Ads and RCS - We really need to kill google

Alright, I got a new Stock Android phone. Using Google Messages with all telemetry options blocked.

Thing is I didn’t signup for RCS and always had hit ‘Remind me later’ but it seems, My phone number is connected to RCS automatically by ______ google. I am in a lot of anger. Why do they even force it.

While during a Call, I got a promotional Ad via RCS. I was furious. Damn, who abused my data.

My Phone number is with me for 2 to 4 years. And I am very careful with whom I gave with and log every instance when I gave or share it with someone.

I thought it was somebody advertising via Traditional network (SMS). But when looking up on the web, Businesses are abusing RCS to send Ads. I dunno how.

So, I want to know,

Can business see the Phone Numbers in Advertising via RCS or is just random to all whoever in the RCS network. I don’t want my number out in the wild. I f—ing hate it.

P.S. Sorry for the bombs, I am outrageous regarding my personal number hence why. Censor it if inappropriate.

Does Google broadcast my Phone Number to a open directory like the matrix network ?

Does “Turn off RCS” removes my phone number from the RCS network or not ?

I am freaking paranoid about this and lot of frustation is building on Google. I even wanna file a lawsuit right now.

I’m not sure, but I believe that ISPs can resell some of their customers’ data, i.e. telephone numbers, to certain advertisers.

This is a state-sponsored ISP (not some corporate). I am pretty sure, My government won’t do it.

I may had been furious in previous messages. But if you have the knowledge. Please answer them. I am eager to know how this ____ works.

And is my Phone number in the wild or not.

Strictly in the sense of RCS not in any other means.

Afaik, RCS is a good thing compared to usual SMS in terms of spam protection and 3rd party eavesdropping. Google also claims it to be E2EE and I use it for this reason. Businesses can choose to send ads/information via RCS if they have your number. Your ISP can also sell your number to businesses whom they know participate in this (I suspect more on this since you mentioned that you are careful about giving your number)…

Idk how to fix this, but some definite things you can do to the SMS app are disable the following: automatic previews, show typing indicators, spam protection, and help improve messages.

You could also opt out of promotions from your carrier, hugely dependent. So I can’t provide specific details.

Goodluck.

Google’s Implementation of RCS is E2EE; the protocol itself is not.

There was a lot of chatter about this when apple was talking about adding RCS support. I’m not sure if that has happened yet as i stopped following the story; however i remember speculation that Apple would implement RCS without support for Google’s E2EE extension, so that they could retain the ecosystem lock in that iMesage provides.

How the f___ do I explain again and again. My ISP is a government based ones. There is no chance in doing so.

Those Ads via RCS are verified business. They are trying pushing them to everyone by inputting number randomly. That’s the most possible reason. Since, RCS is internet based, they can try the combination the way, they wish again and again.

This is not just me, Many people in the US, Brazil and India also faced this according to my Internet search.

While as in case of traditional SMS, they need to pay for it. See the difference ?

My Sibling who has got a new SIM card and has been receiving spam SMS, in which case we could be sure that SIM card is used by someone else already and being reused.

Is that a legally binding thing, or an educated assumption? You don’t have to answer what country you’re in, so I’ll give an example: in Australia, various “government” services are actually contracted out to private companies. These private companies absolutely do dodgy things with your personal data and bend the law, sometimes getting caught being dodgy sometimes not.

They are legally binded not to share any of the customer data outside the circle of Government.

Yes, I agree. Something similar that WhatsApp is doing with Open Signals Protocol but closed client.

Does nobody understand what OP is even asking? lol :man_facepalming:

Yes, the business must have your number because businesses need your number to start an RCS chat, but they probably got it by randomly guessing every number, because they can send unlimited RCS for free, whereas SMS would cost them per-text to send to every random number out there.

Yeah, I concluded that in one of my previous messages.

I was being furious at the time while writing the post. Yeah, many would feel this ambiguous.

I understand how RCS works. Only thing I wanna know is, After turning off RCS, is my number completely deregistered.