Which ereader (or ebook store) is best for respecting reader privacy?

El Macho · 06-09-2014, 02:17 AM

Hi, everyone,

I've owned three ebook readers now – a BOOX ereader and two Kindles (KB and PW), and liked them. However, I've started to be more concerned about the data that Amazon may be harvesting from my Kindle without my knowledge/permission, and am considering switching back to a BOOX ereader (the T68 looks pretty sweet!). However, I wanted to ask the knowledgeable folks here about the privacy policies of the various e-readers and ebook stores out there (see, for example, this CSM article or the EFF's e-book privacy chart).

Which ebook readers and ebook stores are most respectful of the privacy of their customers and allow the most latitude for opting in (or out) of any collection?

crossi · 06-09-2014, 05:41 PM

If you are worried about privacy just keep whispernet turned off. It's perfectly feasable to load all your books via the usb connection. Amazon will still know which ebooks you buy from them but that is unavoidable for all ebook stores.

eschwartz · 06-09-2014, 05:59 PM

The blue one next to the fish.

The only way to have any actual knowledge that your data is safe, is to keep your ereader in airplane mode or firewalled. (There is a Kindle hack to block Amazon's servers, for example.)

This is a general rule for the Internet too. The NSA now knows you have something to hide.

jocampo · 06-11-2014, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Macho

Hi, everyone,

I've owned three ebook readers now – a BOOX ereader and two Kindles (KB and PW), and liked them. However, I've started to be more concerned about the data that Amazon may be harvesting from my Kindle without my knowledge/permission, and am considering switching back to a BOOX ereader (the T68 looks pretty sweet!). However, I wanted to ask the knowledgeable folks here about the privacy policies of the various e-readers and ebook stores out there (see, for example, this CSM article or the EFF's e-book privacy chart).

Which ebook readers and ebook stores are most respectful of the privacy of their customers and allow the most latitude for opting in (or out) of any collection?

Your nickname does not match or go with your fears? lol ... sorry, I could not resist the joke.

I would not worry about Amazon's cloud. As long as you "disinfect" your ebooks, you should be fine. Or.. do you rely on Amazon's cloud copies only?

In today's world, it is virtually impossible to be 100% disconnected from the cloud. Only way is turning the wifi off all the time and you will have to turn it on at some point.

HarryT · 06-12-2014, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jocampo

In today's world, it is virtually impossible to be 100% disconnected from the cloud. Only way is turning the wifi off all the time and you will have to turn it on at some point.

Other than turning it on when I initially registered my Kindle Paperwhite, the WiFi on it has never been turned on. I have no reason to, since I sideload all my books using Calibre.

I keep it turned off purely to extend the battery life. I don't give a damn what Amazon knows about my reading habits (which, given that I buy almost all my ebooks from Amazon, they do anyway).

jscarbo · 06-12-2014, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Other than turning it on when I initially registered my Kindle Paperwhite, the WiFi on it has never been turned on. I have no reason to, since I sideload all my books using Calibre.

I keep it turned off purely to extend the battery life. I don't give a damn what Amazon knows about my reading habits (which, given that I buy almost all my ebooks from Amazon, they do anyway).

Like Harry, I never turn on the wifi on my PW. I download all my ebooks to my pc, add them to my Calibre library, processing them with the Alf plugins, and store them in my Dropbox cloud in a non-public folder.

For those who are interested, here's Amazon's Privacy Policy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custo...?nodeId=468496

For those who strip DRM from their ebooks, pay particular attention to this section:
"Protection of Amazon.com and Others: We release account and other personal information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law; enforce or apply our Conditions of Use and other agreements; or protect the rights, property, or safety of Amazon.com, our users, or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection and credit risk reduction. Obviously, however, this does not include selling, renting, sharing, or otherwise disclosing personally identifiable information from customers for commercial purposes in violation of the commitments set forth in this Privacy Notice."

El Macho · 06-13-2014, 02:04 AM

Thanks for the replies…I think that just keeping the PW in airplane mode and using Calibre will be the plan from here on out. May ditch my Kindle for something with a slightly larger screen, but that's to better accommodate what I'm reading rather than as a means to outsmart data collection.

The reason I've started thinking more about data that's collected is reading this: The Internet With A Human Face.

leaston · 06-13-2014, 06:10 AM

The EFF article doesn't really contain any surprises, but it is disappointing that the terms of service for these organisations let them whittle away our privacy. Data mining is an unpleasant side effect of having an always connected life.

I sideload everything via Calibre too, but do use wifi when there are firmware patches to download. Presumably, by connecting and running a sync, it's not just the firmware the process updates. It seems lots of other info is being passed to the manufacturer's servers.

Is there a way of downloading and manually running a firmware update for any stock ereader?

HarryT · 06-13-2014, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leaston

Is there a way of downloading and manually running a firmware update for any stock ereader?

On the Kindle you can just copy the update file to the root of the file system and select "Update" from the menu. Similar, as I recall, on Bookeen, Pocketbook, and Onyx devices.

leaston · 06-13-2014, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

On the Kindle you can just copy the update file to the root of the file system and select "Update" from the menu. Similar, as I recall, on Bookeen, Pocketbook, and Onyx devices.

Thank you, that helps. I've done a quick search for Kobo Glo and found the following page on this very forum with links to the downloads:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=185660

06-09-2014, 02:17 AM	#1
El Macho Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle Oasis, Boox Note 2	Which ereader (or ebook store) is best for respecting reader privacy? Hi, everyone, I've owned three ebook readers now – a BOOX ereader and two Kindles (KB and PW), and liked them. However, I've started to be more concerned about the data that Amazon may be harvesting from my Kindle without my knowledge/permission, and am considering switching back to a BOOX ereader (the T68 looks pretty sweet!). However, I wanted to ask the knowledgeable folks here about the privacy policies of the various e-readers and ebook stores out there (see, for example, this CSM article or the EFF's e-book privacy chart). Which ebook readers and ebook stores are most respectful of the privacy of their customers and allow the most latitude for opting in (or out) of any collection?

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06-09-2014, 05:41 PM	#2
crossi Guru Posts: 997 Karma: 12000001 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Seattle Wahington U.S. Device: kindle	If you are worried about privacy just keep whispernet turned off. It's perfectly feasable to load all your books via the usb connection. Amazon will still know which ebooks you buy from them but that is unavoidable for all ebook stores.

06-09-2014, 05:59 PM	#3
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	The blue one next to the fish. The only way to have any actual knowledge that your data is safe, is to keep your ereader in airplane mode or firewalled. (There is a Kindle hack to block Amazon's servers, for example.) This is a general rule for the Internet too. The NSA now knows you have something to hide.

06-13-2014, 02:04 AM	#7
El Macho Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle Oasis, Boox Note 2	Thanks for the replies…I think that just keeping the PW in airplane mode and using Calibre will be the plan from here on out. May ditch my Kindle for something with a slightly larger screen, but that's to better accommodate what I'm reading rather than as a means to outsmart data collection. The reason I've started thinking more about data that's collected is reading this: The Internet With A Human Face.

06-13-2014, 06:10 AM	#8
leaston Addict Posts: 264 Karma: 1135030 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: England Device: Boox Go Color 7, Kobo Forma, Kindle Keyboard	The EFF article doesn't really contain any surprises, but it is disappointing that the terms of service for these organisations let them whittle away our privacy. Data mining is an unpleasant side effect of having an always connected life. I sideload everything via Calibre too, but do use wifi when there are firmware patches to download. Presumably, by connecting and running a sync, it's not just the firmware the process updates. It seems lots of other info is being passed to the manufacturer's servers. Is there a way of downloading and manually running a firmware update for any stock ereader?

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