New Phone? Remember To Back-Up Your Game!

CrookedKnight

Linkster79 wrote:

Would saving the MPQ .apk to micro SD be an option then popping that into a new phone? A bit wank for Apple fan boys but maybe for the cool Android kids.

You'd need to back up and then restore the app's user data files, not just the APK (which is the installer/executable). If you root your phone this is an option (it's how I keep my save when upgrading between Cyanogen ROMs, rather than using the Facebook restore and wading through the tutorial every time) but without taking that step Android won't let you mess with app data.

JVReal

XandorXerxes wrote:

Oh, the app is much, much worse.

The app can collect all the data on your phone, including all of your contacts' data, read all of your texts, check your call history, collect your bookmarks, browser, and application history, download your calendar, record your conversations, use your camera, write all of that to your phone, and run a script that sends it home regardless if the application is installed.

WILL it do all that? Not likely. CAN it? Oh, you bet. Does it probably collect all your data that it can mine from any source? I wouldn't bet against it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvfD5rnkTws

Unknown

XandorXerxes wrote:

Oh, the app is much, much worse.

The app can collect all the data on your phone, including all of your contacts' data, read all of your texts, check your call history, collect your bookmarks, browser, and application history, download your calendar, record your conversations, use your camera, write all of that to your phone, and run a script that sends it home regardless if the application is installed .

WILL it do all that? Not likely. CAN it? Oh, you bet. Does it probably collect all your data that it can mine from any source? I wouldn't bet against it.

I always thought the authorizations it asked were to use those features through the app (for example, posting a pic directly if you took it via the FB option or opening your gallery when you select the option to upload a pic), not that the app really gathered those to send the FB servers. I think people are a bit paranoid on that. People would notice data usage spikes if it really sent all your pics and vids to FB.

Also, how does the bolded part works?

blinktag

XandorXerxes wrote:

Sure, you just have to remember to scrub your browser afterwards or Facebook will track every website you visit.

Three words: Ghostery

(Okay that was one word. But it was enough. .. How 'bout "Free Ghostery browser add-on" ... that's four-ish)

Unknown

Pretty sure you can just back up to itunes.

But, yeah, itunes.

simonsez

Puck wrote:

Pretty sure you can just back up to itunes.

Pretty sure you can't

Unknown

So when I got my last phone and installed the back up from my previous one, it was actually the facebook back up that carried over all my MPQ data?

Phew, that was lucky.

XandorXerxes

ShionSinX wrote:

XandorXerxes wrote:

Oh, the app is much, much worse.

The app can collect all the data on your phone, including all of your contacts' data, read all of your texts, check your call history, collect your bookmarks, browser, and application history, download your calendar, record your conversations, use your camera, write all of that to your phone, and run a script that sends it home regardless if the application is installed .

WILL it do all that? Not likely. CAN it? Oh, you bet. Does it probably collect all your data that it can mine from any source? I wouldn't bet against it.

I always thought the authorizations it asked were to use those features through the app (for example, posting a pic directly if you took it via the FB option or opening your gallery when you select the option to upload a pic), not that the app really gathered those to send the FB servers. I think people are a bit paranoid on that. People would notice data usage spikes if it really sent all your pics and vids to FB.

Also, how does the bolded part works?

To be fair, I am much more conscious of it than most people.

If Facebook allows you to take a picture and upload it directly to Facebook, it will ask for camera access. That's not the actual problem - the problem is what granting Facebook access actually does. An application that only allows the camera to take a picture and directly upload it to Facebook will request the exact same permissions as an application that has the ability to surreptitiously take pictures with your camera.

Knowing Facebook, it's not going to things like secretly record your conversations (though it could). I do think it is likely to go digging through your personal information.

The part you bolded works because you're giving the application special write access to your storage. It's how a lot of mobile malware currently works - you download an application that seems legit, install the application, the application then turns around and runs a malicious script (either by pulling it down from the host server or if it was sufficiently hidden in the install package) because you gave it special write access. I imagine Facebook isn't looking to run malware on people's phones, but if Google or Apple flagged collecting people's information or tracking them as malware then they'd catch a lot of their own activity.

_RiO_

blinktag wrote:

XandorXerxes wrote:

Sure, you just have to remember to scrub your browser afterwards or Facebook will track every website you visit.

Three words: Ghostery

(Okay that was one word. But it was enough. .. How 'bout "Free Ghostery browser add-on" ... that's four-ish)

Doesn't help. Facebook will re-associate you via IP address and continue tracking.
You need to actively keep Ghostery installed and deny any and all attempts to load any content off of one of the domains under Facebook's control.

ShionSinX wrote:

I always thought the authorizations it asked were to use those features through the app (for example, posting a pic directly if you took it via the FB option or opening your gallery when you select the option to upload a pic), not that the app really gathered those to send the FB servers. I think people are a bit paranoid on that. People would notice data usage spikes if it really sent all your pics and vids to FB.

It means the Facebook app gets pick of the litter of doing whatever the hell it wants with any of the media on your phone. It doesn't need to necessarily upload all of it. It could, for instance, access your photos locally, run image recognition on it and tag interesting stuff for upload. Or crop out human faces and upload only those bits together with a creation date for further analysis by Facebook, which tells them whom you've been in contact with IRL on certain dates.

The fact that they're not doing it now, doesn't mean they aren't going to be doing it.
And the fact that they're not telling you they're doing it, doesn't mean they're not already doing it.

We're taling about the kitty-holes that decided it was a good thing to use a cookie they set to store your preference to opt you out of cross-site tracking, to fingerprint you for cross-site tracking.

I would never trust Facebook with anything. A - N - Y - T - H - I - N - G.

Unknown

Er... OK.
https://youtu.be/2hoSAY7Ye4Q

Melevorn

_RiO_ wrote:

... and deny any and all attempts to load any content off of one of the domains under Facebook's control.
...
I would never trust Facebook with anything. A - N - Y - T - H - I - N - G.

Same, which is why I block all Facebook domains as a matter of course.

Unfortunately, as I wrote earlier, it looks like this policy means I can't back up my MPQ data to a new phone.

To the guy who suggested using public wifi - the point is to avoid Facebook, not to avoid my own security.

Unknown

Seriously? Poeple are that much paranoid up there? Cant even use a Mc Donalds WiFi or Facebook because they think their life will be stolen? Nvm then, just make a new account and live happily.

CNash

Doesn't the normal iTunes / iOS backup and restore system also backup app user data files? I'm sure I didn't have to go through FB backup/restore when I last upgraded my phone.

XandorXerxes

ShionSinX wrote:

Seriously? Poeple are that much paranoid up there? Cant even use a Mc Donalds WiFi or Facebook because they think their life will be stolen? Nvm then, just make a new account and live happily.

You know Facebook says it will use your photos and information as promotional material and will sell it to third party advertisers in their terms of use, right? It's not really paranoia when they tell you they're doing it.

Malcrof

XandorXerxes wrote:

ShionSinX wrote:

Seriously? Poeple are that much paranoid up there? Cant even use a Mc Donalds WiFi or Facebook because they think their life will be stolen? Nvm then, just make a new account and live happily.

You know Facebook says it will use your photos and information as promotional material and will sell it to third party advertisers in their terms of use, right? It's not really paranoia when they tell you they're doing it.

Paranoia would be if you thought they were doing it, but had no evidence... Them telling you they are doing it, is required for legal reasons.

Making a fake FB account, without installing the app on your device, and linking it to save your game, does a couple of things...

1. Backup your game
2. you can set a link for other MPQ'ers to friend that fake account, and get loads of gifts
3. not really a #3, but a 2 part list ticks away at my ocd.

Dayv

XandorXerxes wrote:

ShionSinX wrote:

Seriously? Poeple are that much paranoid up there? Cant even use a Mc Donalds WiFi or Facebook because they think their life will be stolen? Nvm then, just make a new account and live happily.

You know Facebook says it will use your photos and information as promotional material and will sell it to third party advertisers in their terms of use, right? It's not really paranoia when they tell you they're doing it.

Obvious solution: don't put any real information in your account, and log out of it when done.

Also, one could use a mobile OS that values user privacy over ad revenue.

jojeda654

Malcrof wrote:

1. Backup your game
2. you can set a link for other MPQ'ers to friend that fake account, and get loads of gifts
3. not really a #3, but a 2 part list ticks away at my ocd.

There are two types of people.

1. Those who finish lists.

IceIX

jojeda654 wrote:

There are two types of people.

1. Those who finish lists.

No no. There are 10 types of people. Those who understand binary and those that do not.

Unknown

IceIX wrote:

jojeda654 wrote:

There are two types of people.

1. Those who finish lists.

No no. There are 10 types of people. Those who understand binary and those that do not.

I always make this joke, lol.

So someone can make money out of the **** I do on internet? Nice, I feel better for not all that stuff being 100% useless.

DrNitroman

jojeda654 wrote:

There are two types of people.

1. Those who finish lists.

Aaaaaaaaah

Finish it!

Finish it!
Finish it!