Google is somehow the only company that is able to completely ruin a calculator app. Even before installing, Google outs themselves with how much data they collect:
- App info and performance: Crash logs and Diagnostics
- Personal info: Email address
- Device or other IDs
- App activity: App interactions
And of course the encouraging message:
Data can’t be deleted
The developer doesn’t provide a way for you to request that your data be deleted
As soon as you try to install it, the app requests network access. I’m glad to be using GrapheneOS where this can be restricted.
The app doesn’t crash on launch, which is a new concept for Google, since most of their apps won’t even start without Google Play Services installed. Maybe that means the calculator app can calculate 1+1 without requiring installing the most invasive software known to man, right?
Of course it can’t. It crashes the moment you press the plus sign. Thank you, Google, for requiring Google Play Services for your calculator app to do basic addition. You know what calculator doesn’t require Google Play services to do math?
In all seriousness, OpenCalc is a near 1:1 match to Google Calculator, so I suggest anyone use that instead.
The cherry on top is Google’s calculator app is bundled with a privacy policy, which on its own is a treat to read through: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Congratulations, Google, you can spy on math now.
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Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.
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They need to spy on math. To see if the User is stupid enough to fall for scam ads, or is a math student which cant fall for numbers.