My post from yesterday (https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/@stefano/113962852422322623) generated some very interesting comments. It seems that this behavior is confirmed and not just on Samsung devices, but also on devices from other manufacturers.
I knew that many Chinese manufacturers, in order to keep prices low, made deals with third-party companies to pre-install apps and games, but I didn’t think this would happen on high-end, expensive phones, and not only installing apps but also underlying services.
In my opinion, this behavior is unacceptable, and no, having to accept a document hundreds of pages long (otherwise it becomes impossible to use the device you bought and paid for) is not an excuse.
And it’s not because the services are from Meta - they could be from anyone. I don’t want third-party services installed on a device I buy, period. I can accept (though, I’m saying it lightly - personally, I don’t want any useless background services) manufacturer services, for the purpose of making the device (more) usable, but I certainly don’t want shady processes that collect (and, I assume, send) personal data to other companies.
I’m more and more glad I installed #GrapheneOS on my Pixel.
#Privacy #Security #Android #Smartphones #DataCollection
@[email protected] there’s a reason why I run #SailfishOS - a Linux mobile distro - on my phones:
No such background crap. This not only has a positive effect on my privacy, but as a bonus perk on the phone’s battery life too.
For compatibility with apps, you can optionally get a container (“Android App Support”). This runs AOSP by default with no service, it’s up to the user to install one (I run microG, to increase compatibility with apps that want Google Play Service).
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@stefano …
Yes, one of my banking apps doen’t work and complains about unlocked boot loader, but it’s a loss I am ready to accept in exchange of increased privacy.
@dryak one of the many good things about using GrapheneOS on a pixel is that you can relock the bootloader
@[email protected] @[email protected] does locking the bootloader block over-the-air updates (I can’t find if graphene offers that option).
How do you like it so far ?
@[email protected] @dryak for me, it is great. No blocking limitations, great battery life, great control of my device, prompt security updates.
@[email protected] @dryak no, all the updates will continue to be installed. Have a look at the FAQ:
https://grapheneos.org/faq#bootloader-locking-setup