OnePlus Secretly Collects User Data (?)

[PoBoy]

http://www.nextpowerup.com/news/38892/oneplus-secretly-collects-user-data/

OnePlus has some great flagship smartphones, but there are also some things many users didn't know. According to Chris Moore, owner of a UK-based security and tech blog, the company is secretly collecting user data without their permission....

... Stay tuned for the official response from OnePlus ...

 

[Blackend]

Sounds like analytics which many if not all phone makers will do. This is how they learn about potential issues, usage patterns etc to design future devices. Some of the data collected can be over-reaching at times but your alternative is to not buy anything that is made by a large corporation.

Original blog if anyone is interested - https://www.chrisdcmoore.co.uk/post/oneplus-analytics/

 

[PoBoy]

https://www.androidcentral.com/oneplus-responds-data-collection-concerns

When asked for a comment on the matter, OnePlus responded with exactly as we'd expect:

We securely transmit analytics in two different streams over HTTPS to an Amazon server. The first stream is usage analytics, which we collect in order for us to more precisely fine tune our software according to user behavior. The second stream is device information, which we collect to provide better after-sales support.
...
Now the fact that this wasn't something that was clearly explained to the user during setup or even in the settings where you turn it off is something that's worth being a bit upset about. As is the fact that personally identifiable information like user accounts and IMEI numbers are being tied to the data, as shown by the research. But OnePlus is hardly alone in what it's collecting from its phones, and the core issue of the data itself being collected isn't something we should be surprised or alarmed by — and taking OnePlus as its word, it seems to be handling the data appropriately as well.

 

[vivek.krishnan]

but your alternative is to not buy anything that is made by a large corporation.

Or maybe install custom ROM on the device!

 

[thatsashok]

Thats the first thing I did after buying Oneplus One. But stock was Cyanogen anyways

 

[Blackend]

Or maybe install custom ROM on the device!

Sure but will you do it without GAPPS?

 

[nRiTeCh]

You can very well disable such telemetry.
When you setup your phone you simply go on next next without reading. This is where the telemetry options are prompted which we ignore.
In some phones such options can be disabled later while in some it cannot.

 

[vivek.krishnan]

Sure but will you do it without GAPPS?

Install OpenGapps

 

[PoBoy]

https://www.phonearena.com/news/One...romises-to-stop-by-the-end-of-October_id98927

The good news is OnePlus promised that by the end of October, all its smartphones running OxygenOS will be added a prompt in the setup wizard which will ask users if they want to join the company's user experience program.

Moreover, the company claims it will no longer collect telephone numbers, MAC addresses and Wi-Fi information going forward. Finally, OnePlus says that it only did it to “better serve” its users.