Recently, very public heads like Edward Snowden have warned against using Google Allo, and to an extent all Google services due to privacy problems. So, I want to create a discussion here; is Google really all that untrustworthy, or is the information they take necessary and not excessive?
Posted Sep 25, 2016, 4:48 AM UTC
I love how much people are freaking out about Allo's security, then they go and use Facebook... Which stores more info about you for longer, and Snowden also tells people they shouldn't use it.
Allo isn't any worse than any other service that's backed up to the cloud. Hell, more data if probably stored in your Gmail account.
Here's a good rule of thumb: if you need to be secure, don't use any service that stores data on a server. Especially if you don't own said server.
But if you want the convenience of modern cloud based apps, get used to companies reading your data. They ALL do it. Allo is far from the worst in my mind.
Secure from unauthorized access? As safe as any remotely stored data can be.
Safe from authorized, warrant-driven access? Not at all.
'Safe' from being used internally, and by any third party entities that Google does business with, for the purposes of marketing you products and services? No, in fact, that's the deal.
For anyone not familiar with it, the Google Privacy Policy is available at https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.
Yes or no, here's my opinion...
Google is secure with passwords (Chrome), credit cards (Chrome, Wallet, Android Pay), and Personal Data (My Account). If you're genuinely concerned about something your sending to someone else being too incriminating, lewd, or sensitive in general via Allo, or ANY OTHER MESSENGER for that matter, then you wouldn't be using a messenger in the first place. Allo (at least in Incognito) is no less secure than the rest of them. I'd you're afraid for your privacy, don't use a messenger app. Send your dick picks via snail mail. <3