this post was submitted on 04 Mar 2024
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Just enabled DDG's app track protection to test it out. Had Nekogram opened for a few mins, and Google already made 234 data collection attempts. I know the Big Guys are hungry for personal data, but this is absolutely ridiculous.

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[–] [email protected] 42 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Google is a data and advertising company. What did you expect?

[–] patak 11 points 7 months ago (3 children)

I do expect such stuff... but collecting so many categories of data in such a stubborn and aggressive way makes me wanna stop using anything that's google-related. like dude stop looking at everything I do in my life. what's next? how many liters of toothpaste I consumed in the past 3 days?

[–] [email protected] 17 points 7 months ago (1 children)

They would be quite happy to get that information from you, yes.

[–] patak 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yeah so they could suggest me a 50 cent toothpaste made out of mud and wood

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

You hear that? That's the sound of your dental insurance rates increasing.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (3 children)

De-Googling is something I did about 5 years ago. It took me about 6 months on and off, but I'm super happy I did. There are always other (and actually better) alternatives to their services. The only one that I struggle not to use is YouTube - the alternatives are all worse.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

I am very happy using FreeTube as an alternative frontend. No ads, all my subscriptions and watch history are local.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Grayjay is awesome! (Alternative to YouTube)

[–] bushvin 2 points 7 months ago

So pure out curiosity… and science! how many liters of toothpaste did you consume over the last 3 days?

[–] [email protected] 27 points 7 months ago

Note that this is attempts: any app that fails to reach a target server might just keep trying repeatedly, even upon failure.

If the app was something besides Google, I might even wager it would probably make fewer successful connections if it weren't blocked to begin with.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 7 months ago (1 children)

This is most likely because the app keeps retrying. If it were successful, the number would be much lower.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago

Probably yes, I see this as well on my pihole...some devices/apps run amok if they can't reach their home and send multiple requests per second

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

this is crazy or whatever i guess but your phone is a living breathing data collecting MACHINE until you get a custom OS. Graphene, Lineage, etc.

Google and other software runs as a root context in these stock operating systems, so it can see and do whatever it wants on all possible levels, even scanning your screen and keylogging your typing. if you collecting things about your Nekogram was bad? think again lol. there's much worse.

go study about how the OS works. then get a custom rom.

[–] patak 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I actually am planning on installing an android alternative, but I do not know which OS supports my redmi 13C. I also fear the loss warranty because editing/changing/modding/rooting the stock system makes the warranty void. I mean my phone's still new, bought it somewhere near the end of January this year.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

look into Lineage,but otherwise you may have to get new hardware.

and yes, doing anything that might improve your quality of daily living will always void the warranty on hardware, because improving your life would be very bad for them.

[–] circuitfarmer 9 points 7 months ago

Most of their entire business model relies on collecting data hand over fist, constantly. Hell, even actively not using their products doesn't even make you safe.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] Evotech 2 points 7 months ago
[–] lonerangers1 4 points 7 months ago

I bite my thumb at google

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

That DDG app is interesting, so it records inter process communication without root? How?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

It acts similar to a VPN connection and is able to block network requests to tracking sites/APIs.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

Ah so Nekogram connected to Google?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 7 months ago

You are part of a proprietary service, you cannot be surprised.