this post was submitted on 09 Oct 2023
28 points (91.2% liked)

Privacy

32159 readers
154 users here now

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.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

Some Rules

Related communities

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

So I've got Android as I want. LineageOS, no Google, Magisk, MicroG but with AndroidAuto with OsmAnd+.

But the outside world of WhatsApp, Bank apps, etc is putting pressure to join. Plus not everything works properly with MicroG instead of the Google service provider. Makes me cross techno-politically, but I can't always hard life tech choices when it effects others.

So, what do others do? At the moment, I've thinking I need a non-free phone and a free-phone! Then what, I keep swapping SIM?? I can't see a workable VM solution to run a non-free Android in a freer Android.

The state of the phone market is pitiful.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I think there is a common misconception that LineageOS is a good rom for privacy when in fact its really meant for keeping an old phone useful and does not provide much in the way of added privacy or security.

OP if you want privacy on your phone there are better roms, the trade off with privacy is convenience. Banking apps especially have issue with privacy oriented roms.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh my phone is old, but 6GB RAM is still ok. LineageOS gives me the latest Android on old hardware, while giving me an easy out of Google data mining.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It doesn't do a whole lot to prevent Googles' data gathering. Still connects to a quite a few services in the background

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

Even without any of the Google services installed? I don't think that's true. It doesn't have my Google login.

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

Like the other commenter said, its usefulness doesn't really exceed keeping an older device up-to-date.

This article is only available in german, so I guess that's the time to shine for the new translation feature in Firefox:

https://www.kuketz-blog.de/lineageos-weder-sicher-noch-datenschutzfreundlich-custom-roms-teil4/

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

GrapheneOS does look interesting. Though the Android Auto, that I use as the car satnav (with OSMAnd+), looks like it might be even more a pain to setup...

I can't get over what a techo-political dystopia is, without a lot of faff. We need some law here, forcing standardized open interfaces! (And copyright trolling DRM pushing dark forces will fight that, because of media playing)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Shouldn't be a problem, GOS has sandboxes play services

Also, at the same time, there's an alternative app for google auto on fdroid

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wait what? What's that? I've not seen it!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I can't find the one from fdroid, they probably don't have keywords i'm looking for

But there's https://github.com/lamemakes/pilot-drive

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Oh I found the open source Android Auto stuff for GNU/Linux. Though not use any of the GNU/Linux phones make use of it. It looks better to setup, and develop on, but I very much doubt it would make life easier. Not unless you can seamless run Android apps in a box and them not know.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

And Lineage OS can be de-googled fairly easily to remove such telemetry.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

To someone who installed Lineage in the first place, further degoogling shouldn't be too hard, I agree.