For example, how do I know that the Samsung calendar app is any better than the g calendar app? Is the only way to go full open source (I’d prefer this, yes).
Also, should we stop using things like the default photo gallery? I have a feeling they steal data from that as well.
I know this is more phone related but I don’t have this issue on my pc since I mostly use linux and open source software.
also before downloading any app, check exodus:
trackerControl is a good starting place ☞ https://f-droid.org/packages/net.kollnig.missioncontrol.fdroid
Ah yes, for a start Tracker Control is even better than a Android firewall. If you don’t have F-Droid, an alternative PlayStore installed yet, you can also get it here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.kollnig.missioncontrol.play
Exodus Privacy is a good starting point. They also have an app to check your installed apps with.
One possible next step could be to install an Android firewall like Netguard or Rethink DNS + Firewall to block unwanted connections. Both don’t require root and are well documented.Okay, but how do we know they don’t collect the data about you? You can tear these Java apps apart, try to decompile the native binaries, there’s just telemetry all over the place and any app that’s free that’s offering you privacy is getting paid somewhere.
Unfortunaly there no easy way to get rid of it easily since many spy things integrated inside stock os ,so only open source custom os + open source apps like from fdroid .only in this combo together it make sense
I agree with this. I almost just want to get a dumb phone for calls and a hotspot with a pinephone or something for everything else.
Be aware dump phones often include spyware and malware too.This is just ridiculous
You can know it doesn’t if it literally can’t. Likewise if it can it might. I got thinking about this the other day when, in the grocery store, I was counting cameras waiting in line. They can watch you in particular the entire time you are there. They might. Or they might not be real cameras at all. They only way you could know they aren’t surveilling you is if you know without a shadow of a doubt there are no cameras at all. If they can they might. If they can’t they won’t.
I tend to think about my personal privacy this way. Sandbox what you can. Don’t have what you don’t need. But at the end of the day, your phone is a computer you always carry with you, so you can never really know for sure. Mitigate what risks you can and don’t worry about it past that. Life is too short.
I’m in the US, and unfortunately, there is an escalating data threat with the latest Supreme Court Ruling that will allow uncleared parties (or poorly cleared parties) to access our government personal data. When combined with the broligarchy data, the aggregate of those becomes extremely dangerous to the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of people. Life is short, but we’re in an emergency crisis, in my opinion. Data protection is a civic duty at this point. The carelessness could very well create a caste system here.
Use the app Brokada 5 or the paid one Brokada 6. I use the free version, tells you if an app has trackers and what they are, blocks bad ones.