Anomaly 6: Private spying firm targets global population with illegal spyware

Re:Anomaly 6: Private spying firm targets global population ... by photochemsyn on Tuesday December 06, 2022 @05:30PM (#33888037)

The wikipedia article seems to spell it all out concisely:

> "The company purchases cell phone location data from advertisers who in turn get the information from embedded software development kits (SDK) in commonly used phone applications. The publishers of apps frequently allow third parties to insert SDKs into their apps for a fee. Some of the apps have Anomaly Six’s own SDK embedded in them. This system often relies on disclosures in the complex terms of service that must be agreed to in order to use an application. Most apps' privacy policies do not disclose whether or not SDKs are embedded in their product."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomaly_Six

Okay, now we need a lawyer to find the explicit legal language in the terms of service agreements that give the necessary legal cover to the app manufacturer and distributor to install SDKs...

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Re:Anomaly 6: Private spying firm targets global population ... by matheusmoreira on Tuesday December 06, 2022 @06:32PM (#33888613)

Ah yes, the "it's not malware because technically you agreed to it" defense. "Legitimate companies" with their "legitimate interests".

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Re:Anomaly 6: Private spying firm targets global population ... by newsclues on Tuesday December 06, 2022 @07:44PM (#33889252)

Or is it intelligence agencies pretending to be legitimate companies.

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Re:Anomaly 6: Private spying firm targets global population ... by srmatto on Tuesday December 06, 2022 @08:36PM (#33889675)

Bingo: "The company, which was founded by a pair of US military intelligence veterans..."

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Re:Anomaly 6: Private spying firm targets global population ... by kornhole on Tuesday December 06, 2022 @08:19PM (#33889543)

The problem is finding which apps have the SDK embedded in an SDK when the apps are proprietary.

The very few proprietary apps I have are installed on a separate profile of my Graphene phone, and they are given very few permissions. I sometimes use rotating burner SIM's to thwart the telcos and never make calls with the SIM. I am pretty sure I am in the >1% of people taking these precautions, which is why Anomaly 6 has the location of almost everybody else.

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