PSA: Nova Launcher added Facebook and Google Ads tracking
cross-posted from: https://lemdro.id/post/35049920
The latest update for the popular Nova Launcher app includes Facebook Ads and Google AdMob.
Compare 8.2.4: https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/698198/
With 8.1.6: https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/673643/
From 2 trackers to 6 trackers. From 30 permissions to 36. And two of the "trackers" are for ad stuff, like Facebook Ads.
I believe the owner also changed. It's no longer Branch, but something called Instabridge Sweden.
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Joke's on them, mine can't talk to a network.
Oh hey, I just noticed App Manager can apply that net policy. Neat, that's easier than how I used to do it.
Does this work on normal Android? I still have some phones on normal Android
Yes, but doing that part requires root.
Yes, it works for Android
Leaving this here: they've started putting in ads
Stop, stop, stop, hold up. Which libre software license text file was it released under, none? So, we never controlled it.
We saw what happened with Reddit and now this. Go check every app on your device for a libre license, now.
If they scam you like this a 3rd time, you deserve it, lmao.
It got sold to a new company and the original dev left...they can just release it under a new license if they want, so whatever license it once was released under could be irrelevant when they did a new release/update.
Wrong, this cannot undo a libre release or block forks. We control libre software, not their time.
Yeah but that means users need to go get a different launcher (technically, since it's a fork to a new project) than the one that they have installed. The already installed launcher will just continue with a new license.
Wrong, F-Droid official repos block this attack.