[encryptluks2]

Because on my Google account I can turn off all the history settings, same for YouTube. Despite possibly being invasive with YouTube, they actually allow third party clients like NewPipe and youtube-dl. Google Drive offers some of the best storage and you can encrypt your files, and there is no proof that they are using your storage to spy on you.

Google Cloud was also one of the first providers to offer confidential computing. Google also contributes a lot to open source and so Android has a lot of options and different ROMs to use. Compare that to the proprietary OSs like Microsoft and Apple. With Microsoft, no matter what I do they keep uploading my activity history of every App that I open just because I signed into the Microsoft Store to play Minecraft.

[jqpabc123]

Because on my Google account I can turn off all the history settings, same for YouTube.

LOL!

So with this setting off, Google forgets the IP you use to sign in to your Google Drive and GMail account and doesn't use it to identify and track you across the estimated 80% of web sites that have embedded Google trackers? And you've verified this how? Did they show you their tracking source code?

[encryptluks2]

Virtually every website on the World Wide Web will track and record IP addresses as visitors click through the site's page. There are plenty of adblockers to prevent sites from using ads to target you. You seem to be more upset at Google than the sites you visit that choose to use them as a source of revenue. You also can't shop on Amazon without being tracked and solicited to based on your shopping habits or sign up for any discounts at most grocery stores.

[jqpabc123]

You seem to be more upset at Google than the sites you visit that choose to use them as a source of revenue.

Makes perfect sense to me since Google earns most of their revenue from privacy invasion. Their entire business model depends on it. No one is more insidious, pervasive and widespread.

[encryptluks2]

You really are just making claims without any evidence. If you have evidence that no one is more insidious, pervasive and widespread please prove it. Otherwise, I can only assume you are just speaking based on feelings.

[jqpabc123]

Here is your proof. This just one of many available sources on the subject but the study being referenced here was done by Princeton University.

Largest Study of Online Tracking Proves Google Really Is Watching Us All

https://www.technologyreview.com/2016/05/18/160139/largest-s...

[encryptluks2]

If you actually read the study, you'd see with ad blocking enabled that Google was the least pervasive, widespread and insidious. If anything, this study shows that although that Google may be the most widespread, again thanks to the sites that you're visiting without an adblocker that you refuse to hold accountable, that they are the least invasive and insidious.

[ksd482]

> and there is no proof that they are using your storage to spy on you.

It may be the case that they are not "spying" on you, but just because there is no proof of something happening, doesn't mean that it isn't happening. So this type of thinking is flawed.

> I can turn off all the history settings

Can you elaborate? Which settings specifically are you talking about? Are you seriously suggesting that google isn't keeping track of what you are watching or searching and tailoring your ads based on your activity?

> Google Drive offers some of the best storage

It's very convenient to use, yes!

> and you can encrypt your files

There goes your convenience. If you are encrypting your files, you might as well use any other major file storage service.

[encryptluks2]

> It may be the case that they are not "spying" on you, but just because there is no proof of something happening, doesn't mean that it isn't happening. So this type of thinking is flawed.

The little gnomes are watching me through the cracks in my ceiling. My psychologist told me my thinking is flawed, but I told them @ksd482 thinks their thinking is flawed cause they don't have proof otherwise.

> Are you seriously suggesting that google isn't keeping track of what you are watching or searching and tailoring your ads based on your activity?

I can't say for sure, but again that is what youtube-dl, Minitube, etc are for and VPNs. If you're liking, commenting, etc on videos of course they are probably going to be tailoring content based on what you're engaged in. They do have the option to remove all that though and to delete your feedback history.

> There goes your convenience. If you are encrypting your files, you might as well use any other major file storage service.

Google Drive really is the most convenient even with encryption, especially for something like rclone if you look at what is supported.

[ksd482]

> The little gnomes are watching me through the cracks in my ceiling. My psychologist told me my thinking is flawed, but I told them @ksd482 thinks their thinking is flawed cause they don't have proof otherwise.

Clever rhetoric aside, what are you suggesting?

Google has been using user's behavior to learn about them. This has been known for a long time. Even your emails aren't safe from it. So it stands to reason to "speculate" they might be doing something similar with your files as well. This may turn out not to be the case at all, but one can speculate given their track record.

Your original argument was "...and there is no proof that they are using your storage to spy on you", which effectively giving them a benefit of doubt.

But they don't have a good track record. So you still want to give them a benefit of doubt?

Apple is a company who I would give a benefit of the doubt in this space.

So my thinking is simply: a company that has a good track record with privacy --> give them a benefit of doubt. A company that doesn't --> don't give them a benefit of doubt.

When I look at your argument and fit it into the above model (probably overly simplistic), it is flawed thinking. That is what I meant.