Google has denied claims that Pixel phones provide the company with private user data every 15 minutes, such as location, network status, phone number and app list.
Cyber news published a report on October 9 with these allegations, citing the findings of its own research team as evidence. In short, the report claims that Pixel phones share a significant amount of personal data with Google at regular intervals, sometimes with services the user has not consented to, and that the phone independently looks for new code to run, which it suggests indicates that a certain degree of external control is possible.
Google has since responded, saying that data sharing is necessary for any phone company to provide services, and that the report “misses critical context” and misinterprets technical information.
Claims about Google Pixel data sharing
The Cybernews report claims that Pixel phones share personally identifiable information, such as the user’s email address, location, and phone number, with various Google endpoints, such as facial grouping, device management, and policy enforcement.
Researchers made these claims after running a series of tests with the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, using a proxy to intercept incoming and outgoing network traffic, although this traffic was technically incomplete because rooting the phone disables AI and some other features .
Simply put, the report says that the researchers could see the data leaving and entering the Pixel 9 Pro XL over wireless networks.
In the case of the Face Grouping endpoint, which is linked to the Google Photos feature of the same name, the team had not given any kind of permission to the Google Photos app.
The team also claims to have found evidence of communication with an endpoint called ‘check-in’ every 40 minutes, which shares data such as the phone’s firmware version, network status, SIM card provider and the user’s email address .
The report notes that location data is shared even when GPS is turned off, using nearby Wi-Fi networks to estimate the user’s location.
Google’s response
Google responded to the claims in the Cybernews report and the outlet is including this response as part of the report. Tweaktown suggests this answer was shared by email.
Google’s response emphasizes that data collection and transmission is an essential part of many Google Play services, which provide core features on certified Android devices.
Google also said that modifying (in this case, rooting) a phone can cause unintentional data checks, and users must give explicit consent to its location, background activity, and usage data.
Part of the response shared by Cybernews reads: “User security and privacy are top priorities for Pixel. You can manage data sharing, app permissions, and more during device setup and in your settings. This report lacks crucial context, misinterprets technical details, and does not fully explain that data transmission is necessary for legitimate services on all mobile devices, regardless of manufacturer, model, or operating system, such as software updates, on-demand features, and personalized experiences. ”
Should you worry about sharing data on your phone?
In cases like this, it is important to read as much as possible from both sides before forming an opinion. We are not in a position to provide definitive answers here.
However, it is now quite common knowledge that phone manufacturers generally collect and store a lot of data as part of their service and commercial activities.
If you’re concerned about the permissions your phone software and specific apps have, you can usually check, approve, or revoke them in the settings app of whatever phone you’re using.
If you want to take your phone’s privacy to the next level, consider a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which makes it harder for third parties to see your network activity. Visit our list of the best VPNs to learn more. .
And, as always, make sure you stay tuned to our phone coverage for the latest news and updates.