XPost: comp.mobile.android, misc.phone.mobile.iphone   
   From: mariasophia@comprehension.com   
      
   Jeff Layman wrote:   
   > Why they insist on agreeing to their user agreement and privacy policy   
   > before using a theme is beyond me. Well, no, it's not really, as it's   
   > just another means of data burrowing.   
      
   Hi Jeff,   
      
   Thanks for that enlightening observation of how your own Xiaomi Redmi Note   
   10 5G requires you to agree to the mothership "collection" policy.   
      
   Every company (including Samsung, Google & Microsoft) likes to mimic   
   Apple's privacy-robbing monetization of its loyal user based, if they can.   
      
   What you're describing on the Xiaomi is a different class of "wallpaper   
   privacy issue" than the Android-level fingerprinting we've been talking   
   about, so it's worth spelling out the distinction clearly, because it helps   
   people on all platforms understand where the real risk is coming from.   
    a. Android's wallpaper-color fingerprinting is a technical quirk.   
    b. Xiaomi's wallpaper-theme gatekeeping is a business model.   
      
   Much like how Apple's privacy-robbing strategy on iOS 'forces' you to   
   create an account just so that "your" device is functionally useful,   
   Xiaomi's "agree to our privacy policy before using themes" is the first   
   step in Xiaomi's monetization and data-collection strategy.   
      
   Xiaomi's Themes app is treated as a service, not a system component.   
   To use that service, you are required to:   
    a. Accept their privacy policy   
    b. Accept their user agreement   
    c. Give them permission to collect analytics   
    d. Give them permission to collect device identifiers   
    e. Give them permission to track theme usage   
    f. Give them permission to push ads and recommendations   
   Where even a completely black photo triggers the same requirement!   
   But that's not all.   
    g. Apparently just browsing "more themes" triggers the requirement   
    h. As does using a custom wallpaper triggers the requirement   
   But wait... there's more!   
    i. Apparently just switching away from Xiaomi's pre-approved themes   
       also triggers the requirement!   
      
   You could almost argue that Xiaomi outflanks even Apple when it comes to   
   policies that are designed to mine all the data they can from you,   
   although, let's be clear, even Xiomi doesn't stoop as low as Apple when it   
   comes to adding your device identifiers into every single app you install.   
      
   With respect to Xiomi's mothership privacy robbing strategy...   
    i. Just as with Apple, it's not about the wallpaper.   
   ii. It's about forcing you into their data ecosystem.   
      
   Why does Xiaomi do this for something as trivial as wallpapers?   
   Because themes are one of their revenue streams.   
      
   Just as with Google products (which is why I have no Google Account on my   
   phone), the Xiaomi Themes app is tied to:   
    A. Your Xiaomi account   
    B. The Xiaomi cloud   
    C. Xiaomi ads   
    D. Xiaomi analytics   
    E. Xiaomi personalization   
    F. Xiaomi storefront content   
   Where they want (and get)   
    G. your device model   
    H. your region   
    I. your usage patterns   
    J. your theme preferences   
    K. your wallpaper choices   
    L. your Xiaomi account identity   
    M. your advertising ID   
      
   But, as with Microsoft, they want legal permission to collect it.   
   That's why they block you from:   
     i. using custom wallpapers   
    ii. browsing theme catalogs   
   iii. applying downloaded themes   
   ...until you agree.   
      
   Luckily for you, this PSA hits home as Xiaomi's Themes app is optional.   
      
   You can bypass Xiaomi's theme ecosystem entirely by:   
    1. Generating your own solid-color wallpaper   
    2. Setting it through the system wallpaper picker   
    3. Which bypasses Xiaomi's theme catalog   
    4. Which also bypasses Xiaomi's cloud sync   
    5. And bypasses Xiaomi's analytics   
      
   Because the hex 1x1 PPM -> PNG method is:   
    a. offline   
    b. metadata-free   
    c. EXIF-free   
    d. noise-free   
    e. fingerprint-resistant   
   And, for you, it's the right Xiaomi-ecosystem-independent workaround!   
   --   
   Privacy is a feature you build yourself into everything you touch and use.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)