Russia's New Secure Android Tablet Keeps Data From Google 127
wiredmikey writes "It seems Russia's defense ministry doesn't trust Google's tablet computers: a new Android device presented to a top Russian government official boasts encryption and works with software and a global positioning system made in Russia, the AFP reports. The OS has all the functional capabilities of an Android operating system but none of its hidden features that send users' private data to Google, addressing concerns that data stored by Google could slip into the hands of the US government and expose some of their most secret and sensitive communications. Two versions of the tablet will supposedly be made — one for consumers and one for defense needs."
What about FSB? (Score:5, Insightful)
--Coder
Can we get the same? (Score:5, Insightful)
Can we have an EU version, that keeps data within Europe, not like the EU version that hands all our banking data over to the USA when asked, one that respects OUR privacy?
Sounds like a good idea to me.
As bad as Google may be (Score:4, Insightful)
I think I'd rather have my data go to Google rather than the Kremlin...
Re:As bad as Google may be (Score:5, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:In US (Score:5, Insightful)
They're protecting the data from Google, that doesn't mean that they aren't themselves receiving that data and more. Not that I necessarily think that's happening, although it would be expected of any government that was going out of its way to do this.
Re:No *ONGOING* (Score:5, Insightful)
but USA has something on them as leverage.
What dirt could possibly be so bad and so extensive that it literally forces the hand of every country in the E.U. with regards to SWIFT? Even the E.U. countries that initially were in opposition backed down (such as Germany.)
If we accept your theory as true, that the U.S. has some major dirt on all the E.U. governments, then maybe you shouldn't be trying to make the U.S. out to be the bad guy. Sins so bad that the E.U. could be blackmailed into giving up the banking data of 500 million people doesn't sound like little white lies to me. It sounds like very serious evil-type shit
Re:In US (Score:5, Insightful)
They're not protecting YOUR privacy. They're protecting the Russian government's privacy from Google. I don't see why anybody would be surprised by this at all. Instead, information channels keep the Russian government's central servers informed what their defense employees are doing with their phones.
The Russian consumer grade product probably also keeps the government servers (possibly separate from the military servers to keep the civilians out of the military's business) informed about what the consumers are doing with their phones.