A few days in the past, Cybernews printed a report that claimed that the Pixel 9 Professional XL shares private information with Google each quarter-hour, earlier than even establishing the gadget. This contains your location, your e mail deal with and telephone quantity, app record and different telemetry.
Nevertheless, the builders behind the privacy-focused Android fork referred to as GrapheneOS level out that this isn’t distinctive to the Pixel 9 Professional XL – it’s customary Android habits. And never simply that, they level out that iOS collects just about the identical data.
There is a extremely inaccurate article about Pixels from Cybernews making the rounds in all places in privateness communities. It will get the main points practically utterly mistaken and completely misrepresents issues just like the non-compulsory network-based location used practically in all places as Pixel particular.
— GrapheneOS (@GrapheneOS) October 9, 2024
Any non-Pixel gadget with the usual Google Play integration has related Google service integration doing the identical issues. You do not keep away from it in any respect through the use of a non-Pixel, however you do find yourself with a tool that is far much less safe and provides OEM companies with their very own privateness points.
— GrapheneOS (@GrapheneOS) October 9, 2024
It goes by connections for the Google Play network-based location that is providing as an possibility in the course of the preliminary setup wizard, the non-compulsory Google Play account-based gadget administration, Google Play characteristic flags, Google Play telemetry, and so forth. It will get numerous particulars mistaken.
— GrapheneOS (@GrapheneOS) October 9, 2024
iOS has direct equivalents to the whole lot that is lined.
If what individuals take from the article is that they need to use a non-Pixel Android gadget with Google Play, they will have a dramatically much less safe gadget with the identical privateness points and extra ones from OEM companies.
— GrapheneOS (@GrapheneOS) October 9, 2024
Cybernews had reached out to Google earlier than publishing the report and this was the response from Mountain View:
“Consumer safety and privateness are high priorities for Pixel. You’ll be able to handle knowledge sharing, app permissions and extra throughout gadget setup and in your settings. This report lacks essential context, misinterprets technical particulars and does not absolutely clarify that knowledge transmissions are wanted for authentic companies on all cell gadgets whatever the producer, mannequin or OS, comparable to software program updates, on-demand options and personalised experiences,” a Google spokesperson mentioned.
Moreover, Google has been making adjustments to make Android extra personal. Late final 12 months, it introduced that will probably be transferring the Your Timeline characteristic (an in depth observe along with your location historical past) in your gadget. Beforehand, it was saved within the cloud.
Should you haven’t already, you’ll quickly obtain an e mail asking you to alter your settings – you possibly can transfer location historical past on gadget or change on the auto-delete possibility (which routinely wipes the information in 3 or 18 months, relying on desire).
Timeline knowledge is now saved in your gadget
You’ll be able to study extra about what knowledge is collected by Google and why on this web page in regards to the Google Play Providers.
