Endless Screenshots from your PC

[belamyi]

Why is Big Tech always after our online data?

 

[belamyi]

No one needs to spy on me, I like dicks and donuts ( draw any conclusions that fit ).

Just like no one needs to kill chicken and cows: they like fodder and frolic ( draw any conclusions that fit ).

 

[pigface]

One needs piece of user-installable software to make data harvesting value-less. Something that sits in the background and generates meaningless random searches and Web site visits.

 

[NotHardUp1]

My Galaxy A03 phone kept dropping longer calls after about five to ten minutes. And it would not only drop, but the phone would immediately display the T-Mobile screen and would freeze, eventually rebooting after several minutes. Originally, I thought that the towers were causing it, part of the industry's slowing of services if you don't pay premium rates, and I have the most modest unlimited plan, a pay-as-you-go account which is less than $50 a month with taxes and fees.

But, the problem got worse, and I eventually noticed a hairline crack along the periphery of the display at the bottom, so figured some prior drop may have damaged the motherboard, or similar.

Took it in to replace it, although I only bought it 2-3 years ago. The T-Mobile store salesperson thought the problem was more likely the new 5G network and the software and hardware just not working together. As plausible as my theories, with only slightly less paranoia about planned obsolescence and forced disposals.

He asked me how much I was planning to spend, a question that always galls me, but I just told him I'd like to start low and see what more cost gets. He was pretty bad at upselling, and really couldn't give substantivve reasons why some were $168, some $400, and some $800. All I could think of was that whatever I bought would again be disabled after only 2-3 years.

One had three cameras. Three. I was tempted to ask if it had even one penis, but refrained.

I went with a $200 Motorola, and went to buy him a BBQ rib takeout dinner as a thank-you for his assistance in migrating everything. It mostly worked, with some of the contacts apparently not residing in my Google list, so I have to add them manually.

Spent the last two days turning off myriad apps that track every goddamned thing you do on your phone. It is comical. Setting after setting was reversed to stop them. After that, Google still sent yet another download to try to reestablish part of its data harvesting. A losing battle, I fight.

 

[NotHardUp1]

Just like no one needs to kill chicken and cows: they like fodder and frolic ( draw any conclusions that fit ).

I like chickens and cows after they've frolicked. Happy livestock is only fair, but after that, we eat them. That's the bargain -- free food for life, a short life.

 

[belamyi]

I like chickens and cows after they've frolicked. Happy livestock is only fair, but after that, we eat them. That's the bargain -- free food for life, a short life.

There you have it, Mr Starr.

 

[me203]

Spent the last two days turning off myriad apps that track every goddamned thing you do on your phone. It is comical. Setting after setting was reversed to stop them. After that, Google still sent yet another download to try to reestablish part of its data harvesting. A losing battle, I fight.

Probably it is a losing battle. I personally would not trust that mere settings would stop data harvesting. The only thing that can be trusted is a phone that is inherently privacy respecting, but these are not mass market items. Few exist that are ready to use out of the box. Most solutions involve using a regular Android phone and installing a new OS.

There is a possibility in coming months that I'll needing to shift to using a smart phone for Internet. If this happens, I'll do the best I can with settings, but I'll assume that big tech is still potentially seeing what I'm doing and act accordingly. So I would not do any research on any controversial topics on the phone. Any research on controversial issues like politics (I do not want big tech profiling my political beliefs), will be saved for the library Internet terminals. This might also force me to take a break from this site. I don't think I want a site with porn as part the profile big tech would assemble, thanks to a phone, and I don't think this site would be something I should view at the library, even if I stay in sections like this. But all this is a bridge I'll cross if/when i have to...

 

[me203]

One needs piece of user-installable software to make data harvesting value-less. Something that sits in the background and generates meaningless random searches and Web site visits.

A lot depends on the device, but it helps using privacy minded products. One huge problem: so many people use Google Chrome and Google search. Getting rid of these two products will be a big help.

Another trick I've heard promotoed: use of a VPN. The argument here is that there are many users baically sharing an IP address, and they are all doing different things so the data collected at the other end is worthless.

 

[me203]

He was pretty bad at upselling, and really couldn't give substantivve reasons why some were $168, some $400, and some $800.

Wow. Could you send him to my local T-Mobile store next time I need to go in?

I had a bad experience a few months ago. Long story, but I do have to admit that I had good experience with one person on staff who A) knew what he was doing, B) when he didn't know worked to get an answer, and C) didn't upsell. But an issue came up, and I had to deal with the store manager--and wow! talk about an attempt at upselling. And there was zero attempt to resolve the issue that forced me to see him. I left the store, steaming mad. So mad I got in contact with T-Mobile customer service.

 

[EddMarkStarr]

All I want is a seamless online experience across all my devices. But even if I pay for "secured search" privileges - the reality is there's no such thing as secured search.

Big Tech companies, and their development partners, have a new generation of operating systems and applications ready to make a monkey of any VPN.

 

[me203]

Big Tech companies, and their development partners, have a new generation of operating systems and applications ready to make a monkey of any VPN.

The reality--as things stand now--is that this is a privacy war. When there is some way for people to clutch onto privacy that gains significant usage, it's a given that the other side will try to find some new way circumvent that method. Then the people who want privacy will look for a new solution. And so it goes.

 

[me203]

I have thought that one thing that might help is if there were laws to limit data collection. But I'm not holding my breath for that. Too many people elected to Congress are more interested in serving the needs of Big Tech than the voters who get spied on Big Tech.

I think it's very interesting that Congress felt Tik Tok was more of a problem than Facebook and Google.

 

[belamyi]

I have thought that one thing that might help is if there were laws to limit data collection. But I'm not holding my breath for that. Too many people elected to Congress are more interested in serving the needs of Big Tech than the voters who get spied on Big Tech.

I think it's very interesting that Congress felt Tik Tok was more of a problem than Facebook and Google.

You find it interesting that the Congress finds China more of a problem than Silicon Valley and Wall Street.

 

[me203]

You find it interesting that the Congress finds China more of a problem than Silicon Valley and Wall Street.

For me, it isn't an issue of China vs. Silicon Valley. It's an issue of the actual problems that that a particular piece of technology causes.

Privacy is a big concern of mine--and what was most on my mind when I posted above--is privacy. From what I hear, Tik Tok has privacy issues, but those issues are far from unique, many issues are easily mitigated, and--above all--Tik Tok is less concerning than Facebook.

It seems that concerns of the spread of "disinformation" is one factor that resulted in that ban--at least judging from my quick search of old news stories. (I didn't follow the minutiae at the time.) This is probably not the place to discuss this sort of thing, since it seems political/controversial. But suffice it to say that I feel the best way of dealing with bad information is providing good information.

 

[belamyi]

For me, it isn't an issue of China vs. Silicon Valley.

Well, that's exactly what it is about: it is not about privacy issues, but about what government allows and profits from what privacy mangling.