Google eavesdropping tool installed on computers without permission
ratul
█████████████████
you are right about facebook and google being the ugly monsters in privacy department, but don't underestimate M$ and Apple. You're a security researcher intern, you should know that whenever it comes to a closed source product, you can just speculate what's happening behind the scenes. Reversing doesn't give you the complete picture. And those privacy policy means $#!t to these big corps, you can't be sure if switching off those options are even doing something. First rule when you are in security, never ever believe what these big corps says until you yourself can review it, that's why linux has been the choice for security researchers, open source, completely transparent.
And as for chrome, use chromium, or better, firefox.
BakBob
Mods changed my name :(
Nerevarine
Incarnate
Kinda agree lol, I want to completely move to FOSS but these restrictions are holding me back
BakBob
Mods changed my name :(
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benj. Franklin
Also, if they really want user data to help make useful software, then they should ask us for our feedback and or conduct survey with the ****load of money they make. There is no reason to STEAL data against the user's wishes.
tkin
Back to school!!
These days everyone snoops data, from tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Apple to security outfits like NSA(XKeystore is an ingenious program). You won't get away from by ditching a single company. Better move to analog mode, even then your cellular provider and isp will keep on snooping on you.
I'm not at all comfortable with google regarding this problem, but I'd be doubtful whether they will do anything malicious with my personal data, I don't think the Hotword plugin in chrome is actually sending your data to google servers(we'd have a ruckus by now). Let's face it, google does not want to harm the user, there is almost no chance they will sell your data to hackers or other organizations that might try to hurt the end user, that will be bad for their business, a happy user is a lot more valuable to google that the person who just lost a lot of money to the hackers. They want to keep you happy, so you see their ads and buy their stuff or something to that tune, they'll go the extra mile to make sure of that. So if google is collecting data(like tracking) I'm not so much worried about it, unless I'm doing a crime(child p0rn, drugs, terrorism etc) there is little chance this will end up biting me in the backside.
I'm more worried about the Chinese, god knows what they have stored in those cheap huawei routers, and unlike companies they will actually try to harm the users. My older Huawei router had a inbuilt firmware upgrade check that sent data off to some unknown chinese servers periodically, that imho is the biggest vulnerability right there. I'm very much worried about these kind of man in the middle attacks.
I'm not at all comfortable with google regarding this problem, but I'd be doubtful whether they will do anything malicious with my personal data, I don't think the Hotword plugin in chrome is actually sending your data to google servers(we'd have a ruckus by now). Let's face it, google does not want to harm the user, there is almost no chance they will sell your data to hackers or other organizations that might try to hurt the end user, that will be bad for their business, a happy user is a lot more valuable to google that the person who just lost a lot of money to the hackers. They want to keep you happy, so you see their ads and buy their stuff or something to that tune, they'll go the extra mile to make sure of that. So if google is collecting data(like tracking) I'm not so much worried about it, unless I'm doing a crime(child p0rn, drugs, terrorism etc) there is little chance this will end up biting me in the backside.
I'm more worried about the Chinese, god knows what they have stored in those cheap huawei routers, and unlike companies they will actually try to harm the users. My older Huawei router had a inbuilt firmware upgrade check that sent data off to some unknown chinese servers periodically, that imho is the biggest vulnerability right there. I'm very much worried about these kind of man in the middle attacks.
kg11sgbg
Indian Railways - The Vibrant and Moving INDIA
That's the point as [MENTION=52329]tkin[/MENTION] emphasized.
Presently nowhere to escape as most of us know about the Snowden Fiasco regarding "Prizm" programme and our Indian version of it as "Netra".
Once you are hooked into the network world(internet or voice),we are recorded(our data + info +...) into their servers,cloud,database,...
Samarth 619
Modrator @ Xbhp Biking
You understood right mostly, but there's one thing:- Google is too big now. No one man can control it. Not even our own "Indian" CEO Mr. Sunder Picchai.
You're saying about our data being safe from malicious organisations & crime lords, are you sure?
Let me tell you how Google adsense works. Google just takes money from those who advertise using its service, and their details too. Its not directly involved. And now their customers & clients run in crores. They don't have enough staff to manage this kind of load.
It gives some of that money to those who agree to advertise on their personal websites. Even if you visit their website, you see a custom ad as per your cookies stored.
Now, this website may be owned by some Paki hacker, who has your email, your name & ID, and he can now connect your details with your Google mentioned interests. Hackers need what? Just starting info to snoop further.
If he's using a good board like Invision Power Board or VBulletin, then its ok. But if he's using an inferior website interface, your password itself may be known to him.. And if anyone's snooping, then to many others, because this would mean an unencrypted p/w.
And it just takes a visit to a wrong site for all this.
Even on Android, you will see a "Report" function against apps. Why? Don't they themselves check stuff?
With above a million apps now, they just can't. They don't have enough staff to manage this kind of load.
Baby Games are having microphone functions for no need... Wow. Every other app begs for an "Identity" permission even if it is just cutting an mp3 file for you, or doing some unrelated BS.
A talking cat app's copy was already in controversy for asking kids their school information, which allegedly led to their kidnapping later.
Google just stays above every other business in the world, acting as a God above them. Google deals with no one directly, in most cases.
It has just provided a platform to all. Whether you shoot others down it, they don't do anything much.
And I hate Google for it. More than Microsoft & Facebook.
I'm neutral towards Apple. I don't know what they're on.
One second, Snowden tells us that NSA already has a backdoor into iOS, and years later, they argue against Government for not leaking an assassinator's phone information... What they think, we're fools to believe that staged ****?
I know Apple is claimed to have very limited info on their servers. But who knows about this limited info??
Your name, GPS location, phone number, ISP, workplace GPS, interests, can all be done on a 1KB text file. That's "bloody" it!
We may never be totally safe unless we cut off from technology once and for all. I still have a Win 7 laptop.
No I didn't upgrade when Microsoft was sweet talking about Win 10. Now, I'm in a fix because Win 7 is not available originally anymore, and this laptop is just a low to mid Core i5 III Gen, with 8 GB RAM and 1 GB Graphics, that are now cutting framerates heavy!
CharlesRTerry
Right off the assembly line
Or you can totally ditch Google altogether and move to Apple , Microsoft or Cyanogen/AOSP minus Google
