[bbschorsch]

The BlackBerry PRIV and how it helps Google to collect and analyse your personal data
Jan 7, 2016


When John Chen announced the BlackBerry PRIV he stated that they will only build an Android phone if they can make it as secure as a BlackBerry device.
The question now is: is BlackBerry is able to deliver this level of security and privacy with the PRIV it suggests to have.

"We only build secure phones and BlackBerry is the most secure phone so, if I can find a way to secure the Android phone, I will also build that." - John Chen

After using the PRIV for a month now I got curious how secure it really is. I put my main focus on two different problems.

access apps gain to your personal data
access Google gains to your data

Hence BlackBerry currently uses Android 5.1.1 it currently only offers security if the user is aware of threads and actively avoids them.
Even though BlackBerry has DTEK which monitors all installed apps and what they accessed over the past 7 days, it only gives users the choice to learn about what happened but does not allow users to take any other action than deleting an app that they do not trust.

As soon as BlackBerry updates to Android 6.0 this will change but after a month I discovered that DTEK says most apps only access the device location, especially Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare.
According to DTEK no app accessed anything else than the GPS location, your contacts and the microphone (in this case it was Signal, a phone app).

Even if Android 5.1.1 allows users to switch off your GPS, every user from time to time will switch it on and might forget to turn it of afterwards.

As the picture shows over the past 7 days Twitter accessed my location 3390 times. The important fact is that most of the time the GPS has been disabled. But if enabled Twitter and other apps are happily taking your location.

The same does Google. They store it and taataa they make that available for users to see it. Of cause users can delete this history if they take the time to search for it and do this manually.
As it seems this happens through Google own "google services" a tool that allows Google to track their users and match and analyse all gathered data.

And lastly we have the voice input of users. A great feature that even works if it has been deactivated and but as most of you already know Google collects and analyses these data as well. But it also offers you to look at these data and listen to the playback of it.
So Google does not only know what you tell your device or dictate as an email it also saves it to analyse it later. Probably it does not only analyse the input but also your voice - after using Google for some time they will not only know your face, your habits but also your voice. And as you know the more voice input of a person you own the easier it is to fake sentences and make fake calls.

And even if you trust Google the main problem might not be Google but a person who might have gotten access to your Google password. As soon as they gained access to this they are able to access all the mentioned data above.

For governments and enterprises that rely on security all this is more than a vision of someone who always tries to break into systems to gain access to users personal details.
After all it only shows that the Android system is far away form being a secure operating system for enterprise customers and that even BlackBerry is only able to limit the access hackers and criminals might get to the individuals phone by monitoring apps or connections and making it hard to physically backing or tapping into someone's phone.

But we are far away form saying that the PRIV offers companies and highly regulated industries an Android device that is as secure as a BlackBerry10 smartphone. The PRIV even if it is produced by BlackBerry is not a device that keeps your data private as long as you do not dig through the settings on the phone as well as on the Google site to make it close to being private.

As long as no one raises these questions and confronts BlackBerry with the weaknesses of the system they will not be willingly undertake actions to build a "real secure" Android phone.

"The PRIV stands for Privacy - but in fact nothing that runs google is private as Erik Schmidt already stated" - George Heise

If you are curios to see what Google knows about you, you can head over to

www.google.com/dashboard

and try to deactivate as much as possible.

[zocster]

Community Rules & Guidelines - Mobile Nations Forums

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[w1sd0m.t00th]

Jesus....

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[Xadion]

You all just now are realizing that android in its core, even marshmallow is anything but... private? They can claim secure until it's hacked or Google just gives random info to random whatever, technically.

But EVERYTHING is tracked in android by Google and saved for them and their uses- whatever that may be.

Posted via CB10

[brianmartinuk]

I was going to write a similar article to this as I've been taking notes since I've owned the PRIV and I agree with everything you've said. It's rather scary isn't it!

[Malazm]

What I can't understand is how the world is being conned and more and more people are moving away from BlackBerry os 10. How CIOs can allow their companies info to be compromised? Maybe someone should investigate JC; see if he is getting paid by Google.

Posted via CB10

[richard koppenaal]

Old news i knew when i bought this phone the whole world knows . Any difference between the nsa and Google ?

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[misterabrasive]

Apparently the only ones who care are the few paranoid tinfoil hat folks. I don't have anything to hide. And I don't care.

Posted from my Verizon Z10 10.3.2.858

[DenverRalphy]

But EVERYTHING is tracked in android by Google and saved for them and their uses- whatever that may be.

The only thing Google tracks are services that you opt into. Location history? You have to opt in to. Search history? You have to opt in to. Calendar tasks and reminders aggregated from Gmail? You have to opt in to. Etc..

You can literally opt to not be included in ANY of Google's services before those services activate if you choose not to. Pretty much every service Google offers via Android gives you a "This is what you're asking for" pop up.

[jimmyt1]

Same for ios, windows 10, credit cards, loyalty cards... off the top of my head. I don't like it, but to suggest it's an android issue is inaccurate. Many companies make as much money from the information they gather than they do from the product or service they sell. "Power of habit" had an interesting chapter that touched on this. It may be more extreme but this effort is nothing new.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for BlackBerry Android

[Ronindan]

Same goes for Banks, Telecoms etc... everything is tracked in the internet. Heck do people forget what business intelligence (BI) even means??

[brianmartinuk]

What I can't understand is how the world is being conned and more and more people are moving away from BlackBerry os 10. How CIOs can allow their companies info to be compromised? Maybe someone should investigate JC; see if he is getting paid by Google.

Posted via CB10

I actually like the PRIV. It's opened up apps I've never had the opportunity to use before.

[anon(9742832)]

Not really if you want to see how Google tracks everything pick up a friends Apple. Then compare the same apps. With Google if the app wants access it gets it period. These are not from the app writers but installed by Google. I was reading were an app writer was given reams of info on users and was surprised. On my wife's phone the app asks if you say no, it's off but the app functions fine.

The way around some of the Google issues is a APK modifier, I have one on my Passport and it stops the spying. Some apps will not run but that's fine. As for someone responding "I don't care I have nothing to hide" that's what these companies thrive on. Your info so you can do nothing without them knowing. Me I would rather not share my whole world.

Woof!

[anon(9742832)]

One last thought, Google does nothing without collecting data. That's why most companies steer clear of Android and Google. With another secure phone that uses encryption they completely seperate the secure side from Andriod. They know you cannot secure an Andriod phone Google would never allow it. Why do you think OS 10 is going for certification with the US Goverment . What Chen said speaks volumes.

Woof!

[freedomx20a]

Whatsapp is the worst! It's accessed my contacts 60,000 times in last day with microphone access 2x. And I never use it!

Posted via the Innovative Blackberry PRIV - Powered by Android

[Rasheed White]

use startpage.com for as your browser.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[dbmalloy]

I read all this and ask the question... who cares!!!!. if you do not want your data collective... simply stay off you phone, internet do not use a credit card... cancel your home phone... only true way to attain privacy today...

why do you think companies collect data... not to spy on you but to make money... what you consider spying is a money making opportunity to Google and its ilk.... people make Google look like one giant spy agency.. when in fact to is a data broker and really has not presented itself as anything else... sure they want your data... to use it to sell adds for revenue and hence make money.... annoying targeted adds are the result.. again...so what..it is the cost of using the service... you can hardly complain about privacy when you use the service that you have agreed to data mine you....

security and privacy are two different animals that users continue to mix up... Security is a method to stop unwanted intrusions without your knowledge.... be it hacking your phone ( rooting )... hacking your password... or hacking the network you use... all for the purpose of spying without you knowledge....

privacy is where YOU decide what is going to be collected.... if you use IOS and Android Windows or Blackberry... you give up privacy as soon as you agree to TOS ( terms of service ) when you first boot up your brand new phones.... most users never read TOS and then complain about what they agreed to..... It is the same when you use the internet... same principal..... your IP gives your location... your browser gives out you data.... depending on OS and programs data is being sent out constantly.. you are shoving loads of data out... just do a Windows 10 install and do not use express install... you have 3 pages of having to turn off all the spying Windows 10 does on you...

I only use my Iphone 6 for a custom work app... I simply use it for the app and phone calls for work... turned off GPS... have not downloaded a single app... only OS updates... no internet....so in theory they can track where I go by tower pinging... consider this a private device... Apple still can collect data at an OS level but as I do nothing but work app and phone calls... nothing of interest for them to collect....

Personal phone ... my trusty z30.... as a secure device is great... till I agree to use any Play store on Android.... that is the reason why I do not use any Android apps.... just my trusty BB10.. does it collect data on me... probably.... but as I do not use it to check banking or purchasing from the net... do not care what they see... who ever may be spying on me will be appaulled at how bad I play Angry birds...

In the end... it is being an informed consumer... for me ... I do not care...nor do I store any personal info I am worried about getting out there ... so have at ...in the end.... I simply not that important .....

[clipskid]

The way around some of the Google issues is a APK modifier, I have one on my Passport and it stops the spying.

Woof!

Any recommendations on apk modifiers?

Posted via CB10

[bakron1]

I read all this and ask the question... who cares!!!!. if you do not want your data collective... simply stay off you phone, internet do not use a credit card... cancel your home phone... only true way to attain privacy today...

why do you think companies collect data... not to spy on you but to make money... what you consider spying is a money making opportunity to Google and its ilk.... people make Google look like oneAmen giant spy agency.. when in fact to is a data broker and really has not presented itself as anything else... sure they want your data... to use it to sell adds for revenue and hence make money.... annoying targeted adds are the result.. again...so what..it is the cost of using the service... you can hardly complain about privacy when you use the service that you have agreed to data mine you....

security and privacy are two different animals that users continue to mix up... Security is a method to stop unwanted intrusions without your knowledge.... be it hacking your phone ( rooting )... hacking your password... or hacking the network you use... all for the purpose of spying without you knowledge.......

Amen

[Kurdis Blough]

Any recommendations on apk modifiers?

Posted via CB10

You are worried about privacy but would install something like lucky patcher on your device?

I know who Google is. Who develops lucky patcher? How do they monetize it?

!

[paulbbp]

I'm assuming everyone concerned with Priv and Android never visits any of these sites:
Google.com
YouTube.com
Gmail.com
Facebook.com
Amazon.com

If so you may as well take off the foil hats, they've got you... The black helicopters are on there way.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android on Priv.

[hbelkin]

Apparently the only ones who care are the few paranoid tinfoil hat folks. I don't have anything to hide. And I don't care.

Posted from my Verizon Z10 10.3.2.858

Seems a lot of them are right here on Crackberry! :-)


Posted via CB10

[Tsepz_GP]

Lol, topics like this are truly hilarious, especially if you have any sort of email address, smartphone, live in area with security cameras (with images of your faces, vehicle number plates etc... being sold to big data companies), have a credit car, modern car etc etc...😂

That Google Dashboard got me all excited, logged into it and discovered stuff I had willingly allowed to be recorded and no more than that 😑
I've had Androids for nearly 6years now, and with the way these tin foil hat wearers go on about Google's data mining, I expected to be shocked, but as usual, its the same old exaggeration.

[FunktasticLucky]

I have something for all those who constantly say I have nothing to hide so I don't care. There are so many freaking laws that not even law makers know them all but remember this.

It is simply not up to you whether or not you have done something wrong. Whether or not you have something to fear from your government or anyone else who holds your personal data. You are not the one who decides whether or not you've done something wrong.


Posted via CB10

[anon(9742832)]

Ahhhh tin foil hats! God bless the sheep for they will fill Googles coffers! I suppose the people who have nothing to hide yet screen about the NSA, are the same ones who scream about data collection. Oh the humanity, once again people who disagree or have a concern are lambasted as tin hats or worse.
This forum never disappoints!

Woof!