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Privacy Concerns About Using DUO

startac4

startac4

Well-Known Member
Thank you for directing me to post here. I want to regularly video call/connect my LG Android phone to a family member who has iphone (and who normally uses Facetime for everyone else). My understanding is that DUO is what I need to use - about the only reliable software that will easily work and is easy to set up on both Android and Iphone. DUO comes installed on my phone - I just need the other family member to download it onto her iphone. But I am very uncomfortable with google downloading and keeping all of my contacts. Other than with whom I'm connecting with DUO, they're none of google's business. My understanding is that I don't have a choice about that if I want to make a connection to iphone. I'm just wondering whether anyone else share's my privacy concerns about this. Or do people just use DUO and not think about it. (No - I'm not doing anything illegal on my phone. It's just the privacy principle of google tracking and keeping non-relevant (to DUO) personal contact information that bothers me).
 
It's no worse than using your Gmail account, which stores your personal information, contacts, messages, maps, location, videos, photos, payment methods, games, searches, shopping items....
 
I've never used DUO (or even heard of it). You can make video calls with stuff like WhatsApp, which is very simple to set up, but Zoom is definitely the app du jour (I've been using it for years, but it seems everyone is now). There are many other apps that can do this as well.

Certainly whoever told you that DUO was the only thing that is reliable and easy to set up is not a source I would trust in future.
 
mikedt said:
Try Zoom https://zoom.us/
We've been using it for online meetings, even in China. It doesn't need your full contact details, but remember to setup full security settings.
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I'm sure you're aware of the lawsuits against ZOOM for privacy breeches. In fact, many institutions are now blocking it because of it's tendency to spy on users and "phone home". To China.
 
The_Chief said:
I'm sure you're aware of the lawsuits against ZOOM for privacy breeches. In fact, many institutions are now blocking it because of it's tendency to spy on users and "phone home". To China.
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Our school has got us using Zoom for our online classes, mainly because it doesn't need a VPN in China. Because things like Facetime is Apple only, and Google's offerings are blocked here.

I heard about the privacy breeches, I believe the phrase is "Zoom bombing". That's why i mentioned "but remember to setup full security settings", for when hosting a meeting, as you don't want any gate crashers.

Presumably Zoom has fixed things at their end now?
https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/03/zoom-calls-routed-china/
 
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Don't bet on it. Here's an article about yet another organization, a bank, telling employees to stay off Zoom and Hangouts:

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/04/15/bank-chief-tells-employees-stay-off-zoom-google-hangouts/

And one about the thousands of Zoom account credentials for sale on the dark web:

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/securi...ale-dark-web-n1183796?cid=public-rss_20200415

In addition to another class action over sharing personal information without consent, here's a class action over Zoombombing:

https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit...-class-action-lawsuit-filed-over-zoombombing/
 
mikedt said:
I think it can run in the browser these days, although I've not confirmed that myself of course.
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I lost interest in them back...whenever that was! Once I found out they didn't support Linux and were, therefore, of no use to me, I hadn't even thought about them in ages--until reading this thread, to be precise.

By the way, after posting earlier, I looked at my settings to see why I'd never uninstalled Duo, considering I don't use it. It can't be uninstalled, only disabled. I hate it when that happens. :angry:
 
MoodyBlues said:
I lost interest in them back...whenever that was! Once I found out they didn't support Linux and were, therefore, of no use to me, I hadn't even thought about them in ages--until reading this thread, to be precise.

By the way, after posting earlier, I looked at my settings to see why I'd never uninstalled Duo, considering I don't use it. It can't be uninstalled, only disabled. I hate it when that happens. :mad:
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@MoodyBlues Maybe you should try to take control of your mobile devices, just like you took control of your computers?

IMO Google these days can be just as much evil and what Microsoft is.
 
mikedt said:
@MoodyBlues Maybe you should try to take control of your mobile devices, just like you took control of your computers?
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How? I no longer have the desire to root my devices, as Android, over the years, added features/functionality that previously required rooting. Also, some apps, such as banking apps, won't work on rooted devices.

So, without rooting, how would I do what you suggest?
IMO Google these days can be just as much evil and what Microsoft is.
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No argument there!
 
MoodyBlues said:
Really? It's come pre-installed on at least my last two phones.

Never opened or used it, though...
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Not on any of my devices, including my Pixel (where of course Google choose the system apps themselves). I checked my disabled apps as well, just to be sure.

I guess they view it like ARCore (optional) rather than say Play Music ("if you want access to any Google services you must bundle this" - yes, Google Play Music is one of my disabled apps).
 
Hadron said:
Not on any of my devices, including my Pixel (where of course Google choose the system apps themselves). I checked my disabled apps as well, just to be sure.

I guess they view it like ARCore (optional) rather than say Play Music ("if you want access to any Google services you must bundle this" - yes, Google Play Music is one of my disabled apps).
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Interesting. Did you see my later comment? I can't uninstall it! Only disable. Sucks. :mad:
 
I did, but that's common with pre-installed apps. It is curious that Moto or your carrier would consider this Google app as something they must pre-install like that when Google themselves don't.
 
Dannydet said:
It's no worse than using your Gmail account, which stores your personal information, contacts, messages, maps, location, videos, photos, payment methods, games, searches, shopping items....
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Understand your point - but I haven't done payments/financial transactions on my phone even though I have Avast Premium on both. Only on my computer with secure browsers. I know that limits what I do on my phone and most everybody does financial/medical connections and transactions on phones. But I come from a computer background where security is paramount AND verifiable. I suppose if I was comfortable that personal data wasn't taken (Google) or just vulnerable to transmission hacking - and that the phone Internet had reliable security equivalents to HTTPS on computer browsers - I'd do more.
 
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MoodyBlues said:
How? I no longer have the desire to root my devices, as Android, over the years, added features/functionality that previously required rooting. Also, some apps, such as banking apps, won't work on rooted devices.

So, without rooting, how would I do what you suggest?

No argument there!
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FWIW I've never bought phones that had bloat that couldn't be uninstalled. Are you restricted to a certain carrier supplying your phones?

BTW Goto Meeting supports Chrome, so it definitely should work on Linux OSs now, and not just Win or Mac
https://www.goto.com/integrations/google-chrome
 
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mikedt said:
FWIW I've never bought phones that had bloat that couldn't be uninstalled. Are you restricted to a certain carrier supplying your phones?
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No, not at all--I buy my phones directly from Motorola. I don't do carrier 'free upgrades' [with another 2-year contract]; whenever I want an upgrade, I buy a new phone!
BTW Goto Meeting supports Chrome, so it definitely should work on Linux OSs now,
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Thanks. I guess. They lost me way back when. For shits and giggles, I checked their site the other day, to see if they're more inclusive now. Nope! Their system requirements for "PC" (keeping in mind that PC means 'personal computer--NOT 'personal computer running micro$oft bullshit'): all window$. :rolleyes:
 
startac4 said:
WOW! It sound like everything is a problem to use - and everything on your phone then is sold or just used everywhere. Now I'm really afraid to use DUO (or anything else) :(.
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OK.
I am going to toss my hat into the ring on this one.

First, let me answer the question for you.
The app that I would suggest to use is called Telegram.
Don't use the Google PlayStore version, as there is a FOSS version available here:

Telegram (Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security.) - https://f-droid.org/app/org.telegram.messenger

Your person with the (cr)apple (sorry, I couldn't resist) can get whatever version is available for that type device. (I would post a link, but I have no idea about iphone- other than the fact that I don't (won't) have one.)

Telegram will let you call, text, share, and store unlimited media for free- and without ads.

I use it worldwide (USA, Europe, India, China) every day, and it is great.

You must go through all the settings to secure and personalize it as you see fit.

It will, at first, ask for your contacts. This is so that it can tell you which of your contacts are already on Telegram.
This can be changed in the settings.

Some countries have banned Telegram, because they have refused to give up the encryption keys.
Also, there is a full encryption mode- called 'secret chats'- where the encryption keys are only device to device.
Those chats only appear on the devices involved in the chat, and can only be decrypted by those devices.

Just so you know, your Contacts app has most likely already uploaded all of your contacts to Google already- so your worries about Duo having them are kind of moot.

Not that I am in favor of Google having any information at all.

But a Google app is a Google app.

If you give one Google app a permission, you might as well give them all that permission.

It is basically understood that if Google can't get your information via one route they will get it through another.

So try Telegram.
It is an easy set-up, easy to use app.

I have used it for a couple of years now, and I wish I could get all my friends on it instead of the social media junk that they are on.

Let me know if you try it and have any issues or questions about it.

Screenshot_2020-04-18_00-50-59.png
 
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