VLC wants to connect to Google Analytics

[George78]

Hi all,
Since the last update of VLC Streamer I noticed that the app wants to connect to Google Analytics.
I'm a bit tired of privacy issues with Google, may I ask why VLC Streamer has been changed to connect to Google ?..
Thanks
G78

[DutchDK]

Hi all,
Since the last update of VLC Streamer I noticed that the app wants to connect to Google Analytics.
I'm a bit tired of privacy issues with Google, may I ask why VLC Streamer has been changed to connect to Google ?..
Thanks
G78

The paid version of vlcstreamer doesnt do that. Have the pcap dumps of the traffic generated by my iphone and ipad running vlcstreamer.

If you are using the ads supported free version, I suspect it is the ads framework that the free version uses, which does that, since each ad shown in the free version being served from somewhere, and the ads provider want to track how many views and clicks each ad generates. Not something under the control of hobbyist software. They just sign a contract with the ads provider, to use their framework, to present ads in the free version, and get a small payment for x number of ads presented through the framework used in the free version.

So the solution is simple, purchase the paid version if you are worried about web stat analysis.

[George78]

Thanks, but I'm on paid version.. :0)

[DutchDK]

Thanks, but I'm on paid version.. :0)

Are you sure its vlcstreamer that tries to initiate that connection to google analytics ? I just used tcpdump on my linux rig to capture all wifi traffic from my ipad, as well as all traffic from my server to the wifi router. The pcaps when analysed by wireshark show no connection from vlc streamer to google analytics. Only traffic generated by vlc streamer on the ipad, is going to the server.

[confusedvorlon]

the Mac Os version of VLC Streamer helper will connect to google analytics _if_ you set the 'Share anonymous data usage' option

you should have seen a popup requesting permission when this version first launched, and you can turn it off or on in the settings tab.

it's a slightly unconventional use for google analytics, but seems to be collecting the data quite nicely. I have learned a few useful things in the week or so since it went live.

We will be adding this feature to the windows helper shortly (again, only active with permission).

The iphone/iPad apps don't use google analytics at all (though they do use flurry if you allow it)