| | propogandist on July 26, 2020 | parent | context | favorite | on: Google reportedly peeks into Android data to gain ...
The digital wellbeing app is pretty much spyware. If you disable Google Play Service, the Wellbeing app (which cannot be disabled) will constantly complain that it won't work properly... The app has, among other permissions, the requirement to have full network access. Similarly, if you use the default Gboard (keyboard) on Android, it's constantly trying to call home to Google servers, as with most other stock apps. Android is just increasingly becoming spyware and best route is installing AOSP without GApps. Unfortunately, Google seems to be keen on limiting this behavior and increasing their lock-in with recent changes to Android, making it harder for the open source community to have control over the OS. |  | | euix on July 26, 2020 | next [–]
That's funny, maybe Huawei phones are going to have a market niche in the west! | | | | Andrew_nenakhov on July 26, 2020 | parent | next [–]
Yeah, Google's rootkit replaced by CCP's one. | | | | euix on July 26, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
Doesn't the latest version of Mate 30 come on stock android since Google products cannot be factory installed due the export laws? In which case if you still don't feel safe you can wipe the device and install Lineage. | | | | Andrew_nenakhov on July 26, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
Wiping won't help if the hardware itself is compromised. Which is not totally implausible. | | | | Ericson2314 on July 26, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
Honestly, super secrete compromised hardware probably exfiltrates less bandwidth than Google's not-even-secret stuff. Do you want Google to know your soul by 2025 or the CPP by 2040? :D | | | | mav3rick on July 26, 2020 | prev [–]
Google Play Services are the crux of the implementation of core services. If you're not okay with that don't buy the phone or install something else on it. | | | | sli on July 26, 2020 | parent | next [–]
It may feel good to say it, because you get to offload the responsibility onto consumers rather than the entity committing questionable (but legal) acts, but in reality "just don't do X" is never going to affect any sort of change. It's simply shifting blame onto people with no power to do anything. More to the point, you're essentially recommending that everyone pony up $1000+ for an iPhone. None of those lesser known options (or modern dumb phones) are known to the average smartphone user, average people don't know anything about these hardened Android forks, etc. Boycotts are really not very reliable, because most of it is exactly this: just telling people to do a boycott and then stopping there. I know it's not reasonable to expect everyone floating ideas to have a plan for implementation, but when it comes to these kind of boycott suggestions, nobody has a plan. That's why shifting the responsibility onto the consume isn't going to work. You're not going to mobilize near enough people. You know what does work, though? Strong privacy regulations with harsh penalties. | | | | robin_reala on July 26, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
| | | | GeekyBear on July 27, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
More to the point, that $399 original iPhone SE is starting it's sixth year of OS and security updates. Less than $70 per supported year. | | | | wincy on July 27, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
I just got my wife the new SE and MAN it feels weird to use because it’s just so QUICK! It’s a really amazing phone for the price. | | | | mav3rick on July 26, 2020 | root | parent | prev | next [–]
You're not giving a company the right to ship their own implementation. GMS Core really is the implementation. You want the phone to work without that. How delusional. Can an Apple phone work without core services ? | | | | thatcat on July 26, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
Some of them can. Look up postmarketOS | | | | commoner on July 26, 2020 | parent | prev | next [–]
| | | | propogandist on July 26, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
Agreed. I was looking at MicroG again given Lineage OS has updated to Android 10, unfortunately it seems there are a changes for Android 10 that's preventing microG from being being fully compatible (SafetyNet API). Google's moves to lock down the platform further is also disgusting. They will be mandating a new App bundle format (AAB) instead of APK beginning in 2021. This will force more apps to run through Play Store, enabling more tracking & analytics. They will also require devs to give a copy of their signing key to Google for them to sign applications. https://www.xda-developers.com/google-play-billing-v3-app-bu... | | | | infogulch on July 26, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
> They will also require devs to give a copy of their signing key to Google for them to sign applications. What. | | | | propogandist on July 27, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
from the article... >Mandatory Android App Bundles for Newly Published Apps in 2021 >The .aab file contains APK files for the base application and all supported architectures (ARM, ARM64, and x86), languages, and layout variants. >This format requires giving a copy of your app’s signing key to Google so the Google Play Developer Console can generate a bundle with signed versions of each APK in the bundle; the correct APK for a particular device’s architecture, language, and layout are delivered via Google Play Dynamic Delivery.... | | | | infogulch on July 27, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
Why require the key instead of a small db of signatures of all possible combinations? It seems Google wants the power to publish on your behalf arbitrary transformations of your software releases. That doesn't seem reasonable. | | | | propogandist on July 26, 2020 | parent | prev | next [–]
This is a weak argument to defend your employer. I'll use a version of AOSP without the data harvesting spyware baked in, although Google seems to be keen on shutting aspects of it down. | | | | mav3rick on July 26, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
You have the option to do AOSP at least. What do you have with Apple ? Why don't you apply the same yardstick to them ? Can you flash your own bits on an iPhone ? | | | | propogandist on July 27, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
AOSP and the "openness" of Android is responsible for its global domination and success. I've been a big Android advocate for over a decade, but I am not a fan of what's happening and what Google's been doing as of late. Everything seems to be headed down a path to make Android like iOS, where it's more locked down and controlled... and this is the concern. I don't trust Apple much and don't hold them to any high standard. I am not a fan of their locked down ecosystem and their moves to remove things like headphones, which become accepted as industry norms. We know they sell overpriced hardware and ads are not a core business for them, it's the big thing that enables people to trust their [recent] "privacy" marketing. Now that they've made a big deal about it, we can expect them to (atleast) protect their brand aggressively and try to not screw things up. As much as I hate to say it, I am going to give iOS a trial run soon. I've gotten custom ROMs on my phone in the past to remove analytics SDK, trackers, and other hostile app functions that tries to exfiltrate data from my device without my knowledge. If I have to give up some OS level leverage to get more control over my user data overall, I'll consider it. | | | | Arbalest on July 27, 2020 | root | parent | prev | next [–]
At least with iPhone no one was under any illusions about the walled garden. Google seems to have adopted EEE from the Microsoft playbook. Even if we say, well they created android, it's more they embraced the enthusiasm of a community who appreciates openness. | | | | mav3rick on July 28, 2020 | root | parent | next [–]
Just put "EEE" everywhere. Google brought Android, AOSP is still open and 99% of Android users don't care about whether this is on github or not. | | | | wongarsu on July 26, 2020 | root | parent | prev | next [–]
Apple seems to respect privacy a lot more and delivers updates for basically the phone's usable life. That removes the top two reasons for flashing your phone. | | | | rhizome on July 26, 2020 | parent | prev [–]
Google Play Services (GPS, what a 'we can talk about it at Starbucks' coincidence) is the name given to the collection of core services, plural. Gboard phoning home, core service. Offline Maps limitations, core service. Digital Wellbeing, core service. So on and so forth. You can say that "core services" is "the important stuff," or you can look at the individual pieces that comprise "core services" and get some insight into Google's business rules for Android. Everything that can't be disabled indicates a GOOG business requirement. | | | 
