Google Fi "opted you in" to data selling - You can opt out of CPNI
Received an email from Google Fi that their policy is to "opt you in" to sell your phone-call and purchase info to advertisers. They call the data your CPNI — "Customer Proprietary Network Information". Making this an opt-out when it's a combo of your shopping data plus phone-call data (including destination and location) plus Google identity seems pretty egregious to me.
Anyway, the emailed notice is easy to overlook as just another policy update that you wouldn't do anything about. But you can opt out.
At https://fi.google.com/account, go to "Privacy & security", and deselect "Allow CPNI sharing". It's not in the Fi app; you have to do it in a browser.
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Damn, the setting isn't even in the app settings. That's sneaky. Fuckers.
Even more fun on Mobile Android, trying to login on the mobile site on browser...opens the Fi app because it was set up to handle links. You can remove the Fi app, change link handling for that domain, or use a computer, but yeah, some bullshit was afoot with that one
You can temporarily disable link handling for the Fi app (apps > default apps > opening links), make the privacy change in-browser, and then re-enable link handling after
I was able to long press the link and open in chrome to get it on the web. However, I got this email a few weeks ago, and tried to opt out, and got distracted. It took this post pointing gout that it's not in the app for me to get it done! This is outrageous.
I used private browsing to work around this on mobile. Annoying that the link gets handled that way though.
The misuse of language on Google's part is incredible. You can't opt someone else in.
Huge thanks, I thought that was just a generic policy email. Fucking tired of this shit.
Fuckers! Dick move there Fi.
Thanks for this OP. Evilcorp Gonna evil, I guess
I assume this is outside of Europe right? This breaks GDPR in every conceivable manner
Google Fi is exclusive to U.S. customers so it doesn't matter if it breaks GDPR.
Yeah it does. GDPR applies for EU citizens regardless of where they are. It's why every website in the fucking world has a cookie banner now. An EU citizen could register for Fi service with a VPN and a mailbox at a UPS store and Google's handling of their data would be subject to GDPR.
So yeah, it definitely matters, and I wouldn't be surprised if they get sued because of this.
Maybe the EU says the GDPR applies to all EU citizens regardless of where they are, but that doesn't matter. ox at a UPS store and Google's handling of their data would be subject to GDPR.
Maybe the EU says the GDPR applies to all EU citizens regardless of where they are, but that doesn't matter. They only have the right to enforce the GDPR within their jurisdiction, regardless of where a EU citizen is.
Please see here.
So uh, you think Google doesn't operate or do business in the EU? They have 20+ offices there. In the example I gave, they would 100000% be subject to GDPR, fullstop; it's not a question, matter of opinion, or debate. They'd even be subject to it if an EU citizen was physically inside the US on vacation and opened a Fi account while they were here.
I'm from Virginia and knowing compliance stuff (GDPR, CCPA, PCI DSS, NIST 800-*, etc) is a requirement of my job.
Yea this should be for the rest of the world.
I appreciate you.
I saw that email too and got confused.
Turned it off a moment ago
A few months back I just opted out of google fi and that worked. Seems google's motto is more of the "Do be evil" variant these days.
Don’t Not Be Evil.
Or just click the link that says to opt out. It will opt you out without doing anything else. Pretty dick move to have it opt-out instead of opt-in, yet not surprising.
There's no link in the email to opt out. The email gives you instructions on how to opt out and a link to the Fi website, but no direct link.
The instructions also don't work by default, because once you log in to the Fi website, it automatically redirects you to the Fi app which conveniently doesn't have the opt out option available to toggle. You have to either uninstall the Fi app or manually turn off its ability to open fi.google.com URLs to actually opt out.
I don't think that was an accident for even half a second, and I'm pretty sure that it just pushed me to switch carriers.
Weird. In the email I received, I just clicked the first link and a page opened letting me know I had opted out.
Yeah, not for me. It just went to the main Fi account page when I actually got it to open instead of it trying to open in the Fi app. Maybe an A/B test or something, I don't know.
What I do know is that I just switched wireless carriers, because fuck all that noise. That shit really rubbed me the wrong way. I might be on the road to completely divorcing myself from Google at this point.
Are you comfortable sharing what country / state you're in? I didn't have an option to opt out in the Email and I'm in PA, USA.
California.
This is the link that was in the email I received:
http://g.co/fi/cpni-opt-out?utm_source=transactional&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=email&utm_content=&utm_term=___``I guess it just one click because I was logged into the web sms page as I don't like using my phone for anything.
Thanks for the heads up!
Disabled! Thanks for sharing
Google just doing Google tings
Anyone have good suggestions to the next carrier I can switch to? I do a lot of international travel and like the Fi being available everywhere.
I'm curious too... It's more the cost. I'm sure all telecoms are neck deep in this kind of shit. And if one mvno isn't, they're still using their infrastructure. But the unlimited international plan is $110 for 2 people, which is tough on my budget
Thanks, I saw the email too n wondered if there was an option out
Thank you for this! Good looking out.
good one just did it...
How can you really opt-out when the source code of all software they use is closed? If you cannot check the source code all they say are fallacies. You cannot trust their allegations. More google bullshit. Don't trust, verify!
I usually go by "Don't trust" but your version may occasionally prove more useful. MAY