This post is going to be a bit personal (and maybe a little bit out of context, it’s not just Google software I want to remove) but I’m tired of not knowing what to do about it. I want and have wanted to get rid of a bunch of proprietary software in my life, including but not limited to Google’s software, for quite a while now, and I even got a Pixel 7A with hopes of installing GrapheneOS. But there are a few problems. First, my parents are understandably concerned and need me to use Google Maps’ location sharing whenever I go to school. All my classmates use Instagram and we have that as our only messaging platform. I currently use DFInstagram, but I feel that it is not free from spyware. Finally, I also own a DJI Mini 3 Pro, and the associated DJI Fly app just refuses to work under GrapheneOS (I tested). Is there anything I can do to replace or limit the access of these aforementioned proprietary apps?
I’m relatively young, but my parents weren’t always aware of my whereabouts when I was thirteen. Heck as young as 8 years old they let me bike the 5km to school. I think that trust and autonomy was good for me, especially as a preteen/teen.
Contrast with my younger brother, who our father still tracks via Snapchat in his early twenties. I can say the constant feeling of surveillance has definitely had an impact on his mental health.