Got an Android phone (Samsung Captivate) recently - new user - and as much as I like that phone, my joy is extremely overshadowed by the feeling that Google knows a lot about me in exchange, and I have lost control over the privacy of my data whenever I use the phone.
The contacts, calendar, android market, browsing, emails ... everything I do, now Google knows. Too many agreements that I am agreeing to with Google without fully understand those as I setup the phone.
The phone, the applications on the phone, my data - all have become one with Google. It is not like a PC/laptop any more where I know that my data is safe with me and not somewhere on the internet.
I don't mean to offend believers in the cloud or Google and the security of my data there - so please don't respond in that philosophical context.
I feel so strongly about this, that just for this reason I would rather go with an iphone than an android based phone.
Is there a way for me to limit and control the information Google gets as I use this phone?
Does anybody else share this concern, and have any thoughts about this?
BTW, a phone is primarily a device for me to conduct business - I am not excited by the uncontrolled connectivity between the applications and with my personal data in the cloud.
The contacts, calendar, android market, browsing, emails ... everything I do, now Google knows. Too many agreements that I am agreeing to with Google without fully understand those as I setup the phone.
The phone, the applications on the phone, my data - all have become one with Google. It is not like a PC/laptop any more where I know that my data is safe with me and not somewhere on the internet.
I don't mean to offend believers in the cloud or Google and the security of my data there - so please don't respond in that philosophical context.
I feel so strongly about this, that just for this reason I would rather go with an iphone than an android based phone.
Is there a way for me to limit and control the information Google gets as I use this phone?
Does anybody else share this concern, and have any thoughts about this?
BTW, a phone is primarily a device for me to conduct business - I am not excited by the uncontrolled connectivity between the applications and with my personal data in the cloud.