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Google’s Android Lockdown—Why You Need A New Phone In 12 Weeks
Forbes ^ | 1/31/2025 | Zak Doffman

Posted on 02/01/2025 9:37:53 AM PST by cuz1961

.. . The real story is what’s being done to lock down Android, and why you’ll need a newer model phone in 12-weeks time...

The other highlight further narrows the gap to iPhone, removing some of the looser restrictions that enabled threats to more easily fester on its ecosystem than Apple’s. “The Play Integrity API," Google says, “allows developers to check if their apps have been tampered with or are running in potentially compromised environments, helping them to prevent abuse like fraud, bots, cheating, and data theft.” The company also notes that “apps using Play integrity features are seeing 80% lower usage from unverified and untrusted sources on average,” and that “over 91% of app installs on the Google Play Store now use the latest protections of Android 13 or newer.”

Those last two stats are critical. Because Google’s Play Integrity API is changing, and for the 750-million-plus users on Android 12 or older, you may need to go buy a new phone if you can’t run a newer OS to keep your apps functioning as now. . ..

(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: android; google; phone; phones; spying; tracking
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To: PIF

“Other great features are new and improved user tracking, data harvesting, and ad deliver.”

YOU BET!


21 posted on 02/01/2025 9:57:31 AM PST by Openurmind
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To: cuz1961

“Removing looser restrictions?”They need to add tighter restrictions. Removing restrictions means less restrictive environment. Or bad writing. Writing is not what it used to be. I wonder if AI is going to put hyphens in between numbers and words.


22 posted on 02/01/2025 10:00:12 AM PST by webheart (S)
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To: Dr. Franklin
Ditch Pine and get the Graphene OS

That doesn't answer the SIM question. You go to the Boost or Verizon store and you cannot explain to the kid behind the counter what the model is. You order a SIM, and it doesn't work, and the help line for same is worthless.
23 posted on 02/01/2025 10:01:18 AM PST by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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To: V_TWIN

There is no spying on an iPhone unless you turn on services that do that. Apple never “sells” your data, which Google does all the time because that is their business model. Apple sells phones with the promise of maintaining the users privacy, if the user wants that. Apple has gone to court against the US government to maintain this promise.


24 posted on 02/01/2025 10:03:35 AM PST by Kentfromohio
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To: ridesthemiles
FORCED TO SPEND $$$ OVER & OVER AGAIN.

Someone gave me an iPhone 3 and it worked fine, but needed a battery. I went to the 3rd party battery store, and the Valley Girl behind the counter (Columbus, GA . . . I don't know where these stores find Valley Girls), and she couldn't fathom replacing the battery rather than "just" getting anew phone. She would not help me.
25 posted on 02/01/2025 10:04:16 AM PST by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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To: cuz1961

Guess I will revert to my old flip phone, I can’t use Apple products


26 posted on 02/01/2025 10:06:18 AM PST by doorgunner69 (Your oath of enlistment has no expiration date)
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To: cuz1961

I don’t download apps on my android phone , I pay $100 a year and I never use any minutes , I carry the phone for emergencies . I also have a iPhone 8 and the first SE and they still work ,LOL


27 posted on 02/01/2025 10:06:59 AM PST by butlerweave
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To: Kentfromohio

I don’t know much about IPhones, all I know is he was demonstrating using both android and Apple devices.


28 posted on 02/01/2025 10:09:57 AM PST by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!ly)
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To: cuz1961
Wifey and I are planning on getting new phones in the next few weeks. I have tried to get her away from an Android phone to an iPhone but it’s no use, she insists on having a Google eye looking over her shoulder. Apple isn’t exactly surveillance-free, but it’s better than Android. iPhone 16 for me.

What really piques my interest, however, is the Tesla phone. I don’t know when it’s coming out, but it’s supposed to be high-end and give Apple and Android a run for their money. Speaking of money, it’s claimed by Musk and co. to purportedly cost $375. Starlink ready, too.

It’s worth taking a look at when it comes out. Videos on YouTube about it.

29 posted on 02/01/2025 10:13:46 AM PST by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
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To: Gideon7

So this old lady can ignore this?


30 posted on 02/01/2025 10:16:13 AM PST by Bigg Red (My long-time tagline has been removed and will be stored on my home page as it has proved true.)
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To: cuz1961
Just more reasons why I don't have my email account linked to a mail app in my cell phone. I also don't log into any financial or medical account with my cell phone. Bluetooth is always turned off unless I need it for a short duration.

These types of activities I save for my Ethernet-wired PC at home which has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi disabled. Nothing is perfectly safe in the computer world, but performing sensitive activities over the airwaves is just increasing the risk.

31 posted on 02/01/2025 10:22:01 AM PST by CatOwner (Don't expect anyone, even conservatives, to have your back when the SHTF in 2021 and beyond.)
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To: Pythion.net
Planned obsolescence. FU Google

\/
. this

i just had to buy a new phone to get my tmobile service....takes 1 year to pay it off and i bought about the cheapest phone they had...

..the others were up to 1000.

i cant afford to keep up with the upgrade update scamola.

and i suspect these huge lengthy “ updates” are actually data mining sessions and aren't updating squat.

32 posted on 02/01/2025 10:24:40 AM PST by cuz1961
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To: cuz1961

Zzzzzzzzz!


33 posted on 02/01/2025 10:29:11 AM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within ? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉! 🇮🇱👍!)
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To: cuz1961

Hmmm .... Side bar convo: My Samsung android has done a few system updates in the last 2 months.

Now, I cannot use my camera unless the microphone and “nearby devices/bluetooth” is given permission in the camera app to run when I take a picture of my dog.

Some other changes that are annoying but the camera thing really torqued me.

I put blue tape over all the camera lenses and turned off the permissions. My dog isn’t that photogenic.


34 posted on 02/01/2025 10:33:20 AM PST by CaptainPhilFan (Donald J Trump: OF the People FOR the People WITH the People)
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To: cuz1961

you will not need a new phone.

I treat my android phone like it is the most unsecure computing device I have (it probably is)

I do not have a google account so I have very few apps (only the ones I sideloaded from .apk files)

I do not access anything to do with money on my phone

Mostly I use it for phone calls and texts.

I would be afraid to see what kind of dangerous stuff is on most peoples phones


35 posted on 02/01/2025 10:33:29 AM PST by algore
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To: cuz1961

Got my S25 Ultra 3 days ago.

So much info in YouTube videos, already.


36 posted on 02/01/2025 10:40:25 AM PST by TexasGator (1'r/11111.111''!11)
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To: Dr. Franklin


Get a Linux phone”

Not ready for prime time

https://medium.com/@camden.o.b/the-ultimate-linux-phone-guide-28d0cce9929


37 posted on 02/01/2025 10:47:01 AM PST by TexasGator (1'r/11111.111''!11)
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To: V_TWIN

Link?


38 posted on 02/01/2025 10:50:52 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: ridesthemiles

“MY $20 land line phones work just fine”

My smart phone saves me money and time every day. It also has a camera.


39 posted on 02/01/2025 10:55:48 AM PST by TexasGator (1'r/11111.111''!11)
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To: ridesthemiles

“FORCED TO SPEND $$$ OVER & OVER AGAIN.”

My S21 Ultra cost $500 after trade in. Used it for four years and just got a $500 trade-in credit on a new S25 Ultra.


40 posted on 02/01/2025 11:00:28 AM PST by TexasGator (1'r/11111.111''!11)
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