Is there any way to purchase the android app anonymously?

FranJan

Well-Known Member
But remember kids and kitties, even if you buy, download and install the program from somewhere else, say AppBrain Market, once you go to Google Play with your device, it's going to be recorded on your list of apps by Google. So either use an Android tablet/phone that isn't compliant, i.e. can't use Google Play or get a compliant Android tablet and a disposable credit card. Personally I would never use the program. Sorry Kitty but that's just me. Peace.
 

The Cryptkeeper

Well-Known Member
Isn't AppBrain just vehicle for Android Market? lmmfao Doesn't it just take you to the Android Market to download the apps??? You can't actually buy any apps off AppBrain.

It's all about supervising permissions. :p
 

ourkansaw

Active Member
Sorry, been busy for a few days, looks like my post has garnered quite a few responses. I will try to address a few points:

(1) Tor is incredibly secure, and I would be willing to guarantee that those people who were busted were busted based on "good old fashioned police work," such as tracing the payment methods or infiltrating the group. If Tor is properly configured, not even your ISP (or phone provider, if you're on a mobile network) has any way of knowing what sites you visit. All they can see (if they try hard enough) is that you are connecting to the Tor network.

(2) If you have a properly configured rooted phone with the right custom ROM on it and have installed and configured some of the "power user" types of apps, you can effectively ensure that your cell phone provider (or Google) will not know what apps you have installed or what websites you are visiting using your data connection. And what they don't know can't be subpoenaed. This isn't an Android security thread, so I won't go into great detail, but suffice it to say that it can be done if you know what you're doing and try hard enough.

(3) I chose Hushmail because it allows you to create an account while you are connected through Tor. Most webmail providers filter for Tor exit nodes and refuse to allow you to create an account if you are using Tor, or give you "suspicious activity" warnings once you create the account and try to log in. Hushmail does not know who I am, so I don't care how trustworthy Hushmail is, since all they see is that someone originating from the Tor network logs into an "ourkansaw" account and gets a lot of emails from RIU forums alerts.

(4) The reason I am so digitally paranoid is because if I get busted for simple possession or something similar, I don't want the cops/prosecutors/etc. to be able to subpoena my ISP or mobile or Google records and discover that I'm regularly logging into a forum where I discuss growing pot, which might lead them to a much bigger crime and conviction. I also just generally try to hold true to the first rule for not getting busted: TELL NO ONE. If I'm not telling people who I know and trust, why should I turn around and tell my ISP, Google, or my mobile phone provider? That just seems dumb to me, so I take meticulous measures to avoid leaking this information to anyone who knows my true identity.

Obviously 99% of the time these measures are unnecessary, but the way I see it, if the tools are there and effective, why not use them?
 

researchkitty

Well-Known Member
But remember kids and kitties, even if you buy, download and install the program from somewhere else, say AppBrain Market, once you go to Google Play with your device, it's going to be recorded on your list of apps by Google. So either use an Android tablet/phone that isn't compliant, i.e. can't use Google Play or get a compliant Android tablet and a disposable credit card. Personally I would never use the program. Sorry Kitty but that's just me. Peace.
Yup, this is extremely true. By the way, I couldnt tell by your words if you knew this or not, but the Android App and all that jazz is not me working on it. I'm just a messenger. Most of us didnt know the app was out until we saw it on the site.
 

FranJan

Well-Known Member
Sorry, been busy for a few days, looks like my post has garnered quite a few responses. I will try to address a few points:

(1) Tor is incredibly secure, and I would be willing to guarantee that those people who were busted were busted based on "good old fashioned police work," such as tracing the payment methods or infiltrating the group. If Tor is properly configured, not even your ISP (or phone provider, if you're on a mobile network) has any way of knowing what sites you visit. All they can see (if they try hard enough) is that you are connecting to the Tor network.

(2) If you have a properly configured rooted phone with the right custom ROM on it and have installed and configured some of the "power user" types of apps, you can effectively ensure that your cell phone provider (or Google) will not know what apps you have installed or what websites you are visiting using your data connection. And what they don't know can't be subpoenaed. This isn't an Android security thread, so I won't go into great detail, but suffice it to say that it can be done if you know what you're doing and try hard enough.
You should not treat Tor as incredibly secure. And that is by their own admission. It should just be a tool in a set of strategies one should use IMHO. It will not keep you anonymous in all situations. Again that is their own admission on their site. Can you say Canadian VPN + TOR? Now that's the beginning of incredibly secure. And I have only owned Android tablets and mine is rooted with a custom ROM, but if you know about any program/rom that can hide paid programs from Google Play, I would surely be indebted to you ourkansaw. And I've got to deal with a moral clause and such concerns too but I still want to live my life so I'm with ya on the down low part :). Stay Free!
 

The Cryptkeeper

Well-Known Member
VPN's are shit. :(

TOR, Remote WiFi, Virtual Machine, GPG, Partition Encryption with Dummy Partition, Jabber OTR, DBAN Data Erasure etc...

It's a combination of anonymity and data security. You definitely can't rely on one method such as TOR for complete security but as a set of tools working in harmony you can evade most pursuit. I always think of setting myself against the FBI in my security as the best aim. =)
 

ourkansaw

Active Member
I agree 100% that Tor is not a complete solution. For example, a malicious exit node might already have harvested my login credentials for this site (but not compromised my identity). Or, if your browser isn't properly configured, a malicious script or plugin can be tricked into revealing your real IP address (which is why you should only use the Tor Browser Bundle with zero additional browser add-ons). Or, if you send any personally identifiable information over Tor, you completely compromise your anonymity.

That being said, Tor is really good at keeping your IP address concealed from the server you're accessing, so long as your browser is properly configured, your communication is 100% funneled through Tor, and you do not send any personally identifiable information through that Tor connection. That is the piece in the puzzle that Tor should fill.

As far as keeping an app from appearing in the "Installed" list on Google Play, I don't see that problem on my phone when I install from an .apk file (rather than an installation link in an app or the Play Store). Maybe it's the ROM I have (pete alfonso's stock rooted Gingerbread), but I tested with a couple .apk files, and then fired up Google Play. The apps did not appear in that list.
 
Top