What is so new about it? I have never trusted smart phones, which is the reason why I don't have one.
I also agrees and I don't have smartphone. One the other hand I have dumbphone which isn't perfect either (GSM/UMTS operator can track me, voice calls are not encrypted using strong crypto, GSM/UMTS operator has matadata about voice calls).
So anything we can do about it? Or is it a caseof naming the worst ccompanys like one + that came out within the last week
I'm still using an old BlackBerry (both wife and I) partly for these type of reasons, and no apps to speak of (which is life with an old BlackBerry, but my life too). Personal device anyway. I use an iPhone for work, but it is locked down by employer enterprise policy. My intent for personal use is to never use Android (not even BlackBerry's Android) and do my best to not use iOS. I've been thinking about what I'm going to do when the BlackBerry's no longer fulfill our needs. I'm thinking dumb phone for voice, and mobile hotspot for laptop for data, and things like personal email just wait. There are rumors (rumors so far as I know) that though Microsoft has decided to exit the smartphone market it still is working on some sort of mobile device that will have mobile phone capability. I guess I'm halfway hoping something like that from Microsoft comes on the market before I have to make a decision.
Secure isn't black and white. It's a question of secure enough, managing risk, etc. And for me there are some products and services I choose not to use (or choose to use) for other reasons as well, which may or may not overlap my "security" concerns.
I agree. Many times I hear "I can't get 100% security, so why bother"? Getting some level of security is IMO still better than no security at all. And also privacy for that matter.
I never trusted smart phones either. My dumb phone works and if I don't want it tracking me I can turn it off or leave it home.
Very true and good point that security and privacy are not the same thing. I would push back and little on the idea that some is better than none. "Some" might be no better than "none." Not trying to nitpick. I would say the individual needs to work out what is the proper level or degree of security and privacy for themselves, and understand as best they can the risks versus rewards of their practices and decisions.
Same here. So what do you do - Roll over and just let all and sundry have unlimited access into your private life? Thanks but no thanks. There are certain things you can do, like don't put stuff online at all that you don't want the world to (potentially) know about. Another is avoid like the plague stupid places like facebook twit(ter). Smartphones make that much more difficult.
The news (in my opinion) is the particular "what" that Google was doing this time that it should have informed users it was doing, and (from what I'm guessing) would not but for it got caught. The fact that Google was doing this is to me in fact not in general news. This is one reason I don't want to use Google or Android. Users can in fact choose not to use Facebook or Twitter, or similar. Smartphones do not make that more difficult. But smartphone users have a hard enough time knowing what their smartphone may be doing based on the collective terms and conditions of use they effectively accept, much less what the likes of Facebook and Google are doing without informing users at all, only to be revealed when they are found out.
