[molonlabe2a]

I simply would like to know if the Priv has the ability to keep your Gmail account that you use to setup the phone from seeing everything you do on the phone that isn't related to email? For example, If I installed a third party web browser on the phone, will my Gmail account/Android system be monitoring all of my browsing, texting and access to my photo library? I understand that using Chrome would be an awful idea from a privacy perspective. Any information about how or if the Priv will provide protection from Google's prying eyes and to what extent would be greatly appreciated.

[cgk]

I simply would like to know if the Priv has the ability to keep your Gmail account that you use to setup the phone from seeing everything you do on the phone that isn't related to email? For example, If I installed a third party web browser on the phone, will my Gmail account/Android system be monitoring all of my browsing, texting and access to my photo library? I understand that using Chrome would be an awful idea from a privacy perspective. Any information about how or if the Priv will provide protection from Google's prying eyes and to what extent would be greatly appreciated.

Think about it this way - when the deal was made - it would have been with BBRY lying on the floor with King Google's boot on their throat. The most simple answer is - you'll be able to protect yourself from google as much as you can on any androi device - by playing around with settings, installing third party apps etc.

The better question is actually - will it come out of the box with google data collection disabled - doubtful.

[The Big Picture]

http://www.xda-developers.com/settin...ithout-google/

Posted via CB10

[sorinv]

http://www.xda-developers.com/settin...ithout-google/

Posted via CB10

But this may not! Work on Priv because of the injected PIN.
It seems to me that the first thing BlackBerry did by uploading all the apps to Google play is to force everyone to open a Google account!

[joeldf]

Well, I have Google account, but not a Gmail account. It's an account I created way back before Gmail existed - or at least before it went public.

You can still create a Google account tied to a separate email address without setting up a Gmail account, but they don't make it easy.

It would be interesting to see if I could use the account with the Priv without being forced to create a Gmail account - the way my son was when he first got his Galaxy S2 several years back.

Posted via CB10

[Soulstream]

But this may not! Work on Priv because of the injected PIN.
It seems to me that the first thing BlackBerry did by uploading all the apps to Google play is to force everyone to open a Google account!

That's not why they did this. A lot of OEMs put their apps in the play store for one simple reason: they can update individual apps without updating the OS. Hell, even BB10 suffers when carriers don't push OS updates on time. With this method carriers have no say in this.

[Steve Rizla]

Setting up Android Marshmallow, without Google - XDA Forums

Posted via CB10

You didn't attach any instructions for unlocking the boot loader and installing a custom recovery on the Priv.

[sebstarr]

Question which I recognize is confusing.

If I create a dummy Gmail account just for the Priv phone ie priv@gmail but log into insta, twitter, FB with my Gmail social media account ie social@gmail will Google automatically link the emails back to one user being me?

I have created dummy accounts for various purposes but don't want Google syncing them together for their advertising and contact stealing and merging purposes.

[Ihauntu2]

Question which I recognize is confusing.

If I create a dummy Gmail account just for the Priv phone ie priv@gmail but log into insta, twitter, FB with my Gmail social media account ie social@gmail will Google automatically link the emails back to one user being me?

I have created dummy accounts for various purposes but don't want Google syncing them together for their advertising and contact stealing and merging purposes.

Each account is treated separately on Android regardless of the email you use to log in. You shouldn't have to worry about cross references & connections.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[sebstarr]

Each account is treated separately on Android regardless of the email you use to log in. You shouldn't have to worry about cross references & connections.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

Thanks!

I've already created a Gmail acct with an opt out of everything in hopes of a future Priv that will actually give me control over my privacy and data like I'm used to.

[gvs1341]

Each account is treated separately on Android regardless of the email you use to log in. You shouldn't have to worry about cross references & connections.

^^^ this is also true for Gmail, Outlook, FB etc on all platforms.

Having separate email accounts from different providers for work, personal, online transactions etc is a good way to distort/ reduce your online footprint.

Only your carrier# can* have access to such cross referenced and inter-connected stuff , but proper encryption takes care of that.

#besides the obvious folks in suits
*via legal channel only

 Q5 / Z30

[6stringriffs]

create a dummy google account.... problem solved.

[rsrocha]

You can opt in on the google account control panel to record your location, browsing history and more.

Posted via CB10

[SunshineStateFlyer]

People will have to see the difference between privacy and security. I'm sure Google will not let any OEM interfere negatively with their own OS.

BlackBerry will protect you, up to a certain extent, from security threats, respectively malware or active exploiting of loopholes.

If the user deliberately grants access to his personal files or usage stats, knowingly or not, this is not a security threat.
Also, if the user posts personal pictures online on a public platform, this is not a security threat.

If you find that Google requests too much personal insight without giving the option to disable said features, that's not a security issue but rather a privacy question. However, it is always your choice whether to buy an Android phone or not.

Posted via CB10

[sorinv]

That's not why they did this. A lot of OEMs put their apps in the play store for one simple reason: they can update individual apps without updating the OS. Hell, even BB10 suffers when carriers don't push OS updates on time. With this method carriers have no say in this.

Maybe that's not their intention but that's the outcome.

For the first time I bought a MacBook 12 inch this summer. I have no Apple account, I did not register with Apple, but I can still use the Macbook.

That's not the case with BlackBerry Priv. You have to register with Google to use it.

So, Apple is now better than BlackBerry on Priv at defending your privacy. Well done BlackBerry!

This is exactly what Rogers in Toronto did when they asked me to allow my data to go to Cisco servers in US if I installed their new wi-fi cable modem two years ago.

I switched to Bell Canada instead.

I am not sure that this is legal in Canada. It infringes on Canadian privacy rules because you would be forced to register with a US company and put info on their servers you buy the Priv. The only option out is not to buy the Priv. At least on other android phones you can rot the phone and avoid google.
That, most likely, won't be possible on the Priv because of the hardware PIN.

[Soulstream]

Maybe that's not their intention but that's the outcome.

For the first time I bought a MacBook 12 inch this summer. I have no Apple account, I did not register with Apple, but I can still use the Macbook.

That's not the case with BlackBerry Priv. You have to register with Google to use it.

So, Apple is now better than BlackBerry on Priv at defending your privacy. Well done BlackBerry!

This is exactly what Rogers in Toronto did when they asked me to allow my data to go to Cisco servers in US if I installed their new wi-fi cable modem two years ago.

I switched to Bell Canada instead.

I am not sure that this is legal in Canada. It infringes on Canadian privacy rules because you would be forced to register with a US company and put info on their servers you buy the Priv. The only option out is not to buy the Priv. At least on other android phones you can rot the phone and avoid google.
That, most likely, won't be possible on the Priv because of the hardware PIN.

you can use an android device without a google account, but you can't download any apps from Google Play. Of course you can still sideload them, but it's just safer to use Google play.

I haven't tested the same on an iOS device (different from the macbook), but i suspect they have the same behavior.

[buwee]

Maybe that's not their intention but that's the outcome.

For the first time I bought a MacBook 12 inch this summer. I have no Apple account, I did not register with Apple, but I can still use the Macbook.

That's not the case with BlackBerry Priv. You have to register with Google to use it.

So, Apple is now better than BlackBerry on Priv at defending your privacy. Well done BlackBerry!

This is exactly what Rogers in Toronto did when they asked me to allow my data to go to Cisco servers in US if I installed their new wi-fi cable modem two years ago.

I switched to Bell Canada instead.

I am not sure that this is legal in Canada. It infringes on Canadian privacy rules because you would be forced to register with a US company and put info on their servers you buy the Priv. The only option out is not to buy the Priv. At least on other android phones you can rot the phone and avoid google.
That, most likely, won't be possible on the Priv because of the hardware PIN.

Lol, you can use any Android phone without Google ID but you can't download anything from the Playstore without a Google ID which is exactly the same as an iPhone (no downloads from App store) if you don't register an Apple ID.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[sorinv]

Of course. I don't use any Apple apps. I don't need to. They are all junk as far as I am concerned and so is the OS, I only use it in x-windows and terminal mode to do my work. The file manager on the MacBook is inferior to that on the passport.

But if BlackBerry had their own app store for android, you would not have to register with Google in order to update your BlackBerry apps on Priv.

Kind of how it is now on Bb10. Many of us use only native BB10 apps, no android apps, we do not miss any Google or android apps.

Right now on BB10 phones you have the option to sideload android apps and Google play, or not.

So, yes, BlackBerry had an option to give us privacy since they already have an app store called BlackBerry World, but they didn't.

So, there is nothing to lol about. You just don't get it.

[The Big Picture]

You didn't attach any instructions for unlocking the boot loader and installing a custom recovery on the Priv.

Huh? Why would you need to unlock the bootloader?

Posted via CB10

[Soulstream]

Of course. I don't use any Apple apps. I don't need to. They are all junk as far as I am concerned and so is the OS, I only use it in x-windows and terminal mode to do my work. The file manager on the MacBook is inferior to that on the passport.

But if BlackBerry had their own app store for android, you would not have to register with Google in order to update your BlackBerry apps on Priv.

Kind of how it is now on Bb10. Many of us use only native BB10 apps, no android apps, we do not miss any Google or android apps.

Right now on BB10 phones you have the option to sideload android apps and Google play, or not.

So, yes, BlackBerry had an option to give us privacy since they already have an app store called BlackBerry World, but they didn't.

So, there is nothing to lol about. You just don't get it.

It is you who doesn't get it. When you launch an Android device, people who buy it expect to have Google play on it. So far no Android device has succeeded in the west without Google play store on it.

You can just create a new dummy google account where you don't receive any emails, disable location tracking and use a different browser. That way, the dummy account will have very little information about you.

[Soulstream]

Huh? Why would you need to unlock the bootloader?

Posted via CB10

Because some features require root access and the way to do that is to unlock the bootloader.

[Acvdm]

I don't know. I know modern iPhone's are now impossible to break in without the users credentials which is bad news for the NSA. I would expect Android is less secure but who knows.

Posted via CB10

[Soulstream]

I don't know. I know modern iPhone's are now impossible to break in without the users credentials which is bad news for the NSA. I would expect Android is less secure but who knows.

Posted via CB10

The thing is that even looking at my own phone, except for SMS (which i use less and less) there is very little information that is exclusively on my phone. My photos are backed online, my email is on a server even my back-up is on a PC (which could be a hack target as well). Your phone is only one point of failure, but your information is spread across multiple such points.

[Tre Lawrence]

Of course. I don't use any Apple apps. I don't need to. They are all junk as far as I am concerned and so is the OS, I only use it in x-windows and terminal mode to do my work. The file manager on the MacBook is inferior to that on the passport.

But if BlackBerry had their own app store for android, you would not have to register with Google in order to update your BlackBerry apps on Priv.

Kind of how it is now on Bb10. Many of us use only native BB10 apps, no android apps, we do not miss any Google or android apps.

Right now on BB10 phones you have the option to sideload android apps and Google play, or not.

So, yes, BlackBerry had an option to give us privacy since they already have an app store called BlackBerry World, but they didn't.

So, there is nothing to lol about. You just don't get it.

Giving folks privacy doesn't pay the bills though.

[Emaderton3]

Of course. I don't use any Apple apps. I don't need to. They are all junk as far as I am concerned and so is the OS, I only use it in x-windows and terminal mode to do my work. The file manager on the MacBook is inferior to that on the passport.

But if BlackBerry had their own app store for android, you would not have to register with Google in order to update your BlackBerry apps on Priv.

Kind of how it is now on Bb10. Many of us use only native BB10 apps, no android apps, we do not miss any Google or android apps.

Right now on BB10 phones you have the option to sideload android apps and Google play, or not.

So, yes, BlackBerry had an option to give us privacy since they already have an app store called BlackBerry World, but they didn't.

So, there is nothing to lol about. You just don't get it.

BlackBerry does have their own Android store--it was called Amazon Appstore lol.

But, one could probably use it as an alternative.

Posted via CB10