Having first announced its Allo instant messaging service back at the I/O developers conference earlier this year, Google has finally begun to roll it out. As discussed in our review, we're not overly impressed with it, while the majority of our wonderful readers have given the app a collective "meh". Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor and perhaps the world's best known whistleblower, has quite a simple assessment of Allo: delete it from your smartphone and never touch it again.
Via his Twitter page, Snowden has urged users to steer clear of the chat app, which he's dubbed as "Google Surveillance". Back when it launched the service along with the Duo video chat app back at I/O, Google assured the world that Allo would only store data "transiently," meaning your chat logs would not be held on Google's servers indefinitely. Google also indicated that any data collected would be anonymous, so could not be traced back to its originator. All well and good, we thought. Allo might actually be a real boon for consumer privacy, we thought.
Recommended For You
Free for download today: Google Mail, Google Maps, and Google Surveillance. That's #Allo. Don't use Allo. https://t.co/EdPRC0G7Py
However, the new artificial intelligence-powered Assistant feature needs to read your messages in order to be artificially intelligent. If Assistant is reading them, that means Google can read them, which also means law enforcement or anyone with a warrant -- such as, incidentally, the NSA -- can have a good sift through the information you feed to Allo.
Sure, Allo is not especially worse than other chat apps in how it handles data. Content is transmitted over HTTPS secure connection, which means hackers probably won't be able to get in on your stuff. But to Google, as well as those aforementioned government agencies, your private data is essentially an open book.
As Snowden adds, it's relatively easy for government agencies to gain a subpoena to retrieve your info should they see fit. Additionally, the way information is stored means its easily traceable back to the user. Of course, Allo does include Incognito Mode, which utilizes similar encryption methods to the Snowden-advocated Signal app. But by default, it doesn't, leading Snowden to conclude that as an overall product, Allo is not a privacy risk worth taking.
Do you agree? Let us know what you make of Snowden's comments below.
Mint Mobile now sells the Google Pixel 10 with a massive $450 discount. The promo is available on select color variants with 128GB of storage. You also get a 12-month unlimited data plan for $180 instead of $360.
Grab the pro-grade, compact Pixel 10 Pro at Mint Mobile with a 12-month unlimited plan, and you can save a huge $475. The data plan comes with a discount, too: 50% off, to be exact.
The high-end Gemini AI-enhanced Pixel 10 Pro XL is now available with a mind-blowing discount. You can now save $700 on the phone, plus 50% off unlimited 12-month plans.
The foldable Pixel 10 Pro Fold is another standout holiday offer. Right now, you can get the device for $400 off at Mint Mobile. On top of that, you save $180 on 12-month unlimited data plans.
Ben Reid is known for his extensive coverage of mobile technology updates, product launches, and detailed reviews of the latest smartphones, helping tech enthusiasts stay ahead with timely and accurate information.
COMMENTS (33)
COMMENTS (33)
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
PhoneArena Community Rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: