Let's get the facts straight about Apple.

[ChuckBuck]

APPLE>BITCOIN

END OF STORY

Very informative statement, with lots of evidence and backing to support your statement. 
 
I'm sold!   

[kokojie]

Who cares, if you use Apple products, then you hate freedom period, therefore you do not need to know why Apple banned this or that, because you already submitted to their role as your master. Apple will decide what you are allowed to see, hear and use.

I have no interest in knowing why Apple banned this or that, since I have zero Apple products and will keep it that way

Well, looks like not only Apple will decide what you see, hear and use. Apple will also monitor what you see, hear and use:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/07/22/every-iphone-has-a-security-backdoor/

Did you read the article that you posted, or just scan the headline? :

The wider problem is Apple is far from alone in acting in such an autocratic manner. On Android, for example, ‘Google Play Services’ also runs silently in the background and officially has an innocent agenda “to update Google GOOGL -0.84% apps and apps from Google Play”.

In reality Play Services has limitless access to virtually every aspect of an Android phone and can even grant itself new permissions as and when needed (grabs above had to be spread over five screens). The user is never prompted and while Play Services can be easily disabled the vast majority of Android services and apps will not run without it making it unfeasible to ditch long term.

What's your point?

1. Google Play Service has not been proven to have a backdoor.

2. The article is actually dead wrong about Google Play being required. You are free to choose to NOT use Google Play if you wanted, there's a ton of 3rd party app markets you can install on your android. For example, in China google play is not installed on 99% of the android devices, everyone use the local Chinese app markets.

3. Android itself is free and opensource, you can even flash your android device to a 3rd party distro like cyanogen mod.

What is my point? From the information in the article you posted, one cannot infer that iOS is backdoored any more than is android.

OK so one does not _require_ Play. Are you indicating that verizon, AT&T, or whomever does not have the ability to remotely activate elements within your phone?

Which part of this sentence you didn't understand? "Apple has issued a formal statement acknowledging the existence of services running on iOS which can bypass encryption to access user data (the classic ‘backdoor‘), but claims they do not compromise user privacy or security."

Apple has admitted they intentionally developed a backdoor in their system. Google play has not been proven to have a backdoor, nor has Google admitted to having it.

Not sure what you are talking about Verizon or AT&T's remote access, do you have an article about that? I use an android phone I bought from China (xiaomi phone, no Google Play), on AT&T's network, it works just fine. I'm not sure how AT&T can "remote access" my phone.

[phillipsjk]

Not sure what you are talking about Verizon or AT&T's remote access, do you have an article about that? I use an android phone I bought from China (xiaomi phone, no Google Play), on AT&T's network, it works just fine. I'm not sure how AT&T can "remote access" my phone.

The network operators reserve the right to push new firmware to your phone/device. You did read the fine-print of your contract, right? This lets them brick phones with a specific IMEI if it appears to be mis-behaving.

Your Device must be compatible with, and not interfere with, our Services and must comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. We may periodically program your Device remotely with system settings for roaming service, to direct your Device to use network services most appropriate for your typical usage, and other features that cannot be changed manually.

You agree that you won’t make any modifications to your Equipment or its programming to enable the Equipment to operate on any other system. AT&T may, at its sole and absolute discretion, modify the programming to enable the operation of the Equipment on other systems.

- AT&T Wireless Customer Agreement

[kokojie]

Not sure what you are talking about Verizon or AT&T's remote access, do you have an article about that? I use an android phone I bought from China (xiaomi phone, no Google Play), on AT&T's network, it works just fine. I'm not sure how AT&T can "remote access" my phone.

The network operators reserve the right to push new firmware to your phone/device. You did read the fine-print of your contract, right? This lets them brick phones with a specific IMEI if it appears to be mis-behaving.

Your Device must be compatible with, and not interfere with, our Services and must comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. We may periodically program your Device remotely with system settings for roaming service, to direct your Device to use network services most appropriate for your typical usage, and other features that cannot be changed manually.

You agree that you won’t make any modifications to your Equipment or its programming to enable the Equipment to operate on any other system. AT&T may, at its sole and absolute discretion, modify the programming to enable the operation of the Equipment on other systems.

- AT&T Wireless Customer Agreement

Only if you choose to buy an android phone from AT&T with their firmware pre-installed. AT&T can do no such thing to my Xiaomi Phone, the only thing they could do is deny service to my phone. There's no way for AT&T to "brick" my phone nor "push new firmware" to my phone, since my firmware isn't from AT&T. Unlike the iPhone iOS, there's no "magic backdoor" in the Android OS for AT&T to just remote access any android phone without pre-installing AT&T firmware.

[Buffer Overflow]

Not sure what you are talking about Verizon or AT&T's remote access, do you have an article about that? I use an android phone I bought from China (xiaomi phone, no Google Play), on AT&T's network, it works just fine. I'm not sure how AT&T can "remote access" my phone.

The network operators reserve the right to push new firmware to your phone/device. You did read the fine-print of your contract, right? This lets them brick phones with a specific IMEI if it appears to be mis-behaving.

Your Device must be compatible with, and not interfere with, our Services and must comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. We may periodically program your Device remotely with system settings for roaming service, to direct your Device to use network services most appropriate for your typical usage, and other features that cannot be changed manually.

You agree that you won’t make any modifications to your Equipment or its programming to enable the Equipment to operate on any other system. AT&T may, at its sole and absolute discretion, modify the programming to enable the operation of the Equipment on other systems.

- AT&T Wireless Customer Agreement

Only if you choose to buy an android phone from AT&T with their firmware pre-installed. AT&T can do no such thing to my Xiaomi Phone, the only thing they could do is deny service to my phone. There's no way for AT&T to "brick" my phone nor "push new firmware" to my phone, since my firmware isn't from AT&T. Unlike the iPhone iOS, there's no "magic backdoor" in the Android OS for AT&T to just remote access any android phone without pre-installing AT&T firmware.

I do believe that NSA/GCHQ has backdoors in phones so they can access microphone, camera, data etc, but this would be lower down than the OS. Actually inside the hardware chips.

[phillipsjk]

Only if you choose to buy an android phone from AT&T with their firmware pre-installed. AT&T can do no such thing to my Xiaomi Phone, the only thing they could do is deny service to my phone. There's no way for AT&T to "brick" my phone nor "push new firmware" to my phone, since my firmware isn't from AT&T. Unlike the iPhone iOS, there's no "magic backdoor" in the Android OS for AT&T to just remote access any android phone without pre-installing AT&T firmware.

Thank for pointing this out. I tried searching for examples of carriers pushing firmware to phones: and only came up with a Slashdot story about Rogers requiring a specific firmware version for service. This makes me slightly less reluctant to own a cell-phone.