Angry Birds - Stealing private data?

[momentoid]

David Carnoy, Executive Editor, CNET, pointed out that the game is transmitting unique id of the phone and among others, the location-data.

Anybody have more information about this?

 

[violentlyseren]

Meh. It's more than likely for targetting marketing more effectively and it's nothing important anyway. I'm okay with that. If they sudden start taking my bank data, then I'll start to be concerned.

 

[Divadkab]

May explain why the game is free. This has always been puzzling to me, when you know the game could easily sell for a couple dollars. So we don't pay because they are stealing our information and profiting indirectly...conspiracy theory much? haha

 

[weaselaow]

I dont have nuclear reactor code in my phone so i dont care.

 

[RawlingsSc]

If I remember correctly, the developer of Pirates and Traders explained that the ad company requires that information to make sure the dev isn't just clicking the ads on his own phone a million times to make more money. Or something to that effect.

 

[No_u]

They are needed so the ads can be targeted at the person his preferences. So Dutch ads for Dutch people.

 

[JediJesus]

I could be wrong but I thought that was a chillingo thing and they have nothing to do with the Android version.

 

[blksith0]

Solution = Dont put private data on phone.
Its a win-win.

 

[FlyHighx]

Solution = Dont put private data on phone.
Its a win-win.

So what's private data? Credit card numbers? Surely. Bank account info? Of course. Friends email addresses and phone numbers? maybe not to you but what about to those friends? I know I wouldn't want to get targeted for spam just because a friend of mine installed a free app.

To me private means anything and everything on my phone period.

 

[ZXT]

It's fine with me...most prolly they just want to know what ads to throw at me.

 

[gregs887]

Solution = Dont put private data on phone.
Its a win-win.

I would say solution = don't play angry birds if you are that worried about it.

Seems simple enough to me.

 

[Yeahha]

put your phone in airplane mode to play and force stop the app prior to taking out of airplane mode

 

[lordofthereef]

People blow these things WAY out of proportion. Do you have adds on your personal computer web browser (is there a banner ad on top of adroid forums right now)? Guess what!?! They have your "location data", which is how they are targetting that ad to you. Location data =/= specific gps coordinates needed to come break into your house and steal the cash you keep in the mattress. It is a simple city and state location information. If you don't like this, then you don't like Android. It was built on the idea of selling ads to a targetted audience.

 

[lordofthereef]

So what's private data? Credit card numbers? Surely. Bank account info? Of course. Friends email addresses and phone numbers? maybe not to you but what about to those friends? I know I wouldn't want to get targeted for spam just because a friend of mine installed a free app.

To me private means anything and everything on my phone period.

And herein lies the problem of how "private data" is defined. People are calling the city/state they are located in being ANONYMOUSLY (this means that your identity is not associated with it) sent somewhere is private data being taken from you. They are, by no means, tapping into you address lists and selling those addresses off to companies to spam you.