this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2026
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74
Google wants your phone to track your heart rate by simply looking at you (www.androidauthority.com)
submitted 12 hours ago by throws_lemy@lemmy.nz to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] PierceTheBubble@lemmy.ml 5 points 4 hours ago

Privacy is another obvious challenge ... Google suggests that on-device processing and face authentication could help address those concerns

So create the misconception the data remains local (as the processing happens locally), while incentivizing them to using face authentication (enabling the 8-second selfie cam video clip upon unlock: used for heart rate estimation through skin changes), and the EULA roofying of course serving as the "explicit consent".

[–] TingoTenga@lemmy.world 25 points 10 hours ago

This should be protected health data.

[–] DisasterTransport@startrek.website 46 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (2 children)

fantastic, now they can tell which specific parts of the jeep ad get my blood pumping

[–] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 6 points 7 hours ago

Hopefully they'll continue utilising Outrage as the Prime Engagement Metric, so that when I start swearing loudly at annoying scammy ads, they'll assume that means I'm "engaged", and that's good, so they'll serve me more and more ragebait

[–] MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 12 points 10 hours ago (3 children)

That's exactly what they'll use it for. We so desperately need a european alternative to android and ios, something that actually respects your data

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 4 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Doesn't even need to be European. Ubuntu has a phone version that's not currently universal, but it is on its way and could be someday. True Linux phones may be in our future.

We don't need phones that respect your data, we need phones that don't collect it in the first place.

[–] MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 2 points 3 hours ago

I mean, canonical is British. Even if that not currently within the EU, that's still somewhat European.

But yeah, Ubuntu Phone would be a great base. Have the EU pump a few millions into it and regulate that OEMs have to support free OSs and we're off to the races

[–] PabloSexcrowbar@piefed.social 8 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

It's naive to think that European companies won't find a way to do the same level of shady shit in the future once everyone is nice and complacent.

[–] MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 5 points 7 hours ago

The idea is that it would force vendors to easily let users install other OSs and app providers to not only allow android and ios

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 0 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Graphene OS, join it. Motorolla is making compatible phones but the google pixel phones are compatible for now.

[–] MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I would rather have an actual alternative instead of something that still depends on the whims of Google. Also this would not help in untying the current hard coupling between hardware and software

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 0 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

The pixel phones aren't tied to google after you drop the graphene open source operating system on them, that's the entire point. There are tech enthusiasts here that could explain it better than I.

But android is open source, google used it, forked it off, and are trying to make their fork proprietary or something idk, but the phones can be used without being compromised by google. They are working on sabotaging graphene quite predictably.

[–] MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Google didnt fork Android, they own it. It's also not really open source anymore since the aosp codebase is only updated every few months and doesn't accept contributions.

I would not build something new from that. I would rather pour money into fixing the few issues with Ubuntu mobile or something similar and be rid LF Google

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 0 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Motorolla has been building a phone just for graphene os, and these pixels are safe to use as such I've been assured, there are a lot of people in on the collaberation that know what they are doing.

Idk about ubuntu. But graphene will get the economy of scale which is key. It's already fairly big.

[–] MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 1 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

The issue is not what specific vendor produces the OS, but that it should not be based upon something that Google controls. If Google stops publishing the code for the Pixel tree, GraphenOS is fucked. They already had great issues when Google stopped using a public repo and only published updates on a quarterly basis

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 0 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

The pixel phones' software is not controlled by google after you download graphene, which has it's own code, and own updates. It's not reliant on google, as I understand it, and the soon to come motorolla phones will negate being reliant on google for anything at all.

I just looked up this ubuntu, I've seen the name before. From what I skimmed it's not hardened, and 10 years behind graphene, but I don't actually know.

[–] MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 2 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

but I don't actually know.

You keep saying this and then repeat the same argument.

GraphenOS is entirely reliant on the devs at Google, because they update the device tree, drivers and patch security issues. If Google stopped doing that tomorrow, Graphen is fucked. They would be stuck on whatever driver they had last with all the issues that one brings.

The "only" thing Graphen adds is additional hardening and some customization and sandboxing code.

I just looked up this ubuntu

Lol, this ubuntu. Not knowing one of the, if not the single most well known Linux distro is already telling enough.

From what I skimmed it's not hardened, and 10 years behind graphene, but I don't actually know.

It's not "behind" GraphenOS, it's something entirely different. And the hardening is what money could be poured into, along with the other issues it still has. Still, none of these issues is being owned by Google.

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

I will take all of that under advisement. I only know what I've heard from OS enthusiasts, and they pump graphene principally.

[–] MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 3 points 4 hours ago

Of course they do, especially compared to stock android. I would run it if they supported my phone.

I am not saying Graphen is bad or anything like that. Its just build on a shaky foundation. But if you have a phone that supports it, it's a great alternative to stock

[–] Grumpus_Maximus@thelemmy.club 32 points 11 hours ago

Yes I love not having choices

[–] CanIFishHere@lemmy.ca -1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

This is kind of incredible. No longer need to purchase a smartwatch to track heartrate.

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 3 points 3 hours ago

You never did. Heart rate monitors have existed for years, and they're typically more accurate than a smartwatch. Fitness bands, too, have been around for a long time.

And you can always use the tried-and-true free method of finding your pulse, counting for 30sec, and multiplying by two.