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7 simple things I always do on Android to protect my privacy [and reduce being monetized by Google et al.]

Until you get a chance to leave behind Google's Android operating system completely, here's an article I saw with a few fairly simple things you can do that will reduce (although not eliminate) the ability of Google and others to scrape your data and monetize you.

I already do step 1 (Firefox etc). But looking at step 5, for example, my phone had all those ad options set to "on".

7 simple things I always do on Android to protect my privacy [and reduce being monetized by Google et al.]https://www.zdnet.com/article/7-simple-things-i-always-do-on-android-to-protect-my-privacy-and-why-you-should-too/Open linkView original on lemmy.ca
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Comments19
Showroom7561
lemmy.ca

The first thing(s) do:

  • Install adguard with system-wide ad & tracker filters enabled; change my DNS to a private service that also features DNS-based ad and tracker blocking.
  • Disable any google features: syncing, backup, uninstall/disable all google apps, etc.; replace with FOSS or privacy-friendly alternatives.
  • after that, it's the process of replacing the browser, keyboard, etc.
11
agavaareply
lemmy.world

I've done a lot of these steps, but when I tried FOSS keyboard app my bank's app refused to work because the keyboard was"insecure", accepted Google keyboard only 🤡

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Showroom7561reply
lemmy.ca

That's crazy! I bet the same bank used a "secure" method for 2FA.... like SMS. LOL

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noodle (he/him)reply
lemm.ee

I've had that happen with Credit Agricole's app in the past. it would close immediately and load a website that suggested using Google's Gboard or Microsoft's Swiftkey :|

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Showroom7561reply
lemmy.ca

Adguard for android (paid). It runs as a local VPN and cleans up everything, including most ads in apps.

You can find cheap lifetime licenses for sale. I've been using it for many, many years.

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Showroom7561reply
lemmy.ca

Yes, that's a great FOSS alternative.

The only reason why I don't use trackercontrol is that I can't use it at the same time as an actual VPN. And since I already paid for AdGuard, it's on all my devices. 🤭

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Showroom7561reply
lemmy.ca

Just an FYI:

"AdGuard servers are located in Frankfurt, Germany, and the apps do not communicate to any servers in Russia. This was a deliberate decision to keep our servers (as well as the company itself) in a different jurisdiction. Even among AdGuard DNS servers, which are supposed to be located all over the world, we don't have any in Russia. With how things are developing, we may soon have no office there either, or have a considerably smaller one. To reiterate:

  • AdGuard apps do not connect to any servers in Russia.
  • AdGuard DNS has no servers in Russia.
  • AdGuard VPN also has no servers in Russia. The one that's said to be in Moscow actually uses some IP address magic to present itself so, but is actually located in the Netherlands.

Secondly, we do not condone what's going on in Ukraine and we have expressed our opinion on this earlier. Filters maintainers, support team members, QA, developers — the war has changed lives of many people that are very important to AdGuard as a company and to me personally. Our only desire is for it to stop as soon as possible." SOURCE

The Adguard team has been among the most trustworthy in the privacy space, and their self-hosted, and local-first services shouldn't be casually cast aside so quickly.

1
passenger
lemm.ee

Can recommend GrapheneOS. Very nice experience. You would think it is more work, but I feel it was less due to not having Google suggest some nasty stuff constantly during install and ever after. Everything works for me. Check your own banking app works from the list they keep and if it does, go for it!

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NightmareQueenJunereply
lemmy.world

But sadly it's not available for Fairphones which really frustrates me. And other OS variants just lack the main features which make Graphene so great.

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passengerreply
lemm.ee

Yes. I got a spotless used pixel. But it is a huge paradox to have to get a Google phone.

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noodle (he/him)reply
lemm.ee

there's CalyxOS and /e/ available on Fairphones, so at least there's that

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NightmareQueenJunereply
lemmy.world

But they lack sandboxing options which only exist with GrapheneOS. Sure, Calyx is usable but only with huge downsides when it comes to usability.

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whereisk
lemmy.world

It seems a bit like a fool's errand to buy a phone running an advertiser’s OS and then try to stop it from tracking you.

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SayCyberOnceMorereply
feddit.uk

Fair point, but IMO it's more than just the technical act of blocking, it's highlighting to everyone that this is going on...

Some are happy to be tracked, cool, but, I'm fairly confident that millions of people aren't even aware of it.

These articles barely scratch the surface of what can be done - for example, I presume you're referring to loading a different OS, which would blow the minds of many users out there

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