which I personally think is more dangerous.

 

[Mathematical]

What makes you think that? You take the chance to track more!

I recall reading an article from a tech-news site(I believe it was The Verge), that was detailing Google's fall in profits during the past quarter. My memory of it is vague though, as it's such a tiny thing that it doesn't deserve to be stored in my mind permanently for some reason.

Although, when you do think about it, while there are stills ads running, and companies and governments are still paying for ads, there will be fewer incentive to do so as businesses looking to go big will be crippled financially. Due to becoming crippled, they will have fewer cash on hand to spend on advertising, thus' this starts to damage Google's advertising revenue. But we do of course need to remember about Google's other sources of revenue, such as the Play Store, hardware sales, and all of those promotions they put in your GMail inbox(That is, if you even use GMail).

So iOS and Andorid don't take much, everyone collects data. with iOS you at least manage to escape google, which I personally think is more dangerous.

These couple of sentences have got a sense of ambiguity to them and thus' it confuses me.

You say that Android and iOS "don't take much", yet they do. Unless you're referring to what I said at the end in my previous reply.

And you are right in that using iOS does let you get away from Google, but at the end of the day, you still can't trust Apple either. They enable advertising-IDs and Siri by default, have you create an Apple ID upon getting a new device(If you don't already have an ID), and have iCloud back-up enabled by default too. Plus, Apple was revealed to be in the PRISM program back when Snowden leaked the documents and presentations back in 2013. But of course, like every other company, they've denied involvement in it.

 

[Tealk]

You say that Android and iOS "don't take much", yet they do. Unless you're referring to what I said at the end in my previous reply.

Sorry, I misunderstood, I meant that they are comparable. Andorid is described as open, but it also has a lot of apps and integrations that you can't delete.
iOS is a self-contained system, which I think is very good, because it runs better than Android(my personal experience)

They enable advertising-IDs and Siri by default, have you create an Apple ID upon getting a new device

Well, you also need a Google account to load apps, I don't think that an iCloud account is a decisive argument.
And you will be asked during the initial setup if you want to use cloud backup, as well as siri and tracking services.

 

[Mathematical]

Sorry, I misunderstood, I meant that they are comparable. Andorid is described as open, but it also has a lot of apps and integrations that you can't delete.
iOS is a self-contained system, which I think is very good, because it runs better than Android(my personal experience)

Ah, thanks for clearing that up.

Although, you are right in saying that Android is also tightly integrated with other services, that as you said, that you can't delete unless you download and take advantage of the ADB(Android-Debug-Bridge). But at the end of the day, who has the knowledge to figure out how to use that? Very few.

Regarding performance, I owned an iPhone 6 for a few years. Now mind you, it was a second-hand one. But either way, the battery was crap on it, that I ended up having low-battery mode enabled 24/7. My Pixel 3a on the other hand, seems to last an entire day, unless I'm doing something intensive such as playing an online game.

Well, you also need a Google account to load apps, I don't think that an iCloud account is a decisive argument.

Well yeah, that too. I was too busy thinking about iOS that I ended up not mentioning having to connect a Google account to your Android phone. But the good thing is, going back to certain apps and services, you can disable them if you don't want to use them. But yet again, you'll need to download and utilize the ADB to get rid of them completely.

 

[Tealk]

Regarding performance, I owned an iPhone 6 for a few years. Now mind you, it was a second-hand one. But either way, the battery was crap on it, that I ended up having low-battery mode enabled 24/7. My Pixel 3a on the other hand, seems to last an entire day, unless I'm doing something intensive such as playing an online game.

I can't agree with this, all my iPhones have lasted at least one day (under normal use), only after about 4 years the battery became weak

But the good thing is, going back to certain apps and services, you can disable them if you don't want to use them. But yet again, you'll need to download and utilize the ADB to get rid of them completely.

Even then not, because some things are so firmly anchored in the operating system that it would then no longer work, hence also LineageOS and other operating systems.

Speaking of integrated services, the new Corona API is on the topic
I Like the Conclusion

 

[Mathematical]

I can't agree with this, all my iPhones have lasted at least one day (under normal use), only after about 4 years the battery became weak

Hm. Well again, mine was a second-hand one, so maybe that was why the battery was weaker in mine. Either that or it was because I did a lot of intensive tasks(Gaming, news, web-browsing, etc.)

Even then not, because some things are so firmly anchored in the operating system that it would then no longer work, hence also LineageOS and other operating systems.

Oh yeah. That too. Of course, if one's device wasn't supported by an OS like Lineage, then the best they could do is delete the components that the device doesn't desperately need until they can find a device that actually does support another OS.

Speaking of integrated services, the new Corona API is on the topic

Oh Christ, I forgot about that. I read somewhere that both Google and Apple promised to remove the APIs once the pandemic has calmed down and life is much closer to what it was before the pandemic. Although, if they did actually say that they'd remove it, I doubt it. I mean, both companies are trying to get into health and fitness. Google Fit and Apple Health being on smart-watches, Google buying FitBit, Apple catering it's devices to sports-freaks and doctors even randomly recommending them, and of course, we can't forget Google's "Project Nightingale".

There's so much data to mine, that to both companies, it wouldn't make sense to remove it.

 

[Tealk]

ok I don't play with my iPhone, it's more of a work tool, managing my servers and websites, the git repos and of course the social networks

yes that's the only problem right now, the devices that i like are not supported and those that are supported do not please me.

Google's "Project Nightingale".

I haven't heard about that, what is it?

 

[Mathematical]

yes that's the only problem right now, the devices that i like are not supported and those that are supported do not please me.

And unless more attention is given to truly free and open mobile-operating-systems, the current situation with poor device support, will linger on for years to come unless more volunteers come along to port them over. Mind you, porting an operating-system from one device to another, differs due to the different components and architecture used in that device.

I haven't heard about that, what is it?

Huh, I thought a lot of people had heard about that by now(And when I say "a lot", I really just mean privacy-oriented people like me and you).

But anyway, Project Nightingale, as defined by Wikipedia is: "A data-storage and processing project by Google Cloud and Ascension, a Catholic health care system comprising a chain of 2,600 hospitals, doctors' offices and other related facilities, in 21 states, with tens of millions of patient records available for processing health care data. Ascension is one of the largest health-care systems in the United States with comprehensive and specific health care information of millions who are part of its system. The project is Google's attempt to gain a foot hold into the healthcare industry on a large scale."

You can find the rest of the article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Nightingale

But to put shortly, it's a co-operative project launched by Google's cloud division and a Catholic health-care system. Apparently, the data being stored includes:

• Names
• Date of Births
• Diagnoses
• Whether the patient will be hospitalized or not.
• How long they'll be staying at a hospital.
• And if their health is continuing to deteriorate, despite them receiving treatment.

Wikipedia lists some of the data being collected and this article from The Verge, also goes over Nightingale and the data being collected in it: https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/11...records-project-nightingale-privacy-ascension

I don't know why it exists in the first place. And I certainly cannot give any assumptions as to why. One thing to note is that I don't know much about the project either, as I've literally had to dig into Wikipedia and The Verge just to get these articles, and so that I can give you some pieces of info before you click on any of the articles.

Since you haven't heard of it, I suggest giving all of the articles I've linked to a good read.

 

[Tealk]

And unless more attention is given to truly free and open mobile-operating-systems, the current situation with poor device support, will linger on for years to come unless more volunteers come along to port them over. Mind you, porting an operating-system from one device to another, differs due to the different components and architecture used in that device.

Is I think the same dilemma as with Linux


Ah ok, don't read so much what happens in the states, orientate myself more in Germany and Europe

 

[Mathematical]

Is I think the same dilemma as with Linux

I'd say sort of. The Linux Kernel(So the core of any GNU/Linux system), contains code for hundreds, maybe even thousands of drivers, device-types, and hardware. All of them constantly being maintained to meet the needs of millions of PCs and servers. And in fact, since many tech-companies nowadays are trying to get in on open-source, they are now also sending some of their own workers to help with the Linux Kernel. So, some more support and attention is being given now, but we're still a long way off from having GNU/Linux as a true contender in the OS wars.

Right now, it really only serves to programmers, system-administrators, free/open-source-software activists, privacy-conscious people, people looking to have a customizable system, and people who's laptop can't run Windows 10 because their hardware is out-of-date.