Android P to improve users' network privacy The forthcoming Android P release will protect the operating system's network processes against snoops and nasties. Android's problems lie in a folder and file inherited from Linux, the source of Android's kernel and its key structures: /proc/net. In a commit at Android Open Source, Google's Jeffrey Vander Stoep launched the …
I had a uni disertaion on "everything in linux is a file, discuss." About the ease on access to the linux system via posix file api.
Kids now will be writing "Google pwnd linux, discuss."
I wonder if chrome still knows your ip and every move?
Do you think Google considers themselves "Advertisers"?
How would Google collect the logs (without ending up as the subject of a "google is stealing your information from your phone!!11!!" dogpile), and then how would they parse all of them to pass information on to app developers?
It's a nice idea that would work well on a handful of servers, but doesn't really scale up to millions of phones.
How would Google collect the logs
You are aware of this giant binary blob called Play Services...
and then how would they parse all of them to pass information on to app developers
They'd probably need just the app name and path in proc at most.
but doesn't really scale up to millions of phones.
Tiny compared to ad data.
They're probably already collecting it as we speak.
There are legitimate reasons.
There needs to be a way to uniquely identify devices on a local network.
My Android app can control many household devices like smart TVs and cable boxes, it searches using upnp and mdns.
If someone has two of the same devices on the same network (say two Samsung 43" 2018 7 series TVs) I need to be able to determine which TV they want to be able to control.
This can't be done by IP address as this changes often and although upnp provides a UUID this can sometimes change or be identical across models, so can't be used.
The MAC address is the only way to do this and you can only get this from the /proc/net/arp cache (As far as I know).
Android's problems lie in a folder and file inherited from Linux, the source of Android's kernel and its key structures: /proc/net.
No, Android's problems lie in the fact that the Google ownership means you have to agree to Google's T&Cs before you have a usable phone. I'm wondering if that may end up as an argument for the EU privacy people to lob a large fine at Google and pretty much start a trade war..
Well, it did say "replaced with suitable api/permission", but yeah, you are right if the process listing block is any indication.
I think android should be a lot tighter, but in doing so, should not affect the capability of "power" apps. I know they want to steer it more towards being just a consumer kit, like an iphone, but if it wasn't for the 'techies', they wouldn't even have the software they're profiting from!
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
