[chetmanley]

Whao ya, it opened up EVERYTHING.

Just one question about "allow when screen on," so i can assume when this is toggled on, and i shut the screen off, it will automatically block wifi to all apps?

And not sure what "allow when screen rules on" means.

Should both of these be toggled on?
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ababe503bf.jpg

I don't use that feature because the connections I block are connections I want blocked all the time, not just when the screen is off.

But under Settings->Options you can toggle on the default setting of "Apply 'when screen on' rules. On its own, all this toggle will do is activate the options to "Allow Wi-fi when screen is on" and "Allow Mobile when screen is on" which will now appear for each app under the Conditions heading.

So, if you turn these on, then the app will have connections disabled when the screen is off, and enabled automatically when back on.

One purpose for this might be for saving Data. So the app only communicates if you're using your phone.


The settings I do use under Defaults are "Block Wifi" and "Block Mobile". This way, any newly installed apps are blocked until I tell it otherwise.

Another way to do this is to activate Lockdown Mode all the time. So every connection is disabled by default, and then you need to go through each app and choose what you want to turn on or off. I'm currently using this method.

[RaybanRJ]

I don't use that feature because the connections I block are connections I want blocked all the time, not just when the screen is off.

But under Settings->Options you can toggle on the default setting of "Apply 'when screen on' rules. On its own, all this toggle will do is activate the options to "Allow Wi-fi when screen is on" and "Allow Mobile when screen is on" which will now appear for each app under the Conditions heading.

So, if you turn these on, then the app will have connections disabled when the screen is off, and enabled automatically when back on.

One purpose for this might be for saving Data. So the app only communicates if you're using your phone.


The settings I do use under Defaults are "Block Wifi" and "Block Mobile". This way, any newly installed apps are blocked until I tell it otherwise.

Another way to do this is to activate Lockdown Mode all the time. So every connection is disabled by default, and then you need to go through each app and choose what you want to turn on or off. I'm currently using this method.

Ok that explains the Lockdown mode, I only noticed that once I turned on the Manager settings under Advanced. So activate Lockdown mode and then toggle anything off (wifi symbol for me) that I don’t need and the rest will stay open. Yes I will be using this for sure. But I did notice that the wifi symbols were still all ON under Lockdown mode unless you checked them to off manually.

I did test “apply when screen on,” ran the tune in radio app, shut off the screen and it still played for 10 minutes so not sure that works as it is supposed to but it does not matter to me, I’ll be doing it all manually or with the lockdown mode.

[chetmanley]

@RaybanRJ

If you turn lockdown on, then it should kill everything, and then you can toggle apps back on.

Once you toggled on "apply when screen on" settings, did you make sure to apply that setting specifically to Tune in?

If you did, maybe its possible the app is buffering the content?

[RaybanRJ]

@RaybanRJ

If you turn lockdown on, then it should kill everything, and then you can toggle apps back on.

Once you toggled on "apply when screen on" settings, did you make sure to apply that setting specifically to Tune in?

If you did, maybe its possible the app is buffering the content?

You are right, it did kill everything but i cannot figure out then how to "toggle ON the apps i want to work in lockdown mode" because in lockdown mode, when the apps are dead, hitting the wifi symbol puts an "arrow" through it meaning it is still dead.

Almost too many options in this app (why apple is very successful for people that dont want to bother)

If I cant figure out lockdown mode i am ok doing it all manually.

[chetmanley]

You are right, it did kill everything but i cannot figure out then how to "toggle ON the apps i want to work in lockdown mode" because in lockdown mode, when the apps are dead, hitting the wifi symbol puts an "arrow" through it meaning it is still dead.

Almost too many options in this app (why apple is very successful for people that dont want to bother)

If I cant figure out lockdown mode i am ok doing it all manually.

Ya, sorry forgot to mention. To activate an app in lockdown, you need to toggle the setting "allow in lockdown mode" under Conditions for that app.

You will find this app can be very confusing because there are so many ways to control connections. But once you mess around with it for a while you'll get a sense of what does what and its very powerful.

[RaybanRJ]

Ya, sorry forgot to mention. To activate an app in lockdown, you need to toggle the setting "allow in lockdown mode" under Conditions for that app.

You will find this app can be very confusing because there are so many ways to control connections. But once you mess around with it for a while you'll get a sense of what does what and its very powerful.

Yup found it thanks! Im just going to allow Spotify and TuneIn during lockdown.

[idssteve]

Once NG is set up, is there any way to migrate those settings to other handsets? Or manual entry only??

[chetmanley]

Once NG is set up, is there any way to migrate those settings to other handsets? Or manual entry only??

Yes, you can create a backup file under Settings. Just move this to your new device.

Ofcourse, if the new device doesn't have all of the same apps installed, it will do its best to apply this backup. It seems to work pretty well even if the new device has missing apps.

[idssteve]

Yes, you can create a backup file under Settings. Just move this to your new device.

Ofcourse, if the new device doesn't have all of the same apps installed, it will do its best to apply this backup. It seems to work pretty well even if the new device has missing apps.

Excellent!

Next question: what's Google's take on this?

[mushroom_daddy]

Excellent!

Next question: what's Google's take on this?

Nothing will defeat the big G – if NetGuard becomes a big success and is widely deployed, they will probably buy or license it

[YesAndNo]

Just to add some detail, Google is currently operating under a 2011 consent decree in a settlement with the US government over previous deceptive privacy practices, in which it "used deceptive tactics and violated its own privacy promises to consumers."

Google agreed not to misrepresent anything related to "(1) the purposes for which it collects and uses covered information, and (2) the extent to which consumers may exercise control over the collection, use, or disclosure of covered information."

It's pretty unambiguous that they misrepresented the extent to which users could opt out of tracking when the language for turning off Location History said, "You can turn off Location History at any time. With Location History off, the places you go are no longer stored."

So, they likely violated the consent decree, which could open them up to fines for both this incident and the original one that they settled in 2011.

Beyond that, California law may have been violated as well. The law prohibits the recording of personal information without consent, and includes a "private right of action" for statutory damages of $5,000 per individual per incident.

That's not chump change!

Well explained! Google sucks!

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Nothing will defeat the big G – if NetGuard becomes a big success and is widely deployed, they will probably buy or license it

1) NetGuard doesn't prevent access by system files or IPsec traffic. Only a firewall with root access can do that.

2) Number of people using NetGuard or other "traffic" Blockers isn't enough to bother Google and their ad based revenues too much. And the answer is to block your access... You'll find the list of websites that checks for "traffic" Blockers growing. For now it's mostly more premium news sites, but who know in a few years that cold be the standard for sites and apps.....

[RaybanRJ]

Installed BitDefender, it ranked with Norton at the top. I am paying the $1.50 per month or you can go $15 per year. Then there is also some Pro version but it pretty much does everything. I feel better about running lollipop using this and i also use NetGuard to block all but a few apps when in public wifi areas.

[Hphv]

UPDATE 8/30/2018:

I’ve managed to remove my foot from my mouth long enough to say that after watching the KEY2 LE videos today, I’m planning on buying one on release day.

I’m doing a detailed writeup explaining why, but suffice it to say: never say never.

UPDATE 8/27/2018:

Now that I know about the existence of NetGuard (https://netguard.me), I'd be ok with using a BlackBerry Android device. It's not a perfect solution and won't stop Google completely from collecting data, but it will definitely give me the amount of control I'm looking for over most apps phoning home.

If I had known about the existence of NetGuard beforehand, I wouldn't have posted this.

__________

Google tracks your movements, like it or not

I have always felt the marketing claims of BlackBerry Android phones protecting our privacy were misleading at best for this very reason. I have long suspected that Google collects data about almost everything a user does with an Android phone, regardless of their account settings - that Google has merely created the illusion of control over the data it collects and how it uses that data. This news at least partially confirms that.

Many of us have been voicing our concerns about Google's tracking via Android since long before the PRIV was announced.

Most people implicitly trust Google - or are at least indifferent about them - and don't care that they're being tracked in this manner.

But a selling point for many of us who bought BB10 and earlier BlackBerrys was that they weren't running Android - that we weren't being tracked for the purposes of targeted ads, at least not on the OS level. When BlackBerry first announced its unholy alliance with Android, we felt we had been betrayed. And we have been.

And while Google may be the most prolific and well-known data-miner, it is far from alone.

I'm not just talking about Facebook. As reported in the Intercept late last year, many of the most popular Android apps have third-party trackers embedded in them that are feeding all kinds of personal information to companies you've never heard of:

Staggering Variety of Clandestine Trackers Found in Popular Android Apps

Until I can be assured that Google is being 100% transparent about its data collection and use, and that I have 100% control over exactly what data I allow them and third parties to collect from my phone, I will not be using any phone running Android, let alone a post-BB10 BlackBerry

You can always try to use Blokada. Amazing how much it blocks. You'll find some info here on the forums

[anon(10321802)]

Apparently Apple is no better:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/730302...-calls-emails/

Moral of the story: if you use an Internet-connected device, assume you are being tracked in some form or fashion. Do the best you can to protect your privacy and try not to be careless, but it doesn't really matter what device you use.

[Invictus0]

Apparently Apple is no better:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/730302...-calls-emails/

These two examples aren't the same at all, one is about a company continuing to track you after you've explicitly told them not to while the other is to deal with fraud without exposing identifiable user information.

https://venturebeat.com/2018/09/18/a...ls-and-emails/

The score is computed on device (instead of the cloud, something Apple has pushed for heavily in recent years) so all they get is the final number. At the end of the day though privacy is all about trust, you need to trust both your hardware and software suppliers for it to mean anything.

[Crisdean]

'This is why I will never buy any device running Android'.. fixed that for you. Also, I'm preeeettty sure you have owned a few Android devices over your time. To say nothing about the fact that every OS tracks you in one way or another. If it's not Google, it's your carrier. If you have a SIM in it... you're being tracked. Full stop. The only difference is how that data is accessed and used.

Not only that. You don't even have to have a sim card in to be tracked. Years ago on German TV they could track a person driving around with his phone switched off. This was before Google was producing Android. I think it was a Symbian phone.

So if you don't trust Google and don't use their searches. Trust me there're so many ways you tell about yourself it would be too long to list here. Even the fact that you're on here does make you "readable".

In todays age the only way to live off the grid is to live without internet, in the wilderness and burn your documents. Meaning forget about Google. Many entities hold details about you. Whether you think of it or not.

[anon(10321802)]

These two examples aren't the same at all, one is about a company continuing to track you after you've explicitly told them not to while the other is to deal with fraud without exposing identifiable user information.

https://venturebeat.com/2018/09/18/a...ls-and-emails/

The score is computed on device (instead of the cloud, something Apple has pushed for heavily in recent years) so all they get is the final number. At the end of the day though privacy is all about trust, you need to trust both your hardware and software suppliers for it to mean anything.

Whether the data resides on your phone or their servers, Apple is still tracking your phone usage and feeding that information into computer algorithms to assess your behavior and assign a value to you. They are no better than Google or Facebook to me now.

[JulesDB]

It is not a question of Android, OS 10 or other systems. Remember: Merkels BlackBerry was monitored by the NSA ...

It was a Nokia

[VictorRight]

It's certainly not an ideal situation but part of it is apps not following the rules and another part of it is Google not enforcing it on an OS level. However, as I noted, there's so many other players in the mix that it's not entirely on Google to fix or address either. Let's say Google locked it all down. Great! That's only ONE failure point closed.

All carriers siphon info from you just by simply having your SIM card in the device, they don't even need to worry about OS level enforcement. Example: AT&T works closely with the CIA/NSA and scoops up tons of call records and internet activities daily. - https://theintercept.com/2018/06/25/...-nsa-spy-hubs/

It all comes down to 'who do you trust with the data?'. For me, Google can have it. Based on available info, I have more confidence in Google with my data than I do AT&T as an example. I feel as though Google still has the power to say 'no, you're not getting that data unless you have a warrant' or whatever whereas I feel AT&T has already handed over the keys and there's no barrier to entry to the data.

And again, I can't stress enough that this isn't a BlackBerry vs. Android thing. People are screwed all around. You can only takes steps to minimize and reduce the impacts but at the end of the day, you're still being tracked somewhere.. somehow.

You would trust Sergey, the ultra leftwing leader of the clan?

[the_boon]

Whether the data resides on your phone or their servers, Apple is still tracking your phone usage and feeding that information into computer algorithms to assess your behavior and assign a value to you. They are no better than Google or Facebook to me now.

Apple fanboy:

[Invictus0]

Whether the data resides on your phone or their servers, Apple is still tracking your phone usage and feeding that information into computer algorithms to assess your behavior and assign a value to you. They are no better than Google or Facebook to me now.

If that's your criteria for privacy, sure that's fine. But there are still key differences between how Apple and Google deal with privacy and user data that many privacy advocates, organizations, governments, etc make distinctions about.

The days of privacy and security being a major focus for a smartphones OS are long gone but that doesn't mean the ones that are left are both the same in this regard.

[chetmanley]

1) NetGuard doesn't prevent access by system files or IPsec traffic. Only a firewall with root access can do that.

2) Number of people using NetGuard or other "traffic" Blockers isn't enough to bother Google and their ad based revenues too much. And the answer is to block your access... You'll find the list of websites that checks for "traffic" Blockers growing. For now it's mostly more premium news sites, but who know in a few years that cold be the standard for sites and apps.....

When you mention system files, what files are you referring to? Are you referring to system applications?

[allyourbasearebelongtous]

UPDATE 8/30/2018:

And while Google may be the most prolific and well-known data-miner, it is far from alone.

This is why I spend quite a bit of time prepping android phones before I use them. CFW, ROM, removal of bloatware, disabling app permission, enabling data firewalls etc. One issue that I am facing is that the firewall that I have used in the past, No root firewall, may have questionable data practices of their own so its a slippery slope.

However, removing many of the installed Google apps and background services is key if you want to reduce the use and brokering of your data on Android phones. To be honest it took me some years to realize that the entire ecoystem of Android, while open source, is in reality a world built to steal, use and sell your data that you 'freely' give to them. It also helps if you don't rely on apps. On my last 3-4 androids, I don't download anything beyond an app for Battery, firewall and the dolphin browser. I would even argue that there isn't much of a need for apps. There is a want, but few people out there have real needs.

[Emaderton3]

This is why I spend quite a bit of time prepping android phones before I use them. CFW, ROM, removal of bloatware, disabling app permission, enabling data firewalls etc. One issue that I am facing is that the firewall that I have used in the past, No root firewall, may have questionable data practices of their own so its a slippery slope.

However, removing many of the installed Google apps and background services is key if you want to reduce the use and brokering of your data on Android phones. To be honest it took me some years to realize that the entire ecoystem of Android, while open source, is in reality a world built to steal, use and sell your data that you 'freely' give to them. It also helps if you don't rely on apps. On my last 3-4 androids, I don't download anything beyond an app for Battery, firewall and the dolphin browser. I would even argue that there isn't much of a need for apps. There is a want, but few people out there have real needs.

You could pay then for said apps and your data would be treated differently. Nothing free in life is free.