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 organising the gadget. This consists of your location, your e mail tackle and telephone quantity, app checklist 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 normal Android conduct. 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 fully improper and totally 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 via connections for the Google Play network-based location that is providing as an choice 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 on. It will get quite a lot of particulars improper.
— GrapheneOS (@GrapheneOS) October 9, 2024
iOS has direct equivalents to every part that is lined.
If what folks 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:
“Person safety and privateness are prime priorities for Pixel. You may handle knowledge sharing, app permissions and extra throughout gadget setup and in your settings. This report lacks essential context, misinterprets technical particulars and would not absolutely clarify that knowledge transmissions are wanted for reputable companies on all cell units whatever the producer, mannequin or OS, similar to software program updates, on-demand options and customized experiences,” a Google spokesperson stated.
Moreover, Google has been making adjustments to make Android extra personal. Late final 12 months, it introduced that it is going to be transferring the Your Timeline characteristic (an in depth monitor along with your location historical past) in your gadget. Beforehand, it was saved within the cloud.
When you haven’t already, you’ll quickly obtain an e mail asking you to vary your settings – you possibly can transfer location historical past on gadget or swap on the auto-delete choice (which mechanically wipes the information in 3 or 18 months, relying on desire).
Timeline knowledge is now saved in your gadget
You may be taught extra about what knowledge is collected by Google and why on this web page concerning the Google Play Providers.
