I'm looking at getting a HTC Desire but I'm a tad off put by Google's take on privacy, what info does the Android OS collect and send back to google?

"If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place," Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google

that's not exactly the company motto of "do no evil" now is it?

I really like the phone but I'm not at all keen on Mountain View collecting detailed records of my web usage, physical movements, conversations, emails and texts?!? do they collect all that info?

I really like the phone but I'm not at all keen on Mountain View collecting detailed records of my web usage, physical movements, conversations, emails and texts?!? do they collect all that info?

They collect it all and then send it to your mum, so maybe you should think twice..

Oh I don't mind her having it, I just don't want some US mega corp being able to know where I've hidden all the bodies should I wish to check my emails as they are digging their own graves.

First, if you're -that- concerned, you should probably stop using the Internet completely. (-:

Under Android, some Google apps (and non-Google apps) send "anonymous usage data" back to base, however there's app-specific options to toggle this off. I usually switch it off, not particularly for privacy reasons but to improve battery life. I don't believe that the Android OS does any sort of phoning home in and of itself (it's ostensibly Linux with a customised VM).

One nice thing that I've not seen on other platforms is, when you install any app it shows you a list of the privileges that the app is asking for. So you can review what that app is allowed to do, and cancel the install if you don't like it.

"If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place," Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google

that's not exactly the company motto of "do no evil" now is it?

Sounds exactly like it. Do no evil and you have nothing to be afraid of.

Sounds exactly like it. Do no evil and you have nothing to be afraid of.

That depends absolutely on who is defining "evil".

Bill gates. Steve jobs. Eric schmidt.

They are the internet.

You have nothing to fear, except fear itself huge quantities of targetted advertising.

They forced me to get a google account to use the market, but that's as far as they've got.
The location finder will 'share with google' but you can untick that

They forced me to get a google account to use the market, but that's as far as they've got.

Doesn't pretty much anyone remotely interested in the internet already have a google account??

You need one for iGoogle, Gmail, Docs, Reader, Calendar, Books, Picasa, Groups etc

Just in case people haven't seen this great Onion story.

It's funny because it's almost true.

Other products & services are available

Yes I showed 2 people that video chapa and they both thought it was real!

This one is probably more realistic:
google-opt-out-feature-lets-users-protect-privacy-by moving-to-remote-village