Data security of Ubuntu Phone Aquaris - weaker in the future?

What do Android, iOS and Windows have in common? They store data in the cloud, the corporate computers of the big corporations Apple, Google and Microsoft.

Those who didn't want to send their data into the orbit of the powerful have so far been offered a viable alternative with the Linux operating system Ubuntu Touch, as with the BQ Aquaris E 4.5 and the new E5. But that could change soon.

BQ Aquaris E 4.5 without Cloud so far

Away from the fanboys and company junkies, more and more people with a smartphone are asking themselves what actually happens to their data? Because meanwhile there is hardly any escape from the cloud of big tech companies. Settings, address books, music, photos and videos, everything goes into the cloud. Being able to access your documents from anywhere in the world at any time is tempting, but for many people it's a nightmare.

It is becoming increasingly common for hackers to gain access to company networks and steal sensitive customer data. And since the NSA scandal two years ago at the latest, the number of those who want to do without the Datenkrake Cloud has been rising. And it was precisely at this point that the Ubuntu Aquaris E 4.5 into the game. Because the smartphone dispensed with the compulsion to want to put everything into the cloud. All data remains on the mobile phone.

However, you could, if you wanted to, even at the E 4.5 use a cloud service, the so-called "Ubuntu One" service. This service was developed by the Linux distributor Canonical ...into being. However, in April 2014, after a brief announcement, it was announced that the service would be discontinued. The reason at that time was not that they wanted to do without the cloud for security reasons, but because they no longer saw themselves as being up against the cloud competition.

In addition, the service was seen as contradictory to the goal of Ubuntu, which is to enable as many providers as possible to spread out on Ubuntu. An own service would only be in the way. It is also a fact that Canonical did not have enough resources to keep its own cloud service with even more storage capacity alive.

WhatsApp and Dropbox could soon be integrated into Aquaris E 5

No to your own cloud but yes to others? As it seems, Canonical is dealing with Ubuntu Touch not quite sure what you want to offer the user. Should it be a secure operating system for smartphones that does completely without data clouds, or do you want and can't deny the user the per se comfortable if insecure data clouds.

According to insider reports, Canonical is already in discussion with providers such as Dropbox and WhatsApp. They are probably talking about integrating their apps into Ubuntu in the future and doing without dedicated apps instead. This should reduce porting costs and create a better user interface. So anyone who has used Ubuntu Touch for data protection reasons could soon be disappointed.

Because already with the next update for the new Aquaris E5As with the upcoming Ubuntu phones, Dropbox and WhatsApp could become an integral part of the OS. So you can be curious how Ubuntu Touch will develop in the future, but it will probably lose the advantage it had through data security. This is also the case with the new E5 from BQ.

A guest article by Richard Lilienthal from www.mobildiscounter.de