Help [privacy] Contacts syncing against my will

[bind00]

I'm not one for putting my private data in the cloud so I sync my phone contacts and calendar directly with my PC locally using MyPhoneExplorer. I disabled Google syncing in Settings > Accounts > Google > [my account name] where the syncing of the various Google applications can be 'controlled'. However, this always feels quite precarious as a single misclick has it syncing immediately with no OK/Cancel confirmation.

Now I just noticed that many of my phone contacts have photos on them where they didn't have a few hours ago. Where did they come from? Google presumably. So I went back into Settings > Accounts > Google > [my account name] and see that all the services have synced in the last hour. And they were all checked for syncing when I had previously unchecked most of them.

Having said that, my contacts don't appear on google.com/contacts for that account and there were only three events in google.com/calendar (which I certainly didn't put in manually). Maybe the sync didn't complete before I spotted it but I consider it an invasion of privacy to take my data (and that of my contacts (who are people too!)) and try to put it on remote servers when I have set it up not to.

Any ideas what happened? I don't think there's been a system update recently and even if there was it should change setting like this. Could an app have done it?

Thanks for any suggestions

=========================================================

BTW, I considered this a general Android problem but when I tried to post in the Android Questions forum it said:

bind00, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

1. Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
2. If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

 

[hatredg0d]

Now I just noticed that many of my phone contacts have photos on them where they didn't have a few hours ago. Where did they come from? Google presumably. So I went back into Settings > Accounts > Google > [my account name] and see that all the services have synced in the last hour. And they were all checked for syncing when I had previously unchecked most of them

The only time I had pictures for most of my contacts was when I had facebook installed. I love the having my contacts in the cloud because I am constantly switching roms and phones. However the only pictures it syncs for me is the ones I have manually added.

 

[mydian]

My phone gets contact pics from Facebook and Google+ but I have sync enabled. That's a weird one for sure sorry I can't be of more help.

 

[dynomot]

A weird one, I can only hazard a guess. To be honest I'm not sure it's even likely or even possible, especially with your "not syncing" anything. Anyway here is my thought. Have you ever given any app or social media access to your contacts and maybe logged in with your Google account? I sync everything and never log into any site with my FB or Google account and yet I see FB contacts that are FB friends appearing in my contacts. I think it works like this : I sync my contacts with FB and then sync my contacts with Google ergo giving Google my FB contacts by default.

I also to be frank don't give a damn what Google knows, or FB for that matter about me and the contents of my device. Nothing I have ever posted, saved on a calendar could incriminate me in any way, and is never likely to. Maybe I'm a bit naive letting Google know everything it wants to, maybe I shouldn't, but for me, I cannot really see a legitimate reason why not.

I don't think I trust Google, I basically just have nothing that goes into the "interweb" I'm not bothered about anyone knowing.

More fool me perhaps?

 

[bind00]

Thanks for your answers. On closer inspection the contacts for which photos appeared seem indeed to be my Facebook friends so I guess the FB app is responsible for that. I'd prefer FB to keep the heck out of my contact list but what can you do? Oh, I see you can disable sync contacts under the FB account. That's a start but who knows what FB has already found and syphoned away.

Still not sure how the Google account syncing settings changed and why there are recent sync timestamps. But I do remember why they appear to have had no effect. I copied my contacts and events from Google to local phone so there's nothing to sync.

 

[jaymzway]

I'm not one for putting my private data in the cloud so I sync my phone contacts and calendar directly with my PC locally using MyPhoneExplorer. I disabled Google syncing in Settings > Accounts > Google > [my account name] where the syncing of the various Google applications can be 'controlled'. However, this always feels quite precarious as a single misclick has it syncing immediately with no OK/Cancel confirmation.

Now I just noticed that many of my phone contacts have photos on them where they didn't have a few hours ago. Where did they come from? Google presumably. So I went back into Settings > Accounts > Google > [my account name] and see that all the services have synced in the last hour. And they were all checked for syncing when I had previously unchecked most of them.

Having said that, my contacts don't appear on google.com/contacts for that account and there were only three events in google.com/calendar (which I certainly didn't put in manually). Maybe the sync didn't complete before I spotted it but I consider it an invasion of privacy to take my data (and that of my contacts (who are people too!)) and try to put it on remote servers when I have set it up not to.

Any ideas what happened? I don't think there's been a system update recently and even if there was it should change setting like this. Could an app have done it?

Thanks for any suggestions

=========================================================

BTW, I considered this a general Android problem but when I tried to post in the Android Questions forum it said:

this will help you better understand means that android is google
upon accepting UTA's under your provider and it is left up to the consumer to further investigate the other and third party UTA User's Terms Agreements.

when activating a new account with android and your provider google is there with it. trying to make all in one you need in one place.

do a factory reset then when it is finished rather then adding a google account back out of all of it keep playing with it you will finally get it to the point it will just go to your phone rather than google do a prl update and a profile update.. let it restart

You will then see how much google is tied into the phone from there.. and keep in mind all of your contacts will be gone as well and so will all of your personal stuff too as well ...

 

[bob-st]

Thanks for your answers. On closer inspection the contacts for which photos appeared seem indeed to be my Facebook friends so I guess the FB app is responsible for that. I'd prefer FB to keep the heck out of my contact list but what can you do? Oh, I see you can disable sync contacts under the FB account. That's a start but who knows what FB has already found and syphoned away.

Still not sure how the Google account syncing settings changed and why there are recent sync timestamps. But I do remember why they appear to have had no effect. I copied my contacts and events from Google to local phone so there's nothing to sync.

I had a friend from Scotland visit me in Florida. He wanted to post some Facebook stuff but his Scottish phone wasn't working verywell in FL. I let him post to FB from my phone only to later discover that I had ALL of his FB contacts intermixed with my phone contacts

 

[jaymzway]

I had a friend from Scotland visit me in Florida. He wanted to post some Facebook stuff but his Scottish phone wasn't working verywell in FL. I let him post to FB from my phone only to later discover that I had ALL of his FB contacts intermixed with my phone contacts

Bummer sorry over the mess u obtained over this I am really happy u got it resolved

 

[jaymzway]

Bummer sorry over the mess u obtained over this I am really happy u got it resolved

I'm sorry to not have asked this were u able to switch it over back to the way u like your phone to be

 

[Slug]

BTW, I considered this a general Android problem but when I tried to post in the Android Questions forum it said:

bind00, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

1. Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
2. If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

This happens - it's down to Android Questions being the only sub-forum on the site that allows unregistered guests to post, which occasionally causes problems for registered ones.

Rest assured it's nothing you've done wrong.

 

[jaymzway]

[/LIST]


This happens - it's down to Android Questions being the only sub-forum on the site that allows unregistered guests to post, which occasionally causes problems for registered ones.

Rest assured it's nothing you've done wrong.

Sir Slug, how u have been brutha ?
Long time no see :0)
Shoo I'm glad you and my good friend Sir Mikestony stepped in the clarify this for me I only really wanted to help this nice lady Im sure as you both can see she has done well and very kind . Man I'm glad everything is cool here no worries. Lol:beer: cheers bruthas....have a nice day.