Privacy

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A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

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FUTO Keyboard Swipe Typing accuracy improvement - deGoogled keyboard for Android needs your help (swipe.futo.org)

submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

61 comments fedilink hide all child comments

If you use the privacy respecting Gboard alternative called FUTO keyboard, you've probably noticed that the built in swipe typing is HOT GARBAGE. (Typing this currently with two thumbs for this exact reason.)

Most keyboards improve their swipe algorithms by simply spying on you and logging your typing data. FUTO isn't about that, so they have built a simple webpage based typing game that you can use to improve their system in an ethical and voluntary manner! Just swipe the website's keyboard to type a provided sentence.

I love this, they can crowdsource the improvement without invading privacy!

Share with any relevant communities you're a part of. The more data, the better this gets.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You're missing the whole anonymization layer they've implemented here. If actual typing data is used, the app can't guarantee user control of the data after opt-in. The data they're using here is not private user typing data to begin with.

I'd recommend listening to Louis Rossman's talks on the subject.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I'm not missing anything, I'm one of Louis Rossman's Patreon members. I work in the same field as he does (or, well, used to, technically).

The only data they're collecting is what swipe pattern coincides with which word. You swipe, it mispredicts, you choose the word that it should have been, and poof - a library of swiped shapes -> word gets created.

It doesn't violate privacy, it's anonymized, and it helps improve the system for others.

There's no reason to go to the extent you claim they must.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Ok cool, but I'll still support this initiative, because as FUTO states, a keyboard should not connect to the internet.