OnePlus privacy shock: So, the cool Chinese smartphones slurp an alarming amount of data OnePlus mobiles are phoning home rather detailed information about handsets without any obvious permission or warnings, setting off another debate about what information our smartphones are emitting. Software engineer Christopher Moore discovered that the information collected included the phone's International Mobile …
That's the thing. The Chinese govt. repressive yes. Able to have any effect on me due to their potentially knowing what apps I use and for how long. No.That's just silly If I were dealing with China, supporting dissenters, or planning to overthrow their govt. I wouldn't be using my One+ 5. But then in most of those cases I wouldn't be using any smartphone.
I don't care either. Partly because I don't own the device but mostly cos the information they are collecting would be no risk to my safety or peace of mind:
- International Mobile Equipment Identity: Serial number of the device - they probably knew that already. They made it. I give it other people, Google for one, my insurance company. I wouldn't class it as restricted.
- phone numbers: I give those out so that people can call me - they are public. Mines on my LinkedIn profile ffs. Linking it to the IMEI and MAC in a database - OK - there's edge cases where if I was a terrorist (or journalist in a bad environment) I might want to object but . . . ? As a normal person I don't have a clue what to worry about.
- MAC addresses: Err - can't be bothered to answer. Everyone gets those through the network protocols. Manufacturer knows them anyway. Linking them to the phone number achieves little.
- mobile network: I refer you to the answer I gave some moments ago.
- among other things: What other things?
Storm. Tea-cup.
Does the serial number of your TV count as personally identifiable info?
No, but no-one has that on record, not even the selling shop. My phone provider has my IMEI, though, and it shows up when I log in to my account. IMEI isn't just "the serial number of the phone".
So. If the IMEI is held in a database alongside PII then you could potentially identify the owner of the phone. If you both knew the IMEI and had access to the database.
Its not the IMEI thats the identifier though. If they are sticking it in a database alongside the phone number (which is PII) then theres a problem.
A|nd I think you are probably wrong about shops not having records of purchasers versus TVunits serial numbers. I might be wrong. Easy enough to do.
If they are sticking it in a database alongside the phone number (which is PII)
Why should the phone number, which is just an identifier associated with the SIM, be PII but not the IMEI, which is a similar identifier associated with the phone?
A|nd I think you are probably wrong about shops not having records of purchasers versus TVunits serial numbers.
My newish TV was stolen recently, police asked if I had the serial number. I (foolishly) didn't, so I contacted the shop. No records, unless perhaps the TV had been in for repair, which it hadn't. The number is printed on the labels on the TV & the box, but not stored in any of the documentation relating to the sale. Other countries/shops may be different, of course.
Tip: when you buy something valuable, take a photo of the label with the serial number & email it to yourself.
"My newish TV was stolen recently"
I'm still waiting for someone to steal the CRT TV in our open garage. Then I'll finally have an excuse to get a new TV for movie night.
Maybe I should buy one of those apple logo sticker and tape it to the sides. That might make the TV more attractive to the thief.
Tip: when you buy something valuable, take a photo of the label with the serial number & email it to yourself.
Tip: don't give tips about emailing photos to yourself on a place where sysadmins and netadmins might hear you, lest you are begging for an unfortunate workplace accident...
As a sidenote I recently had to ask a PFY for a contact list (off-work event). The guy trawled his phone's directory, took (very badly) handwritten note of the 3 phone numbers, shot two (very blurry) snaps of the piece of paper and sent them to me by email. I was (figuratively) fuming.
Oh stop worrying. Unless you live in old soviet East Germany and are trying to start a revolution theres not much to worry about. Please explain why I should be worried my phone manufacturer can link the details of the phone it made to my phone number and network?
"Please explain why I should be worried my phone manufacturer can link the details of the phone it made to my phone number and network?"
It's because sometimes you might not want other people to know that you've play candy crush for a total of 748hours and 163hours while in the office washroom without your consent.
... waiting for El Reg to review the new Android "Nokias" before I give up and plunge into the Android ecosystem. Is stock Android more or less slurpy than a vendor-backed version?
Seems to me if you want privacy, it is better to buy one of the old pre-Lumia Nokias...
And I have a trustworthy Huawei phone! They would never do this!
Why, just read the following reassuring article from a few years ago!
CBC now alerts you to the following GRAVE CANADIAN CONCERNS!
But I AM wondering where I can quickly sell my small supply of Plutonium and my bump-stocked AK-47...
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
