Nokia snaffles user data on the down-low Users of Nokia's N900 tablet are outraged at the news that the latest OS update automatically collects details and signs them up to services, without the option to opt out or cancel. The initiation into the MyNokia service comes at the end of the installation of the latest update – PR1.2. Once the user has downloaded and …
I don't recall seeing that screen when my N900 did it's upgrade, but I did get a TXT a few days ago from Nokia (short code 84000) inviting me to repy to it to complete a 2-part survey. (Which I have declined to do)
I did wonder at the time how they got my mobile number, but I had previously signed up for their Ovi Store thing.
Bit sneaky though. Now to check my bill and see if it did send a TXT...
I still like my N900 - it's not perfect, but it does absolutely everything I need in a mobile communications device.
Nokia can't see why anyone wouldn't want to sign up to MyNokia: "We believe that these support messages are for the benefit of the consumer and help those consumers who are not yet fully aware of the possibilities their devices offer to make the most out of their purchase
They have missed the point of outrage by a flipping Mile !!!!
I signed up and haven't had any messages etc from MyNokia up to now so its not like its bothering me much....
As menion on the forums its easy to disable if you are really paranoid but you should be concentrating more on the Black Helicopters overhead watching your every move.....
I was stupid enough to register with Nokia, to try and get support for a really horrid bug on a symbian-based phone.
Obviously, the support people never replied, but at least Nookia kept sending me spam texts about the Ovi store in the small hours of the morning. This is always welcome, as I can't mute my phone overnight for various personal reasons, and just love spam texts waking me up.
I used every option that opted out of this crap, and still they came. The web interface didn't even let me delete the mobile number- so I had to fill it with junk.
Truly, Nokia are a bunch of goat rapists. Do not let them have your details, as they will abuse them. Their relationship with the customer is not a healthy or consensual one.
Incidentally, that buggy POS phone was the last Nokia product that I ever bought. Surprising, huh?
What is it with tech businesses these days? Whether it's Nokia, or Apple, Microsoft, or the bloody mobile operators, or whoever, they all seem to feel the need to spy on their customers and bloody hassle them with crap that they don't want and never asked for, at every opertunity!
I wish they all put the same effort into dealing with customer complaints when their bloody software fails to perform as advertised (eg - can you sort out gettintg IMAP working correctly on the E72, please Nokia!!).
I've noticed that whenever a company stops talking about their customers and starts talking about consumers, it is usually a good time to find another company to deal with.
When the mindset is dealing with a customer, there is the thought about winning that person's trust and building a relationship.
When the mindset (if they have a mind) is dealing with a consumer, then it seems that all that is seen is the money - for which the company try to do the minimum possible to get the maximum out of you - and screw the relationship!
The sms sends all data relating to your handset to their security database, tying your handset to you (whilst also tying your handset to their ad system).
I thought that this was already done, it is for all Nokia Symbian handsets, obviously something forgotten by Nokia for the N900 (forgotten in the Maemo code?). As for future Nokia Meego handsets – it will be, as usual, an integral part of the Nokia Meego handset security (and ad) system, unless Nokia decide to change their security policy.
A bit harsh.. there are at least half a dozen people using the N900 (even though it is a nice bit of kit). I have nothing against Maemo (I was one of the first to own the old Nokia 770) but Nokia's might is not what it was. If they made the N900 run Android instead then I think that Nokia would be laughing all the way to the bank..
``[...] users who care simply opt out of MyNokia immediately afterwards.''
But at that point you've already handed over your details, and since they couldn't be trusted with a simple question (``no'' isn't an option in their view), they certainly can't be trusted with details of any kind whatsoever. Not even for a couple of minutes.
Yes, I will be remembering this, including snooty ``but why would you ever not let us have your details?''. Why should I do business with a company that disrespects its clients and can't apoligise when clearly they made a grave error of judgement?
... it certainly did it on my 5800; both when I first got it and after a recent firmware update.
The simple solution is to run through it when you have no signal, then you can simply go into messaging -> outbox, and delete the message.
I admit that I was rather peeved when they did this without a 'no' option, but it's not difficult to work around... and they're still nowhere near as bad as the competition!
i didn't buy one.
nokia has the crappiest firmware update policies ever.
i had a n70, e61i and e71 at the start of 2009. the nokia firmware update software is a pain to use (at least it was then) and every month when i used it it would insist on downloading a newer version of itself which when i was on dialup took forever. so i always did the firmware updates at the same time. big mistake.
i hate noisy devices. the current trend for compulsory camera clicks in the us and asia are a particular annoyance. i always read the firmware update notes to see what was included in the updates before using them. when i updated the 3 devices they all got the stupid camera click. it was getting harder and harder to remove every year and i wasted a month of trial and error before giving up. i found partial solutions. specific software has been written to eliminate the click noise but nothing that worked 100%. i'd lose a lot of features of the camera or the flash would be activated every time. had a few people who thought they could sort it give it a go and they got nowhere.
in the end i gave away all 3 devices. €1000 worth of hardware ruined by a shitty update that gave no warning of what it was breaking.
i heard that the n900 was silent but after losing €1000 on the other i wasn't going to take the risk.
seeing this no warning sign you up for random crap doesn't help nokia regain the top smart phone spot they threw away. pity as they _do_ make nice hardware.
when ovi was announced i signed up and even though i tried unsubscribing 6 times it still sends me shit.
nokia get your act together! i _might_ consider buying your hardware if you stop this crappy behaviour!
Most of the recent Nokia phones have been riddled with hardware flaws as well as buggy software.. The N900 is a shining beacon and exception to this generalisation- it's a nice device, so they killed it.
Otherwise, you have to go back to the e72 era for nicely-made Nokia phones.
just a person who likes peace and quiet. the noisiest sound from my cubicle should not be the stupid camera click when i take a screen shot of a customers system!
at home i have cats and i like to take pics of the little moggies and when the camera makes a noise they stop what ever it is they are doing so that is also annoying. i only get one shot of the little buggers with a noisy camera.
the person i gave the e71 to who was greatly amused by my distaste of the noise told me that he had been in a book shop in berlin and saw a book that he liked. to remind himself about it he took a picture of the cover. it wasn't a quiet bookshop but still 5-6 people looked his way making him self conscious. he now hates the click as much as i did.
yes people use cameras to take pictures that are inappropriate. there are laws to deal with those assholes. inflicting the camera click noise on everybody is accusing every body of being a criminal. i am not a criminal.
also the law was brought in when cameras were 640 x 480. now all camera phones can shoot video that is far higher res than that. why do not make a stupid noise when shooting video? surely video is worse?
the whole law is a stupid security theatre nonsense.
it's bad enough when you can be arrested in the uk for taking a pic on a public street. the best defense we have against corrupt cops is taking pictures on a public street. this is easier when the camera is silent.
nokia have inflicted this on more and more phones in countries that don't have such laws. why should i have to comply with a law that is not in my country? when i bought the e71 i made sure in advance that it could be used silently. there was no warning in the firmware update. there was no way to turn it off afterwards. trust me, i and many others tried. i think it put quite a few people off nokia in my circle of friends and geeks. my iphone and htc hero are silent (had a worry yesterday on my htc hero when they moved the click location but some helpful people here pointed it out to me. think i gave up so soon as i didn't want to go down the time i wasted trying to make my nokia silent again)
from a few quick surveys i'd say that only around 10% of users are annoyed with the camera click but that does not nullify our complaint. search google for nokia and shutter sound to see how unhappy a lot of people are.
i really do hope that nokia gets its act in order. such a shame as they used to make really great devices that i bought as soon as they were released. now i don't trust them. trust is a very hard thing to win back.
just my 2c.
The "MyNokia" auto opt-in have been in every standard Nokia Firmware for the past 5+ years!
The Networks usually remove it in their version of the Firmware but if you've ever gotten or de-branded, a nokia with the default regional Firmware guess what! the "MyNokia" there when you finish the update.
(*Note* I just de-branded my E63 that I got Branded from "3" to the Euro default Firmware. Guess what's there, yup the "MyNokia" )
"pointing out that the terms and conditions do mention the cost of the SMS."
OK, so after you have read the terms and conditions, and decide that you don't agree to them, THEN WHAT?
Me: "Hi there Mr. Nokia representative, I'm going to kick you in the bollocks. Is that OK with you?"
Mr. Nokia "I would rather that you didn't"
Me: "Sorry, that is't an option. The only option is that I am going to..."
"Nokia has long sought a direct relationship with its customers, and this is one more way to attain just that."
While Nokia has every right to try to woo prospective *willing* 'partners' by offering them stuff etc., this strategy is more like a taxi driver keeping the car doors locked at the end of the journey until his pretty young fare agrees to agree to TOS him, (that is, accept is 'terms of service')...
Paris, because she's inspired many a TOS
I got one the other day advertising a world cup app.
Unfortunately when I tried to follow the link I was told my Ovi Store app was out of date.
So I downloaded an update .... over dial-up
Followed the link again - and got a message telling me my phone wasn't supported.
knobwarts.
In the n900 version of maemo there's never a 'cancel' button, you just click outside of the menu for that. Sure it takes some getting used to, but if you've had the n900 for more than a couple hours it should be fairly easy to understand. That's how I dealt with this uselessness.
but I got an N900 recently and performed the PR1.2 upgrade and have received no SMS messages whatsoever.
Given that I hadn't learnt the nuances of the phone operation by then, I doubt I magically skipped a stage.
Glad Nokia are sticking to Meego for future phones. The N900 has it's quirks, but it's light years ahead of other Nokia devices.
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