# Google saves your location even with Location history turned off



## Frick (Aug 14, 2018)

Original article from AP:

https://apnews.com/828aefab64d4411bac257a07c1af0ecb

So, you have a thing called Location History, which you don't have to turn on. However, if you go to myactivity.google.com everything you've done in Maps is saved. You have to turn off Web and App activity for it to be properly off (and I haven't tried this soo).

Now, this isn't surprising, and one could argue that Location history is not the same thing as what is shown here, that LH is a convinience-thing, but practically it really is the same thing.

So what does it mean? Nothing much. Google owns you anyway.


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## qubit (Aug 14, 2018)

No it doesn't own me! I am not a number!


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## Vya Domus (Aug 14, 2018)

Frick said:


> Google owns you anyway.



Nah, maybe some of my attention span.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 14, 2018)

Even if you own an Apple phone, don't use Google Search or any Google products, if you ever replied to an email from someone who uses a gmail address, Google has hooks in you.



qubit said:


> No it doesn't own me! I am not a number!


Sure you are. An IP number and a hash number. And they are actively seeking to learn more about you.

And people complain about Microsoft's privacy policy?


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## qubit (Aug 14, 2018)

Yeah, I wuz just messin' Bill.  I think ya missed the laughing icon at the end too, which helped clarify it.


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## Vya Domus (Aug 14, 2018)

Bill_Bright said:


> Sure you are. An IP number and a hash number. And they are actively seeking to learn more about you.



You are being grossly over dramatic and flattering actually. They don't care to learn about you but rather about whoever sits behind the device using it.



Bill_Bright said:


> Even if you own an Apple phone, don't use Google Search or any Google products, if you ever replied to an email from someone who uses a gmail address, Google has hooks in you.



They have hooks in you ? Sorry, that sounds like paranoia if anything, though if you were again exaggerating or joking, excuse me.


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## AltCapwn (Aug 14, 2018)

The more I hear about google, the less appealing it appears to me. 

I'm gonna switch all my accounts to my protonmail and leave my old gmail account to die.  

I'll buy a Windows Phone and hope it has less telemetry.


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## DRDNA (Aug 14, 2018)

altcapwn said:


> The more I hear about google, the less appealing it appears to me.
> 
> I'm gonna switch all my accounts to my protonmail and leave my old gmail account to die.
> 
> I'll buy a Windows Phone and hope it has less telemetry.


both are just about the same at default settings....but with the will comes the way to stop it too.


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## qubit (Aug 14, 2018)

altcapwn said:


> I'll buy a Windows Phone and hope it has less telemetry.


You're dreaming. Think of the invasive telemetry baked into Windows 10.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 14, 2018)

Vya Domus said:


> They don't care to learn about you but rather about whoever sits behind the device using it.


LOL


Vya Domus said:


> They have hooks in you ? Sorry, that sounds like paranoia if anything, though if you were again exaggerating or joking, excuse me.


No, I am not being paranoid. I accepted a long time ago that if I use the Internet, I give up much of my privacy. If you go back and look at some of my posts throughout this site, I am not one to install layer upon layer of security programs (separate anti-keyloggers, for example). I was commenting about how some members on this site and elsewhere seem to think Google is more trustworthy, in terms of protecting our privacy, than other entities - like Microsoft (as we just witnessed above!  ), 1.1.1.1, etc.


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## AltCapwn (Aug 14, 2018)

DRDNA said:


> both are just about the same at default settings....but with the will comes the way to stop it too.





qubit said:


> You're dreaming. Think of the invasive telemetry baked into Windows 10.



I'll go back to BlackberryOS hahaha.

Privacy is now a myth.


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## StrayKAT (Aug 14, 2018)

Bill_Bright said:


> Even if you own an Apple phone, don't use Google Search or any Google products, if you ever replied to an email from someone who uses a gmail address, Google has hooks in you.
> 
> Sure you are. An IP number and a hash number. And they are actively seeking to learn more about you.
> 
> And people complain about Microsoft's privacy policy?



At least Microsoft is primarily just a tech company, as they've always been. It's not a "front", like Google.

Assuming one is defined by what one actually sells and is the most lucrative at (in this case, it's Google's own users that are for sale).


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## RejZoR (Aug 15, 2018)

Well, imagine my shock. Who wants to bet most of Google's privacy buttons and controls literally do nothing? Who's vetting Google anyway whether they actually collect or do not collect certain data and sell it to the highest bidder? And when they get caught, they just say it was an "unfortunate bug". Unfortunate my ass, only thing unfortunate was that they got caught.

As for the Microsoft situation, people are paranoid about it, but Microsoft primarily still sells products. They don't have to sell users to make profit. The telemetry they do, while it can carry user data as part of it, they aren't focused and obsessed over it like Google whose sole purpose is to sell our data to make money. So, you can call Microsoft a "lesser" evil. In all honesty, I'd trust Microsoft with my data more than Google. And I used to love Google. Now I can't stand it.

Only thing I'm really still using from Google is Android because there is frankly no alternative (and I hate Apple just the same). I'm blocking all the analytics and not using their apps and that's about as much as I can do on Android...


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## robot zombie (Aug 15, 2018)

This is one of those things where I don't know if I'm jaded or if it really just doesn't matter.

On principle, it's a problem. Slippery slope isn't a huge fallacy here - if they are allowed to get away with things like this now, then what will they be doing later, when we've become completely detached and our information systems grow even more complex and cryptically interconnected? It's a legitimate ethical concern. It's just shady.

And that aside, if the information they're taking from our usage is a commodity to them... ...a way for them to make money, then we should have some say in whether or not we want to hand it over, especially in those cases where we're already paying for a product or service. It aught to belong to us by right. I understand that the services they provide have value to people and maybe that's the exchange on the user end. I just feel like we should have ways to show what it's actually worth to us rather than sort of being forced to cough up our information. If we could truly opt out of this stuff, the market would show the true value of their services and they'd either be able to keep going with only the information that however many people choose to allow access to, or they'd lose out big due to the large number of people who probably wouldn't consent, lol.

And that could honestly go either way. If they were up-front about crap like this, like they were absolutely 100% clear about what they were doing and what you were signing up for rather than being underhanded about it - and there was a way to clearly see it all, people might actually trust them enough to accept it. They may not be so averse to the idea, which in itself is not entirely unreasonable. As it is now, people are taking part in this semi-unwitting, begrudging, poorly-obfuscated exchange... ...the exchange itself might not be such a problem if it is out in the open. But when someone is hiding their actions and telling you it's nothing... ...yeah, that looks bad.

One thing I will say, awareness and oversight are much needed here. A lot of people still haven't caught onto the idea that we've been fully integrated into an age of free-flowing information for quite some time now, and that there are implications that we all need to consider and answer to going forward. It might be important later. Some people will be for it. Others will always be against it. All of this needs to be a factor. Right now it's more like anything goes and the real conversations still aren't happening. The line between "private" and "public" information is unclear right now. It's a whole new paradigm for humanity and it is going to take some hashing-out and getting used to. Gotta find an appropriate line for everyone and really etch it out, legally and culturally.


But then, personally I'm also not too paranoid about what they're doing, _now._ Later, I may be, but so far as I can tell, the information going around now, to me is worthless and likely cannot harm me. I don't so much consider it private as I do "not openly known." I just don't care if advertisers scoop up dirt on me and use it to try to sell me stuff. I generally ignore the ads I see, anyway. I research my purchases and very rarely do I buy something because it popped into my head. They're gonna have to get a lot more creative before they figure out ways to use that information to get me to actually buy anything, anyway.

In a lot of ways, this is a very old practice. Rewards cards from retail stores are a prime example, though at least with those you sign up, even if you don't realize what you're signing up for.


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## INSTG8R (Aug 15, 2018)

Probably viewing this page in Chrome...(Can’t say much myself,  currently viewing in Safari...¯\_(ツ)_/¯)


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## Vayra86 (Aug 15, 2018)

There was a time when I cared about this.

Today I can't. I don't do social media at all. I browse on the internet and I'm sure there is logged traffic. Just like there are logs everywhere of every bit of system activity. We use services on devices that are placed elsewhere so you just know that its possible the activity is logged.

That is really all it is. I can't be bothered. Big data helps us, and it also scares us - we are learning right now, in this day & age, how to act and deal with big data. And we make mistakes... so be it. As long as they don't directly damage me or my interests, and so far they haven't, I don't care. Let us make mistakes and learn from it. This is why I applaud things like the GDPR in Europe - its proof of us learning things.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 15, 2018)

RejZoR said:


> As for the Microsoft situation, people are paranoid about it, but Microsoft primarily still sells products. They don't have to sell users to make profit. The telemetry they do, while it can carry user data as part of it, they aren't focused and obsessed over it like Google whose sole purpose is to sell our data to make money. So, you can call Microsoft a "lesser" evil. In all honesty, I'd trust Microsoft with my data more than Google. And I used to love Google. Now I can't stand it.


Great points. 

Sadly, many do not understand the difference between security and privacy. Microsoft is NOT trying to steal your passwords, contacts, real name, billing information, or even your physical location. If you connect via Ethernet, the closest MS knows of you physical location is your PoP (point of presence), where your ISP connects you to the Internet backbone. In my case, that is 10 miles away in the next town over! 

Google, OTOH, wants your genuine information so they can sell it, and use it to target ads for more revenue. And your cell phone provider? They know everything about you!


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## RejZoR (Aug 15, 2018)

I'm not really worried about my cell phone provider. They already have all my info because I'm their monthly paying customer. Meaning, they are already making money on me with the service. Them knowing my location is basically same situation as Microsoft's. Telemetry. They kinda need to know things to keep customers happy, be it bandwidth or signal reception quality. But isn't their primary function. Google on the other hand doesn't need to know where exactly you live. Apps, like weather apps do, but that's none of Google's damn business. Except it is because they are a cyber hamsters, hoarding as much data as possible.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 15, 2018)

RejZoR said:


> Them knowing my location is basically same situation as Microsoft's.


No where close! As I said, with an Ethernet connected PC all Microsoft knows is your PoP. And they don't know your real name or street address or have any of your billing information. If you connect via wifi, they might see pretty close your physical location (if you have location services enabled) but that's it.

Your cell carrier knows your real name, real address, credit information and billing information. But they also know where you have been. They know within a few feet where you are standing, including which aisle of the store you are standing in!  And they know which direction you are heading, and how fast you are traveling. They know who you have texted and talked to too, plus your surfing habits. There's just no comparison to Microsoft.


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## RealNeil (Aug 15, 2018)

altcapwn said:


> protonmail



Thanks for this mention. I just signed up for an account.



Bill_Bright said:


> No, I am not being paranoid. I accepted a long time ago that if I use the Internet, I give up much of my privacy.



^^THIS^^

If they have the power to harvest your information, (whoever 'they' are) They will, and are, doing it. This goes for corporations as well as your government. Medical companies are harvesting DATA to use in denying insurance to those of us that are high-risk. (DNA services that analyze your ancestry DNA are selling other info to them)


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## RejZoR (Aug 15, 2018)

In case anyone else is interested in privacy focused services, check out my list I've made when I dropped basically everything Google makes...

https://rejzor.wordpress.com/2018/03/27/bring-privacy-under-your-control-again/


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## AltCapwn (Aug 15, 2018)

RejZoR said:


> In case anyone else is interested in privacy focused services, check out my list I've made when I dropped basically everything Google makes...
> 
> https://rejzor.wordpress.com/2018/03/27/bring-privacy-under-your-control-again/



thanks @RejZoR , very interesting.


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## Frick (Aug 20, 2018)

And now they're sued.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...-privacy-when-it-secretly-kept-location-data/


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## RealNeil (Aug 20, 2018)

Frick said:


> And now they're sued.
> 
> https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...-privacy-when-it-secretly-kept-location-data/


You knew this was coming.


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## AlwaysHope (Aug 21, 2018)

There is no escape from surveillance by either of the tech gods like Google, Microsoft, FB etc.. 
Legislators think an industry can self regulate with matters of personal privacy when $ profits & market share are the biggest concepts to worship in this life according to them?

Even Trump came out and criticized MS SM run by big tech gods like Google etc...  > Link

They don't smarten up, regulations will be forced on them.

Further proof of MS censoring so called "free speech", they look a bit like Google with there left wing bias. Come to think of it, seems like all the silicon valley giants are into controlling the world...


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## sepheronx (Aug 21, 2018)

maybe one day I will be arrested by the police for something I said on twitter about Kim Kardashian's butt and Google will send all details of me.

If that happens, I want you guys to start the revolution and use me as an iconic martyr.


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## StrayKAT (Aug 21, 2018)

Sad that Microsoft went that angle. Not even Bill Gates at his worst actually tried to control the world (he was definitely controlling and antagonistic to the computer industry and competitors though).


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## Frick (Aug 21, 2018)

AlwaysHope said:


> There is no escape from surveillance by either of the tech gods like Google, Microsoft, FB etc..
> Legislators think an industry can self regulate with matters of personal privacy when $ profits & market share are the biggest concepts to worship in this life according to them?
> 
> Even Trump came out and criticized MS SM run by big tech gods like Google etc...  > Link
> ...



Totally different thing. You can have theories about raising jews as livestock for the purpose of ceremonial torture as much as you want, but no one has to listen to you and no one has to host you.


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## StrayKAT (Aug 21, 2018)

Frick said:


> Totally different thing. You can have theories about raising jews as livestock for the purpose of ceremonial torture as much as you want, but no one has to listen to you and no one has to host you.



Whoa.. what in the world are you talking about? What did I miss? 

edit: Wait, the person on Gab said this? I get the outrage then.. but that's like one person out of thousands. It doesn't set a good precedent either. Alleviating one's outrage is gratifying and all, but it's temporary.


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## Komshija (Aug 21, 2018)

This isn't news for me.
It's not just google who tries to access to your location without your permission but also viber, whatsapp, facebook, instagram... Besides physical location, viber, whatsapp and facebook are notorious for trying to access sound recorder and camera without your permission. The problem is that 99,99% of users  have no clue about that. Some Chinese phones and as far as I heared Russian Yota phone have built-in software which can prevent such things. There are custom ROM's and specific software which can help to protect individual privacy, but overwhelming majority of people (>90 %) are much more interested in taking daily duck-butt-face and upload them on facebook/instagram.

Just a small hint - iPhones are even worse violators of privacy than android devices.


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## biffzinker (Aug 21, 2018)

StrayKAT said:


> Whoa.. what in the world are you talking about? What did I miss?


News post from the BBC.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-45141871

Have you had a look? (NSFW)
https://gab.ai/freebritain/


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## StrayKAT (Aug 21, 2018)

biffzinker said:


> Have you had a look? (NSFW)
> https://gab.ai/freebritain/



51 followers.. Not much of a threat. There's better ways to handle that than threatening a whole platform.

edit: I should add that this segment of humanity has been quite small for decades... and the only reason people are up in arms all of the sudden is the damn media. It's the new "moral panic". Suddenly overnight we've got a massive racist problem apparently. lol. And the more attention given to them, the bolder they get. It only strokes their ego to be treated as a big threat.. when in actuality, they're nothing. The sooner we get back to reality and put these people back into the corner where they belong, the better.

Mind you, I'm a minority myself.. who grew up in the heart of Texas. I know racism.. I've literally been chased by a gang of skinheads -- with a Jewish girl by my side to boot. I lived through the most absurd, stereotypical racist example possible. But it'd be silly to say it's everywhere. This was one remarkable incident out of a fairly comfortable life. If I can be level headed about it, everyone else should definitely be.


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## enxo218 (Aug 21, 2018)

Google has become arrogant because of its dominant market position so much so that your ownership of and opinion on your personal information is irrelevant. fines are insufficient in the face of repeat offences having already been caught once before. This is a result of lax legislation and low taxation rewards , I mean is anything really under the user's control or is it until proven otherwise?


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## RejZoR (Aug 21, 2018)

AlwaysHope said:


> There is no escape from surveillance by either of the tech gods like Google, Microsoft, FB etc..
> Legislators think an industry can self regulate with matters of personal privacy when $ profits & market share are the biggest concepts to worship in this life according to them?
> 
> Even Trump came out and criticized MS SM run by big tech gods like Google etc...  > Link
> ...



Wow, what a load of bollocks. Now Microsoft is doing the same nonsense Google and Apple did to Gab (when they banned it from their app stores, effectively erasing it from existence for casual normies). Because Gab doesn't act upon anyone unless it's actual direct violation of laws (like child pornography or something like that) they will not censor, delete, ban or block anyone. And that goes terribly on nerves of these silicon valley mega corporations desperate for control. A platform that doesn't bend everything to the left. They are terrified of that which is why they are so desperately trying to crack on it. Hate speech = new byword for censorship. They define it so broadly anything can fall under it and get you sanctioned. What, you said something over "refugees"? You must be literally Hitler, ban! That's how they are starting to operate. There is a grain of truth in everything, even if in general stupid looking like stuff Alex Jones spews out or the Britain National Party thing. Why should only left be allowed to preach their BS, but any opposition gets cracked down and silenced instantly. Either everyone should be allowed to say anything or no one should and just close down the damn social platforms. Free speech needs to be regulated in terms that free speech is universal and not something companies apply on some vague arbitrary rules they basically make up as they go and if someone or something offends you personally, then censor or block that word or person yourself. I don't need a company to nanny me. I'm a grown adult, I can bloody take care of myself. They all give you these tools and they still expect companies to police everything for them. It's a sad time we live in quite frankly for people to be so weak and fragile. It's just pathetic. I can't understand how these people manage to even survive in harsh reality where there is no Block button, no filters, no nanny corporation saving their weak ass fragile minds. It really wonders me how they even survive through an average day.


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## StrayKAT (Aug 21, 2018)

enxo218 said:


> Google has become arrogant because of its dominant market position so much so that your ownership of and opinion on your personal information is irrelevant. fines are insufficient in the face of repeat offences having already been caught once before. This is a result of lax legislation and low taxation rewards , I mean is anything really under the user's control or is it until proven otherwise?



There's a lot "seemingly" under our control, but who the hell knows what they're hiding. For example, I turn off all browsing history, all youtube history (but customize it to save my "liked" videos), but I wouldn't be surprised if they still keep all of that for their own use... and only superficially hid the history for me.


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## Frick (Aug 21, 2018)

RejZoR said:


> Wow, what a load of bollocks. Now Microsoft is doing the same nonsense Google and Apple did to Gab (when they banned it from their app stores, effectively erasing it from existence for casual normies). Because Gab doesn't act upon anyone unless it's actual direct violation of laws (like child pornography or something like that) they will not censor, delete, ban or block anyone. And that goes terribly on nerves of these silicon valley mega corporations desperate for control. A platform that doesn't bend everything to the left. They are terrified of that which is why they are so desperately trying to crack on it. Hate speech = new byword for censorship. They define it so broadly anything can fall under it and get you sanctioned. What, you said something over "refugees"? You must be literally Hitler, ban! That's how they are starting to operate. There is a grain of truth in everything, even if in general stupid looking like stuff Alex Jones spews out or the Britain National Party thing. Why should only left be allowed to preach their BS, but any opposition gets cracked down and silenced instantly. Either everyone should be allowed to say anything or no one should and just close down the damn social platforms. Free speech needs to be regulated in terms that free speech is universal and not something companies apply on some vague arbitrary rules they basically make up as they go and if someone or something offends you personally, then censor or block that word or person yourself. I don't need a company to nanny me. I'm a grown adult, I can bloody take care of myself. They all give you these tools and they still expect companies to police everything for them. It's a sad time we live in quite frankly for people to be so weak and fragile. It's just pathetic. I can't understand how these people manage to even survive in harsh reality where there is no Block button, no filters, no nanny corporation saving their weak ass fragile minds. It really wonders me how they even survive through an average day.



The thing is companies are in their full rights to arbitrarily choose who can use their platform and not. Had it been government run sure, but now it is a corporation running it, and they can set their guidelines however they want and refuse business as much as they like. I too prefer to just not read things I don't want to, but otoh I don't blame anyone for not wanting to give racists a platform to speak on.


StrayKAT said:


> 51 followers.. Not much of a threat. There's better ways to handle that than threatening a whole platform.
> 
> edit: I should add that this segment of humanity has been quite small for decades... and the only reason people are up in arms all of the sudden is the damn media. It's the new "moral panic". Suddenly overnight we've got a massive racist problem apparently. lol. And the more attention given to them, the bolder they get. It only strokes their ego to be treated as a big threat.. when in actuality, they're nothing. The sooner we get back to reality and put these people back into the corner where they belong, the better.
> 
> Mind you, I'm a minority myself.. who grew up in the heart of Texas. I know racism.. I've literally been chased by a gang of skinheads -- with a Jewish girl by my side to boot. I lived through the most absurd, stereotypical racist example possible. But it'd be silly to say it's everywhere. This was one remarkable incident out of a fairly comfortable life. If I can be level headed about it, everyone else should definitely be.



Well, were I live it was very easy not to be racist because we didn't have many immigrants so we only saw people of our own culture. But with all the refugees it turns out many people really are racists, more or less, and I really enjoy seeing people all riled up. Their perfect little worlds are wobbling and suddenly all those problems only other, lesser, people had to deal with are close. And considering how things are going in many countries racism is definitely not a small problem blown up by the media.

Globalisation was meant to make us more understanding, but instead it just made us fearful, making us turn towards our tribe for protection and safety. This can be seen everywhere. 

This might be a bit off topic.


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## StrayKAT (Aug 21, 2018)

Frick said:


> The thing is companies are in their full rights to arbitrarily choose who can use their platform and not. Had it been government run sure, but now it is a corporation running it, and they can set their guidelines however they want and refuse business as much as they like. I too prefer to just not read things I don't want to, but otoh I don't blame anyone for not wanting to give racists a platform to speak on.
> 
> 
> Well, were I live it was very easy not to be racist because we didn't have many immigrants so we only saw people of our own culture. But with all the refugees it turns out many people really are racists, more or less, and I really enjoy seeing people all riled up. Their perfect little worlds are wobbling and suddenly all those problems only other, lesser, people had to deal with are close. And considering how things are going in many countries racism is definitely not a small problem blown up by the media.
> ...



Are they all racist or could it be more nuanced and related to refugees specifically (regardless of race?). Refugees have historically been hard to accommodate...for a variety of reasons. It's not always racial. It strains multiple systems.

Globalization was purely economical, and fed those on the top. It had nothing to do with culture. The idea that it was meant to enrich everyone's understanding is just how they sold you the lie. Much harder to tell you the truth. No one would willingly buy into their own destruction. 

I'm all for some Roddenberry esque global world one day, but not before it's time, and not one that destroys jobs and/or quality of life.


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## Frick (Aug 21, 2018)

StrayKAT said:


> Are they all racist or could it be more nuanced and related to refugees specifically (regardless of race?). Refugees have historically been hard to accommodate...for a variety of reasons. It's not always racial. It strains multiple systems.



If the end result is people disliking others based on skin colour and nationality, what's the difference?



> Globalization was purely economical, and fed those on the top. It had nothing to do with culture. The idea that it was meant to enrich everyone's understanding is just how they sold you the lie. Much harder to tell you the truth. No one would willingly buy into their own destruction.



Sure, but the cultural thing is part of it.


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## RejZoR (Aug 21, 2018)

StrayKAT said:


> Are they all racist or could it be more nuanced and related to refugees specifically (regardless of race?). Refugees have historically been hard to accommodate...for a variety of reasons. It's not always racial. It strains multiple systems.
> 
> Globalization was purely economical, and fed those on the top. It had nothing to do with culture. The idea that it was meant to enrich everyone's understanding is just how they sold you the lie. Much harder to tell you the truth. No one would willingly buy into their own destruction.
> 
> I'm all for some Roddenberry esque global world one day, but not before it's time, and not one that destroys jobs and/or quality of life.



Problem is refugee's mentality. If I was fleeing my country for whatever reason, I'd try my best to try and integrate with new country and society as best as possible. Because they'd accept me better and I'd start a new better life faster and easier. But these so called "refugees" want the same shit they are fleeing from, in the country they are fleeing to. Anyone else sees a problem with that? But god forbid anyone dares to mention it coz it'll instantly be branded as racist or something-phobe... Islam is incompatible with European values, but they somehow don't want to go to countries that have same religion and no wars that are just 2-3 countries away from their own. Go figure, right?


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## StrayKAT (Aug 21, 2018)

Frick said:


> If the end result is people disliking others based on skin colour and nationality, what's the difference?



Some people definitely have latent racism issues, but I think they could grow (not all). But making them "pay" somehow for this lesson will just exacerbate it.. and crap will just start spewing out. Instead of paying attention to all of the ways they can humanize someone, they end just focusing on their own problems and resent it.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 21, 2018)

AlwaysHope said:


> Even Trump came out and criticized MS SM run by big tech gods like Google etc... > Link


Come on! Did you read what he said? No where in that twitter rant did he say Microsoft. What Trump is trying to do - again - is silence his critics. 

You are just MS bashing now. You bash if Microsoft and others if they attempt to halt inciteful, "hate speech" and you bash Microsoft and others if they allow such speech to continue. 

I supposed you think this is bad too? Microsoft uncovers new Russian hacking attempts targeting Republicans ahead of midterm elections.

This thread was supposed to be about Google not doing what they said they would do. You have now turned it into political issue, and an anti-Microsoft issue. This thread needs to be shut down now!


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## RejZoR (Aug 21, 2018)

No, Trump didn't say ANY of that and you'd know that if you actually read his tweets. He said that everyone should have an equal voice on social networks, he didn't say they have to silence democrats or progressives (like, ironically, they do to the republicans and conservatives) or remove his critics. The imposed regulations would go as far to ensure this, not to go the opposite way. Social networks are becoming an utility because access to them shapes the governments and nations and they cannot be biased towards single party of their choosing (which is ALWAYS left with ALL the tech copmanies) while silencing the rest. That's meddling with politics and creating a single sided bias through censorship of voices. As such it needs to be regulated and enforced. Just like I don't approve censorship of republicans or conservatives, I demand the same treatment for left side of politics. Because that's free speech. What isn't free speech is this pretentious applying of vague rules on some people and ignoring them for others.

I also love how idiots are still going on about stupid Russian hackers while domestic companies like Twitter and Facebook openly meddle with elections and political expression and no one seems to give two farts about it. But muh russian haxorz!!!!111 Come on, do they think people are blind and (that) stupid?


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 21, 2018)

RejZoR said:


> Come on, do they think people are blind and (that) stupid?


Not necessarily blind, but sadly, it seems many choose to stick their heads in the sand and ignore the possibility they are being led astray by others with malicious intent. 

The problem is the "idiots" (as you call them) who ignore or simply refuse to accept Russia is meddling in their country's elections. And FTR, that IS happening in countries all over the world.


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## natr0n (Aug 21, 2018)

Dont use certain words in conversations that have to do with destruction.

They wont monitor you as much.


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## StrayKAT (Aug 21, 2018)

I don't see how Trump silences anyone. If anything, he gives them a bigger megaphone and more publicity.. and then jokes about them being the spokesperson for their party (like Maxine Walters and now John Brennan). If anything, he wants people to listen to their most fringe and aggravated voices.

If Russia is that powerful, I honestly will give them credit. The US electoral college would not be simple to rig, unlike straight Democracies.

The only thing Trump likes more than his own "branding" is making someone else's branding look bad. Ridicule is a lot more useful to him than complete silence. Thinking he's all for censorship is a willful misunderstanding of what he's even about...which is marketing. I think he relishes in public fights too. The kind of people who are for censorship are the types who are afraid of their enemies and don't want to bother countering them. For all of his faults (and there are many), he's not like that.


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## hat (Aug 22, 2018)

Heh, I don't believe for a second that anything connected to the Internet is private. Even if you go out of your way to try to make it so. You could use a non-android/iOS phone, use a third party email service with your VPN'd computer, third party browser, etc... no matter the lengths you go to you can still/will/are being tracked.




RealNeil said:


> Medical companies are harvesting DATA to use in denying insurance to those of us that are high-risk. (DNA services that analyze your ancestry DNA are selling other info to them)



Oh man... that is the ultimate bullshit.


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## Frick (Aug 22, 2018)

hat said:


> Oh man... that is the ultimate bullshit.



Considering how the US healthcare system works I'd say it would be entirely logical for them to do this. There's rules about it (which don't apply everywhere), but it wouldn't be surprising if they were being ignored.


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## hat (Aug 22, 2018)

Oh yeah, our health care is completely bonkers. I'd rather go to a witch doctor.


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## AlwaysHope (Aug 23, 2018)

Bill_Bright said:


> Come on! Did you read what he said? No where in that twitter rant did he say Microsoft. What Trump is trying to do - again - is silence his critics.
> 
> You are just MS bashing now. You bash if Microsoft and others if they attempt to halt inciteful, "hate speech" and you bash Microsoft and others if they allow such speech to continue.
> 
> ...



I didn't try to change the tone of thread whatsoever.  It's your interpretation of my post. The point was to make others aware of how silicon valley tech gods try to change, thwart & misrepresent the concept of freedom of speech.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 23, 2018)

AlwaysHope said:


> The point was to make others aware of how silicon valley tech gods try to change, thwart & misrepresent the concept of freedom of speech.


I didn't misinterpret anything. You said "Microsoft" and no where is that relevant to this discussion about Google! 

And I am saying your paranoia and conspiracy claims are wrong! And it is your lack of understanding of the problem that is causing you to incorrectly and falsely place the blame.

It is the BADGUYS who are actively using social media to incite crimes, riots, meddling, hate, bullying, terrorism and more. And it is silicon valley who finally is waking up and realizing they have the ability and the responsibility to do something about it. 

Read the second line of my signature. Understand what it means.


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## RejZoR (Aug 23, 2018)

You mean...


> And it is silicon valley who finally is waking up and realizing they have the ability to abuse control over what people express and read.



That's more correct, isn't it? Censoring and shadowbanning someone just because they have the wrong set of political beliefs is BS and that's exactly what they are doing.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 23, 2018)

That is just prejudging and stereotyping. Never good! 

Once again, this thread is about Google not doing what they said they were doing. How about we stick with the topic.


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## remixedcat (Aug 23, 2018)

qubit said:


> You're dreaming. Think of the invasive telemetry baked into Windows 10.



My win 10 tablet, even when it's barely used sends 20-60GB/mo even when I had a month where I only used it 2 times! That's a lot of use on a "metered" connection. I set everything to metered mode and it still consumes that much!!! Too bad it only works with 10 and the company has very little driver support that made it. (Vanquisher brand on amazon).


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## dorsetknob (Aug 23, 2018)

Between the line Reading and meaning
" we will work with you to enable a speedy and orderly transition to a new Provider " = ( we will Blackball you with as many hosting providers as we can)


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## StrayKAT (Aug 23, 2018)

Bill_Bright said:


> I didn't misinterpret anything. You said "Microsoft" and no where is that relevant to this discussion about Google!
> 
> And I am saying your paranoia and conspiracy claims are wrong! And it is your lack of understanding of the problem that is causing you to incorrectly and falsely place the blame.
> 
> ...



Those "bad guys" have few listeners... most who were already predisposed or were "bad guys" themselves. Don't lose your composure.. let alone setting precedents in the bigger picture over it (like free speech issues controlled by media and tech corporations). It's more ridiculous than the moral panic of "Reefer Madness". You'll just end up strengthening what is already the making of a technocracy.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 24, 2018)

StrayKAT said:


> Those "bad guys" have few listeners...


What? They don't need many. It only takes a few to spread hate and death. Look at the Charleston protests. Look at how many it took to bring down the World Trade Centers. It is just silly and naive to suggest the numbers don't warrant concern. 

https://www.safehome.org/resources/hate-on-social-media/

People who hide anonymously behind social media feel emboldened to say what they want because they cannot be seen.


StrayKAT said:


> like free speech issues controlled by media and tech corporations)


Hold on there! You cannot lump the media and tech corporation into the same pile. And you cannot lump all tech corporations together either. Dell, AMD and Intel are giant tech corporations. They cannot be considered anywhere near the threat to personal privacy and security as Facebook or Google are. 

Do not be complicit like RejZoR was by prejudging and stereotyping entire groups based on the actions of a few. That is just wrong and such biases are part of the problem.


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## StrayKAT (Aug 24, 2018)

Bill_Bright said:


> What? They don't need many. It only takes a few to spread hate and death. Look at the Charleston protests. Look at how many it took to bring down the World Trade Centers. It is just silly and naive to suggest the numbers don't warrant concern.



Charleston protests sparked by media hype and fakes. Stop being such a victim of it. The same guy (James Kessler) who started that also tried to rally people again in Unite the Right was once doing the same things for the Left, in the Occupy movement. And the so called "leader" (Richard Spencer) of the Alt-right has pissed off his own followers.. apparently he's banging a lot of their girlfriends and some reporters. In addition to having a history of Asian girlfriends. His movement, minor though it already is, is imploding as we speak.

Then the fool (Alex James Fields) who hit that girl was actually a diagnosed Schizophrenic, in addition to being a stupid racist. Great combo. Just back him into a corner by a mob. Nothing will happen, I swear!

Lastly, they had to manage to get that small amount of people by gathering them ALL around this country. Most weren't even from Charleston or the same state even. That's a handful of dudes from a country of almost 300 million. And even then, they scraped the bottom of the barrel and managed to get a schizophrenic.

But whatever dude. If this still scares you, I can't help.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 24, 2018)

StrayKAT said:


> Charleston protests sparked by media hype and fakes.


Oh? So the white supremacists had nothing to do with it? 

You live in a fantasy world. I cannot deal with this ignorance. I am out of here. 

Mods. PLEASE close this thread. It has gone WAY WAY beyond Google going back on their word.


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## StrayKAT (Aug 24, 2018)

Bill_Bright said:


> Oh? So the white supremacists had nothing to do with it?
> 
> You live in a fantasy world. I cannot deal with this ignorance. I am out of here.
> 
> Mods. PLEASE close this thread. It has gone WAY WAY beyond Google going back on their word.



How do I live in a fantasy world? I'm the minority who's actually experienced racism. What do you have, "Bill Bright"? I bet all you have is politics and abstracts. Tell me all about the plight you've apparently gone through. I grew up as a half-breed Asian and White in the heart of Texas... trying to make sense of these two worlds wasn't always easy.. But I'd be deceiving everyone if I acted like racism was everywhere or that my life is awful. Excuse me for being happy, but that's the simple truth of it.. and why I'm dismissive.

I'm more worried about entities with a lot of power to exercise fear and control - which is the media and these tech companies.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 24, 2018)

StrayKAT said:


> "Bill Bright". That's like the whitest sounding name ever.


Wow! So now you pre-judge someone based on their name? That's just pathetic. 

At least I don't hide behind a fake one.


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## StrayKAT (Aug 24, 2018)

Bill_Bright said:


> Wow! So now you pre-judge someone based on their name? That's just pathetic.
> 
> At least I don't hide behind a fake one.



Tell me your story then.. I asked, didn't I? What do you have? Can you at least say that you've had to fight off multiple people before you were even 10 and got called a "rice cooker" (or _insert slur_ here)? You don't have to go full on lynch story. Just something small like that. Tell me all about the ills of racism which I apparently don't know in my fantasy world.

KAT are my initials. Not that fake. 

This is getting petty. I actually voted for Hillary, funnily.. but it's people like you why I've walked away. I probably won't vote again. Simply because you wish me to be miserable and some "token victim". But it's you that are victims yourselves. You're scared of things that aren't even in your daily experience. If you weren't so aggressive and self-righteous, I'd simply feel sorry for you.. but as it is, you're just bad company. I'm happier spending time with the birds.


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## bogmali (Aug 24, 2018)

Thread has been derailed, closing it


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