1. omniusovermind's Avatar
    We're all aware that both Google and Apple (not sure about WP7) have been spanked over the last year regarding data collection on their devices. If memory serves me right, a lot of personal info was being datamined such as browsing habits among numerous other things.

    Not by the websites being visted in the browser, but by backgound services built into the OS's themselves, and/or carrier installed software.

    Do we know whether BB10 will have this? Is there anything like this on current BB devices?
    05-11-12 09:19 AM
  2. Fubaz's Avatar
    no, RIM will not allow access in North America for this kind of thing
    Security is their #1 priority and always has been.

    they did make some agreements with governments in other countries, which allow data trafficking, but Android and Apple are as secure as a bucket with holes and i dont know about wp7
    05-11-12 09:23 AM
  3. omniusovermind's Avatar
    I've also done some brief reading about the big Carrier IQ scandal that went around when a developer over at XDA exposed it last year on numerous devices. RIM and a few other companies stated that they don't install it or authorize it for installation by carriers, but it was discovered that some carriers snuck it in on phones that didn't have it baked into the OS (including BB) by putting it in 3rd party apps. It was then discovered that BBOS allows you to disable it if that happens using a workaround.

    I wonder since then if RIM closed that loophole?
    05-11-12 09:38 AM
  4. peter9477's Avatar
    If you want an example of how seriously RIM treats this sort of thing, here are two examples from BB10 Jam:

    1. Not on logging per se, but on privacy: apps which use the camera using the new API will have to provide their own shutter sound, but they must provide a shutter sound that can't be disabled. They're still sorting out the details, but S.McVeigh was clear in his camera session about this and indicated that it's a very firm requirement because of legal issues in various jurisdictions. He said (if I recall correctly) that apps which provide any sort of back door in this area to allow quiet camera use (for spying etc) would be ripped out of App World, and I thought there was an implication the vendor may see other action as a result.

    2. On geolocation logging: the PlayBook does have some capability relating to caching WiFi hotspot GPS locations, so that it may be able to provide a general geolocation result by looking up the hotspot in RIM servers when true GPS (satellite) info is not available. Because caching any location info on-device gets into the whole privacy/logging area, they're currently very limited in what they do in this respect. For the phones, since they'll have a cellular connection available, this functionality will be far more useful... (as it generally is on phones).

    These are things RIM seems to be extremely sensitive about, and I'd be very surprised based on what I've learned to hear that they are as sloppy or nefarious about these things as Google and RIM appear to have been.
    05-11-12 11:24 AM
LINK TO POST COPIED TO CLIPBOARD