Samsung Galaxy Buds: CIA-esque Spyware

Lounge EndeavourOS pub
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Look at the privacy violation that she talks about like it’s a feature.
It starts at the last 40 seconds of the video.

I’ve been watching her vids for about 2 months now, and she shows many of the great advancements in technology in mobile devices. However, in every video I’ve watched from her so far, I always see a privacy violation/risk being highlighted in a positive way.

I’m sure she’s just unaware and is just doing a great job as a tech enthusiast and reviewer, but it shows that even some techie people are completely oblivious to how criminal some of these “features” are.

Encryption, I understand. It is both for security and to preserve privacy, but can be used in an illegal way. But this only has two main uses: work as a baby monitor and work as spyware.

PS: It could be used for other stuff, like ambient sounds, finding your device based on sounds in an area, etc., but that’s besides the point.

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That is creepy :anguished:

Watching videos like this also makes me feel so… so very old. I struggle to care about wireless buds… LEDs… gestures… voice controls… I plug in my headphones (yes, with a cable, how quaint) aaaaaaand I’m done :sweat_smile:

This video is essentially a how-to guide for all the problems you never had… till you purchased these buds.

Don’t worry…I’ll hobble my way out now :older_man:

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critical thinking and IQ is flat-lining like never before in any generation in history. I feel like the only one reading the current and sobering peer review studies. Most (non-pharmaceutical) peer review is apolitical and not bought and paid for–it’s usually kept off the radar. The ability to tell a good act from the bad will die out with GenX mostly.
Also, get off my lawn, and stuff with your ear buds. :slight_smile:

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That cracked me up :joy:

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I am the same for the most part. Possibly not as old, but still a similar view.

Most of these technologies are awesome to me because I love sci-fi. However, because most of the best sci-fi films demonstrate how the same exciting tech can be used in very bad ways, I’m always very reserved when it comes to new tech.

My want for them to become commonplace and my own usage of the few upgrades I actually take advantage of are quite limited.

Example here:

  • I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 that recently got a lot of AI-based updates.
  • I watched two videos on all the new “features” prior to updating.
  • After that, I uninstalled/disabled all the apps that would now have the AI-based features.
  • I then replaced them with things from F-Droid, Obtainium, FFUpdater, APKs, etc.
  • Then I did the update. :skull:

No need to deny new privacy-invasive privileges if the app isn’t installed/enabled. :person_shrugging:

I also blocked internet access for many apps, including system apps, using NetGuard.
Awesome firewall tool. :fire:

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That’s probably my biggest issue with devices from those like Samsung. All the pre-installed bloat, and to remain relevant to the topic, dare I say much of it collecting data. Much of it that can’t be uninstalled, but only disabled, if at all. You gotta work backwards from bloat to functional, instead of the other way around.

Enter GrapheneOS.

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I agree for the most part. However, not all of it is bloatware.

Take the Samsung Gallery app for instance. It loads superfast, has pretty much every feature one would want in a mobile gallery app, and has a great overall UI/UX experience in comparison to anything you can get for free on Android.

To be fair: I’ve not recently looked at what free gallery apps are currently available on the Play Store, because it is that good. This is also because I have been converting my mobile devices to FLOSS apps which usually means I don’t need the to use the Play Store (through Aurora). Plus, I always had Simple Gallery installed, which is also very good, but loads slowly if you have a massive gallery like I do.

Recently here is really just in the last two years, since that’s how long I’ve had this tablet. So, not that long ago.

As far as not being just bloat is concerned, this is also true for Samsung Notes. If you’ve ever used Microsoft OneNote, you’d know it is pretty much the best notes app with its particular feature set. Samsung Notes is just as good.

In fact, a good number of their apps are actually good because the video editor, camera app, OneUI (their Android skin), their Reminder app, Secure Folder, etc. were my main apps. But, not because they came with my devices, but because they are actually great.

Pretty much everything I am using right now is a downgrade feature-wise.

I was actually considering getting a new device just to get GrapheneOS on it, but I’ve set up my phone and tablet in a way that they are far more private than when I got them.

I have a second phone from TCL (got it with my internet service for “free”) that I use as a guinea pig for the new apps and settings I never knew I could use.

Like, I thought Secure Folder was just a Samsung thing. Didn’t know “Shelter” and “Island/Insular” existed, and that I could still have a “secure folder” for separated apps and files.

Anyway, I’ve rambled on for too long now. There’s just so much freedom in using an Android device, even when it comes with lots of apps that can’t be uninstalled.

PS: Yes, I know it’s now “Fossify” Gallery, and I have the new fork installed instead. I use it in combination with Aves Gallery, which loads large galleries a lot faster than Fossify, but slower than Samsung’s built-in app.

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An excellent thing for the hearing impaired.

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gentlemen gentlemen. lets not pin all the blame on the younglings now. plenty of older people dont understand new tech and how invasive it is and people from genX and older generations are the ones green lighting all the tech and laws that make all this spying(thats what i think of it as) possible. the younglings are just inheriting a world where no one understands what is happening under the hood for all the “convenience” they get.

there are very few(relatively) people all over the world from each generation who understand and care about privacy and security and that number as you said will continue to dwindle. i just hope we stop getting closer to an orwellian society but that isnt likely.

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Welcome to the old boys’ club! I’ve held the same view for many years: for me, wired earphones are still the better choice, and that’s not going to change for me.

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I have decent wired earphones, but my Pixel lacks a hole… :zipper_mouth_face:

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We are already to close to that horrible world.

And for the record I hate Samsung BTW.
My wife has an Samsung and I have to help her set up stuff some times it sucks!
And has ton of blotware and Shitty UI.

My self I han an Sony mobile waaay better!

And i don’t like this typ of ear buds dumb Apple crap.

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Doesn’t the phone come with a dongle from USB-C to 3.5mn?

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The Pixels don’t come with much in the box. I purchased one separately for mine :+1:

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Try universal-android-debloater (with a GUI) or the command line through ADB, for example :

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.apps.photos

(-k=keep data in cache, --user 0=root)
for enabling/disabling :

pm enable application
pm disable application
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“Spyware” is the incorrect term in this case. You could call it “spy gear”, or just “surveillance equipment”, but spyware is actually something else (https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware).

Personally, I think it looks pretty neat! For the sake of argument I’m sure we could come up with 100 perfectly legal and legitimate use cases for it…but honestly who doesn’t want some proper espionage equipment on hand at all times? Just in case. :wink: :male_detective:

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Nope, but I think you can buy these things separately from the google store, if in stock.

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Puh-tei-tou puh-tah-tou

Remember the AirTag? https://www.npr.org/2022/02/18/1080944193/apple-airtags-theft-stalking-privacy-tech

And all the apps created to prevent its misuse?

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Basically spyware is software which spies on the person using it. I’m sure you can see the difference.

Yes, clearly not as effective as the Tile Pro. :wink:

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:sweat_smile: I know there’s a difference.
The point is, they are both used for the same thing: spying on someone without their knowledge.

This is a good example of why certain things should just not be created.
The issue is that once someone can think of it, someone can and will create it, whether it’s good, bad, or in-between.

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