Is My Privacy Being Compromised?

Bree said:

Great phone. My brother took out everything of my Nokia N72 last year for 'inspection'.

RK1997 said:

What did you do with root access that has locked down your privacy to your device only? Do you use any Google apps even after rooting?

The biggest factor is the ability to use a Root firewall. Back in my Note 3 days, I used an app that gave many options. All apps were blacklisted for internet access unless you gave them either temporary or permanent access. You could set permissions for all apps on various parameters...i.e., access to messaging, access to the phone, internet, camera, etc.

Nowadays, you can get more powerful apps without being rooted, but rooting still provides access to apps that will do more simply because there is access at a system level.

Today, I use NetGuard firewall. It can be used with or without root, and is very useful in both cases (mainly to lock apps out of the internet...4G, WiFi or both on an app by app basis). It will also use a Hosts file to block domains for the purposes of ad blocking. It doesn't just block them, it returns a phony address.

Phones and apps have come a long way, and there's a lot more you can do without a rooted phone, but rooting still provides access to a greater degree of security and functionality, but in order to root, you need to buy a phone with an unlocked bootloader, which means passing on carrier options, which mostly come with the bootloader locked.

Another great benefit of rooting is that you can image your entire phone, so if something goes south, you can be back to the point of the image in 10 mins.

I allow Google to handle most of my affairs.
Google tracks me via GPS.
They send me a notification:

"How was dinner at Casa Bella Ristorante last night? Would you care to rate it? May we suggest similar places for you to visit?"

I click on Sure or No Thanks and that's the end of it!

What's the big deal!?

Edwin said:

I allow Google to handle most of my affairs.
Google tracks me via GPS.
They send me a notification:

I click on Sure or No Thanks and that's the end of it!

What's the big deal!?

Is My Privacy Being Compromised?

msalton1 said:

Is My Privacy Being Compromised?

Read that already. What's your point?

f14tomcat said:

This is a circular thread. Title may as well have been "How high is up?". It has no answer. Just IMO......

The whole issue is blown way out of proportion , IMO.

Edwin said:

Read that already. What's your point?

Given that you've read the points in the linked to post, I needn't list them here. I can only assume that you have more faith in Gov't entities than might be considered prudent.

Edwin said:

The whole issue is blown way out of proportion , IMO.

The good news is that you can continue as you wish. As will those of us who see the writing on the wall.

msalton1 said:

....

Another great benefit of rooting is that you can image your entire phone, so if something goes south, you can be back to the point of the image in 10 mins.

To my recollection that's correct, as long as the device in question is an Android phone. That's not to say that Apple devices cannot be rooted, but certainly not as easy and/or widely available as with Android.

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f14tomcat said:

This is a circular thread. Title may as well have been "How high is up?". It has no answer. Just IMO......

50,000 feet ought to be high enough for most...