Alpha1 Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 These cheap phones come at a price -- your privacy How much do you value your privacy and security? Researchers at Black Hat found a series of phones that are secretly sending data to Chinese servers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artsnob Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 What phones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Berca Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 What privacy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappysmarket Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 Yeah, what privacy? The first phone listed in the article, Blu R1 HD is the phone I have. Best $60 phone I ever owned. If the Chinese are interested to know what apps I use or where I am in Mexico, have at it. If they gave me an email address I would be happy to check in once or twice a day. (Now waving in case they have hacked the camera on my laptop). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 Used the BLU up in Canada the last couple of weeks. Excellent phone: fast, clear, excellent Android interface, up to date, and so inexpensive. Will get another BLU but with a better camera. Might be a worry about doing online sign-ins, if that's part of the problem here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappysmarket Posted July 27, 2017 Report Share Posted July 27, 2017 18 minutes ago, ComputerGuy said: Used the BLU up in Canada the last couple of weeks. Excellent phone: fast, clear, excellent Android interface, up to date, and so inexpensive. Will get another BLU but with a better camera. Might be a worry about doing online sign-ins, if that's part of the problem here. Just expressing my willingness to cooperate for a phone that good for that cheap, LOL. Agree the camera could be better. 8.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostlylost Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Black Hat wants you to buy their app which also gathers information. Many free apps gather a boatload of info that they can sell to make money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappysmarket Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 That's why so many apps are free. You can pay me now or............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suegarn Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Sorry, Alpha1, but you're the only one that seems to be worried about this very much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mexjerry Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 4 hours ago, suegarn said: Sorry, Alpha1, but you're the only one that seems to be worried about this very much! Well, No, suegarn, I have issues with this. Would you be agreeable to have some one monitor your everyday activities? Would you, Suegarn, be willing to have someone monitor your movements? Your conversations, your life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Berca Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 8 hours ago, mexjerry said: Well, No, suegarn, I have issues with this. Would you be agreeable to have some one monitor your everyday activities? Would you, Suegarn, be willing to have someone monitor your movements? Your conversations, your life? Wow! I thought it was just phone calls. Do you have other information to share? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Black Hat is a conference, a gathering of security experts, not a company. Interestingly, there was no mention in the article about my only concern: does the command channel (the route between the phone and the server) which allows an app to make commands without you, provide enough access to also see your online banking and other connections that require passwords. The rest of it is fairly moot for most of us, because as it has been pointed out here, almost every free app collects all kinds of data on your phone, and you have to give permission to do so when installing the app (just like most online email sites). This is great for the location apps, like Waze for traffic, GPS for finding locations, and one app that tells you where your connected friends are at this exact moment (so you can never say "I had a Dr. appointment" when the truth is you were drinking with your friends). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha1 Posted July 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 1 hour ago, Al Berca said: Wow! I thought it was just phone calls. Do you have other information to share? How about this: For The First Time, a US Company Is Implanting Microchips in Its Employees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappysmarket Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 At least they'll still have jobs. Robots will shortly be doing most repetitive jobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Berca Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Experimental, voluntary, single purpose. Some are fascinated by it and some opted out. Very small group in one location. Will never see this implemented on a large scale in our lifetime, if ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 Okay, so this thread is going to be about how technology is disrupting our lives, I guess? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suegarn Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 13 hours ago, mexjerry said: Well, No, suegarn, I have issues with this. Would you be agreeable to have some one monitor your everyday activities? Would you, Suegarn, be willing to have someone monitor your movements? Your conversations, your life? That already happens in most places. There are cameras everywhere....street corners, doorways of buildings, personal cellphone cameras taking pictures when you aren't aware, etc. When we embraced technology, we basically gave up our right to privacy. If you're doing something that you would be embarrassed for others to see, then don't do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComputerGuy Posted July 28, 2017 Report Share Posted July 28, 2017 No, more like when we embraced capture technology; interestingly, each time we invent new technology, we also invent the opposite. EG: inventing the car invented the auto accident. Unfortunately, I do things all the time that embarrass my own self in my own house, so forget trying to avoid it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael2595 Posted July 29, 2017 Report Share Posted July 29, 2017 And lots of these free apps may have malware. Used to be that it could take a year or longer for Apple to check your app and include it in its catalog. Now, it takes a few minutes. I lik my flip phone. I make a call and take a call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mexjerry Posted July 29, 2017 Report Share Posted July 29, 2017 A google search for cell phone spying, will open your eyes, as well as a search for web browser spying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappysmarket Posted July 29, 2017 Report Share Posted July 29, 2017 Nothing to hide......nothing to worry about. Move along, nothing to see here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gringal Posted July 29, 2017 Report Share Posted July 29, 2017 Isn't it about time that we can all agree that "privacy" no longer exists? Just think, we now live in a climate where major news comes to us through Twitter. Or, as the old Star Trek Borg used to intone: "Resistance is futile. You WILL be assimillated". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha1 Posted July 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2017 59 minutes ago, gringal said: Isn't it about time that we can all agree that "privacy" no longer exists? Just think, we now live in a climate where major news comes to us through Twitter. Or, as the old Star Trek Borg used to intone: "Resistance is futile. You WILL be assimillated". I agree that "privacy" is difficult to obtain for the tech we use, however, having the hardware embedded with the spyware is different than having the option to use or not use the app. Having access to the command and control channel -- a communications route between your device and a server -- allowed Adups to execute commands as if it's the user, meaning it could also install apps, take screenshots, record the screen, make calls and wipe devices without needing permission. - article listed above. Here is a very interesting link that helps mitigate some of the totally unwanted results of using our phones, i.e. camera and microphone monitoring use without our knowledge. Privacy and smartphone apps: What data your phone may be giving away (CBC Marketplace) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.