VPN Article I Found Informative

[puppykickr]

Did you know that many of the most popular VPNs are tracking you with the same things you are using a VPN to avoid?

https://blog.windscribe.com/shattering-the-grand-illusion-of-cookie-flavored-lies-ced3677476ec

 

[Deleted User]

Is their more articles to verify this one is true?

 

[puppykickr]

Is their more articles to verify this one is true?

You dont need more articles.
What you need is an app, like Addons Detector, that will show you what crap your apps are linking up to.

Any app that has Google Analytics in it is going to be giving information to Google. That is why it is there.

 

[Deleted User]

You dont need more articles.
What you need is an app, like Addons Detector, that will show you what crap your apps are linking up to.

Any app that has Google Analytics in it is going to be giving information to Google. That is why it is there.

Yes but if 1 article is only saying it, how can it be 100% trusted, if their is more then 1 prividing even at least 2 can show they arent spreading misinformation.

Hoeever you are right about that dector thing but does those kind of apos even exsists?

 

[Samuel Martin]

Tracking tools like Google analytics are trusted I believe. As far as the Apps are concerned I would rather go for the reviews on multiple websites and communities to know which one is trusted and which is not rather trusting a VPN article that says it's secure and the rest are B**sh**.

 

[Hadron]

The trouble is that there are a lot of fake reviews out there, and few community reviewers would spot privacy issues in apps unless those are really obvious. Equally many websites just recycle each others' information and/or do shallow reviews which would never spot issues like those described above (e.g. I've seen plenty of reviews of email apps which I know have gaping privacy issues where the review does not mention this at all).

So sure, it's correct to be cautious about an article written by an interested party. But a large number of low-quality sources are not necessarily better. These judgements aren't easy.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Yes. Anything new in privacy @puppykickr?

 

[Davdi]

There's definitely a commercial interest at play in that article. I wouldn't trust it as far as I could throw my car.
Let's get back to basics - Why do you want to use a VPN? Who do you want not to see your communications?
Anything sent over https is encrypted quite securely anyway.
And for those who really need privacy/anonymity. there's Tor/Tails.

 

[puppykickr]

Yes but if 1 article is only saying it, how can it be 100% trusted, if their is more then 1 prividing even at least 2 can show they arent spreading misinformation.

Hoeever you are right about that dector thing but does those kind of apos even exsists?

Yes, they exist.
I know of at least three of them.
Personally, I use Addons Detector.

https://addons-detector.en.uptodown.com/android

 

[puppykickr]

Yes. Anything new in privacy @puppykickr?

Not that I am aware of- at least not any good news, lol.

Anyway, an app I find to be very useful when I am deciding if an app is worth keeping is called Addons Detector.

It is like Classy Shark, but has an easier UI and actually updates faster than Classy Shark does.

I have tested them side by side on the same device at the same time, and Addons Detector found things that Classy Shark did not.

The reason for this is in how each app goes about doing its duty, but I even had a friend overseas test it out and he got the same results that I did.

https://addons-detector.en.uptodown.com/android

 

[puppykickr]

Tracking tools like Google analytics are trusted I believe. As far as the Apps are concerned I would rather go for the reviews on multiple websites and communities to know which one is trusted and which is not rather trusting a VPN article that says it's secure and the rest are B**sh**.

I had to laugh.
I just saw the words "Google" and "trusted" in the same sentence, without the word "not" anywhere in sight.

 

[Davdi]

Well, there's always F-Droid https://f-droid.org/ - all open source apps.

 

[jeffmax1]

The article is really interesting but I think such tracking not too much harmful for the VPN user like Google Analytics, Adwords, Facebook & Twitter Analytics after all these tools are the need of this digital era if we're not using this so tell me how can the brand track their performance effectively? And if we not trusted on such third parties platforms so tell me which one is best?

 

[Hadron]

Why do you care about some brand tracking their performance? Even if you accept their claim that their services are worth the trade-off on your privacy the analytics don't benefit you, so why should you put up with them?

 

[Davdi]

If you're that worried about the tracking, don't use Facebook etc, and buy a Pixel phone and install Lineage without GAPPS, and get your apps from F-Droid (All open source)

 

[jeffmax1]

@Hadron Why you guys so convinced that we shouldn't use their services like Google, Facebook and Twitter, and if I agree with your statement and don't use analytics so what's your take on this if we want to run a campaign on google? what about remarketing? In today's age we have to use their services at times, we have no other best option.

That's my opinion

 

[Hadron]

It's up to you whether you use their services. And let's face it, this is an android forum so very few here will be keeping themselves completely distant from Google - most Android users accept defaults and enable Assistant, which turns on every other form of data recording Google are capable of, allowing them to surveille the activities of the population to a degree that the Stasi could only dream of. If you are happy with corporations, which by legal construction place their profits above all other considerations to the extent that the law allows them, having access to that much information about you then that's your choice. To me it's obvious that corporate entities by their nature can never be trusted not to exploit or abuse any power they have, that knowledge famously is power, and so I personally treat them all with a lot of caution.

So what data you allow these outfits to have is a trade-off that everyone has to judge for themselves. Most people of course have no appreciation of how these companies work, how much data is collected or how it is and may be used, which means that most users are not able to make an informed choice (and of course the companies try to limit your choice to "accept it or delete your account", though they will also continue to track you even then - you don't need a Facebook account for Facebook to follow you around the web, for example). I find this lack of informed consent problematic, which is another reason I have deep reservations about these companies. And just in case you think I am putting myself above others here, I do not consider that I understand these companies' operations sufficiently to make an informed choice myself. So while I do use their services - though to a lesser extent than many - I do take measures to restrict the information they get access to.

Anyway, apologies for that little essay, but you did ask

So as to your problem, I'm afraid that my take is that it doesn't matter to me who you use for analytics because it's the principle I'm not comfortable with rather than the individual company. In my opinion this whole business needs rebalancing, as these companies are far too powerful - but given the number of legislators they can buy with a fraction of the taxes they avoid I do not expect it to happen soon.

 

[puppykickr]

@Hadron Why you guys so convinced that we shouldn't use their services like Google, Facebook and Twitter, and if I agree with your statement and don't use analytics so what's your take on this if we want to run a campaign on google? what about remarketing? In today's age we have to use their services at times, we have no other best option.

That's my opinion

It is actually very simple.

Not too many years ago, there was a European country that decided to keep records of all sorts on all of its citizens.

This was done in order for the government to better help each citizen, as all of each individual's information was known- address, medical information, political affiliation, likes, dislikes, etc.

It worked fine for a time, and was very efficient.

Then this little thing called WW2 happened, and this nice little nation was overtaken rapidly.

The nation that took them over was very happy to find all of this information on all of these citizens, because right there in their hands was all the means to find the people that might put up any form of resistance.

And so the new rulers used this informarion to identify, track, and find all of those who they did not like or who could become any sort of a problem.

After the war, it was decided that it was actually quite stupid for there to be such an inventory of information available, as it is impossible to control if it gets into the wrong hands.

As it is now, people have short memories, and our school systems refuse to teach history (among other things).

The tracking of citizens and gathering of information on citizens should always be looked at with scorn at the best, and scrutiny at the worst.

None of this tracking or gathering is doing any of us any good, unless you really love watching advertisements.

And there is no telling what can/will happen to us if/when it gets into the wrong hands.

 

[puppykickr]

The article is really interesting but I think such tracking not too much harmful for the VPN user like Google Analytics, Adwords, Facebook & Twitter Analytics after all these tools are the need of this digital era if we're not using this so tell me how can the brand track their performance effectively? And if we not trusted on such third parties platforms so tell me which one is best?

You do (I hope) realize that these trackers, analytics, and other such trash runs continuously?

For example, I used to use a very nice launcher. But whenever I would have it active on the device I was using, the device would crash constantly and was always unstable. I had no idea what was wrong, and kept blaming the device.

Well, when I replaced the device, I downloaded it again and installed it. Immediately the device was lagging, and having many of the same issues of the old device.

This should not be, as the new device has twice the capability of the old one.

So I check the Running Apps portion of the Developers Settings, and I seevthat the launcher is using about 280MB constantly!

So I entered the app info, and found that the launcher itself was using only around 30MB. That is pretty standard for a launcher in my experience.
But the extra 250MB?
Google Play Services.

For what?
What information in the world would a launcher be giving or wnting that would require a useage of 250MB 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

Remember that this is a launcher, quite possibly the most used app on the device, and most likely the most important as well- it is, after all, the app that we all use to interact with the device.

And it is not just that one app.
I recently checked an old favorite of mine, called Greenify.

It was using over 100MB, 24/7.

I immediately checked, and the app was using only 15-20MB.

But lurking inside is Google Play Services, using 90MB!

Don't ever have any doubt that these 'services' are not any benefit- they are running your battery dead faster at best, and providing information behind your back to people you don't know and who don't have your best interests in mind.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Russia? @puppykickr?