On Google, Apple, and Data Collection

[Dulcimer]

A teacher of mine recently "leaped into the 21st century" after purchasing her first-ever smartphone: a Blackberry Z10. When asked about Android offerings, she said she wasn't interested in Samsung or HTC devices because Google tracks everything you do in order to target you ads—an invasion of privacy, of sorts.

Do you believe this line of reasoning is sound? Is it bad that Google can collect so much information from us? Besides, it's just ads, right? Additionally, is Apple bad, too? I'm not sure how far they go to collect data, but I know that with Siri, they store queries for up to 2 years. Thoughts?

 

[Robert.Walter]

A teacher of mine recently "leaped into the 21st century" after purchasing her first-ever smartphone: a Blackberry Z10. When asked about Android offerings, she said she wasn't interested in Samsung or HTC devices because Google tracks everything you do in order to target you ads—an invasion of privacy, of sorts.

Do you believe this line of reasoning is sound? Is it bad that Google can collect so much information from us? Besides, it's just ads, right? Additionally, is Apple bad, too? I'm not sure how far they go to collect data, but I know that with Siri, they store queries for up to 2 years. Thoughts?

She made the right reasoning but the wrong device choice. She could have had the security she needs without the zombie brand phone.

Re Google, they just flushed their "don't be evil" motto because they have the potential to be very evil. It may now just be ads, but with ad blockers strangling Google cash flow, alphabet will have to double down and be very evil to survive.

 

[roadbloc]

I wish I still had my BlackBerry 10 device. Best phone I ever had. Your teacher's data and smarphone experience is in safe hands.

 

[Tech198]

invasion of privacy ? It's only an invasion if u give your real info to Google in the first place..

I would have enjoyed a Nokia 3315 ..