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    Cheap Android phones send owners' text messages and location data to China

    Discussion in 'Smartphones and Tablets' started by Tinderbox (UK), Nov 16, 2016.

  1. Tinderbox (UK)

    Tinderbox (UK) BAKED BEAN KING

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    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolo...-send-owners-text-messages-and-location-data/

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/11/15/android_phoning_home_to_china/

    John.
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2016
    Tinderbox (UK), Nov 16, 2016
    #1
    Starlight5 likes this.
  2. bennni

    bennni Notebook Evangelist

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    Yet another reason to use custom ROM's on these handsets. Switching my Chinese Android to Cyanogenmod 12 & 13 has allowed me to keep it for waaaaaay longer than originally intended.
     
    bennni, Nov 16, 2016
    #2
  3. Starlight5

    Starlight5 Yes, I'm a cat. What else is there to say, really?

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    Yet another reason to buy flagship phones; used flagship is better than new low-end, and often mid-range too.
     
    Starlight5, Nov 16, 2016
    #3
  4. yessuz

    yessuz Notebook Enthusiast

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    lol no :D
    you have to be mad to pay 500$+ for the phone when similar specced from china, with all the custom roms and stuff will cost you like 200.

    it's lots of bread here man.
     
    yessuz, Feb 18, 2017
    #4
  5. Tinderbox (UK)

    Tinderbox (UK) BAKED BEAN KING

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    In the West you have to pay to get your phone hacked(Root), In the East you have to pay to get your phone unhacked(Spyware).

    John.
     
    Tinderbox (UK), Mar 3, 2017
    #5
    Starlight5 and hmscott like this.
  6. hmscott

    hmscott Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    ZTE and Huawei have been at the forefront of these activities...

    Another Chinese company ZTE, found to put hidden Backdoors in their products for spying:

    US Fines Chinese Tech Giant ZTE $1.2 Billion
    Published on Mar 17, 2017
    As the US attempts to sanction North Korea and Iran, those regimes get a helping hand from Chinese tech giants...


    Special Report: Chinese firm helps Iran spy on citizens
    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-telecoms-idUSBRE82L0B820120322

    "A Chinese telecommunications equipment company has sold Iran's largest telecom firm a powerful surveillance system capable of monitoring landline, mobile and internet communications, interviews and contract documents show..."

    "...The ZTE-TCI documents also disclose a backdoor way Iran apparently obtains U.S. technology despite a longtime American ban on non-humanitarian sales to Iran - by purchasing them through a Chinese company."

    ...is also found to be shipping US made components to North Korea, fined $1.2B.
     
    hmscott, Mar 18, 2017
    #6
  7. This is the name

    This is the name Notebook Consultant

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    In the West the Data get send to the NSA just for safety reasons.
     
    This is the name, Jun 18, 2017
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  8. Tinderbox (UK)

    Tinderbox (UK) BAKED BEAN KING

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    I use this firewall app, it creates a VPN and channels all data from apps and browsers through it, and it can block data getting to certain country, like Russia, China, ect.

    I use Kaspersky AntiVirus so i have to unblock kaspersky so it can do updates, but all other apps trying to talk to Russia are still blocked.

    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lostnet.fw.free&hl=en

    John
     
    Tinderbox (UK), Jun 18, 2017
    #8
  9. Support.2@XOTIC PC

    Support.2@XOTIC PC Company Representative

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    Agreed, plus finding out a high end company is doing it would sink sales overseas from China most likely.
     
    Support.2@XOTIC PC, Jun 20, 2017
    #9