5 ms·

Google tracking is baked into Android pretty deep. Simply not having an account doesn't stop Google from tracking what you do on your phone.

vetinari 7y ago
It requires being signed in. If you are not signed in, for extra safety you can also disable google play framework and all google apps. You won't get things like fused location, but hey, that one requires connecting to google services too.
- panpanna 7y ago
  You may or may not be right about this. The only way to verify this is to install some system level firewall and carefully inspect all logs. Until you do that, we simple don't know.
  - vetinari 7y ago
    Or you can inspect AOSP itself and bring your device to AOSP-like state. Sure, you won't know whether the vendor of your device didn't modify the firmware itself, but what motivation is there for Samsung, Sony or Huawei to help Google to get user data?
    - southerntofu 7y ago
      > what motivation is there for Samsung, Sony or Huawei to help Google to get user data? I'm not sure about their motivation, but several vendors are famously known for bundling spyware with their phones. Usually within the keyboard app or some telemetry system. > bring your device to AOSP-like state That's a solution but is impossible without having a clean ROM at your disposal. Google's spyware is contained within Google Play Services, which you can't get rid of that easily.
      - madez 7y ago
        When one wants an AOSP-like state, they can install LineageOS. That doesn't include Google Play Services, so it isn't difficult to get rid of it.
        vetinari 7y ago
        Jumping to LineageOS is order of magnitude bigger change, than `adb pm disable` packages. LineageOS has to support your device in the first place, and then you have root your device (and lose some capabilities in the process, like camera processing on Xperias). Yes, you will get better control over software that runs on your device. You will pay for it by going through more demanding process and the risk of having instabilities, that nobody except you cares about.
lern_too_spel 7y ago
> Google tracking is baked into Android pretty deep Citation needed.
- deftnerd 7y ago
  Google requires all apps that are on Google Play to use Firebase, which is baked into the OS, for notifications. Developers might make apps available on F-Droid or through individual download, but most of the time, those are just the same versions available on Google Play and configured to use Firebase. The problem is that while Android is OS, most apps use functions and OS-level API's available that are only available through the Google Play Services application. This is a good thing for people who have phones from manufacturers who don't update the OS's, but it's a bad thing if you don't want Google Play Services to run. You don't want Google Play Services (or Google Mobile Services) to run because if it's running, it's talking to Google (even if you never configured an account) in order to use their hosted API's like location detection based on nearby Wifi AP's, push notifications, malware scanning, etc. Whenever it connects to those hosted API's, it POST's a unique device ID. This is harder than it sounds. The current versions of the stock keyboard, clock, calendar, contacts manager, and even phone dialer all have Google Play Services as a dependency.
  - lern_too_spel 7y ago
    > Google requires all apps that are on Google Play to use Firebase, which is baked into the OS, for notifications. Only for apps on the Play Store. This is much less restrictive than iOS, which requires you to use APNS for notifications without any workarounds. Also, Firebase is not "built into the OS" and doesn't exist at all in AOSP. > The current versions of the stock keyboard, clock, calendar, contacts manager, and even phone dialer all have Google Play Services as a dependency. Those aren't "stock." Those are Google's apps. Many devices don't even use Google's by default. The AOSP implementations don't use Google Play Services at all. It is trivial to install replacements on even Google-flavored Android devices that don't use Google Play Services. Compare to iOS. Apple knows every app you ever downloaded, and there is nothing you can do about it. Every time you click on an address link, it sends the address to Apple, and there is nothing you can do about it. Any time an app looks up your GPS location, that location is sent to Apple, and there is nothing you can do about it. If you want to write apps for your own device, you need to give card details to Apple, and there is nothing you can do about it. That is what data collection built pervasively into the OS actually looks like

vetinari 7y ago

It requires being signed in. If you are not signed in, for extra safety you can also disable google play framework and all google apps. You won't get things like fused location, but hey, that one requires connecting to google services too.

panpanna 7y ago
You may or may not be right about this. The only way to verify this is to install some system level firewall and carefully inspect all logs. Until you do that, we simple don't know.
- vetinari 7y ago
  Or you can inspect AOSP itself and bring your device to AOSP-like state. Sure, you won't know whether the vendor of your device didn't modify the firmware itself, but what motivation is there for Samsung, Sony or Huawei to help Google to get user data?
  - southerntofu 7y ago
    > what motivation is there for Samsung, Sony or Huawei to help Google to get user data? I'm not sure about their motivation, but several vendors are famously known for bundling spyware with their phones. Usually within the keyboard app or some telemetry system. > bring your device to AOSP-like state That's a solution but is impossible without having a clean ROM at your disposal. Google's spyware is contained within Google Play Services, which you can't get rid of that easily.
    - madez 7y ago
      When one wants an AOSP-like state, they can install LineageOS. That doesn't include Google Play Services, so it isn't difficult to get rid of it.
      - vetinari 7y ago
        Jumping to LineageOS is order of magnitude bigger change, than `adb pm disable` packages. LineageOS has to support your device in the first place, and then you have root your device (and lose some capabilities in the process, like camera processing on Xperias). Yes, you will get better control over software that runs on your device. You will pay for it by going through more demanding process and the risk of having instabilities, that nobody except you cares about.

lern_too_spel 7y ago

> Google tracking is baked into Android pretty deep Citation needed.

deftnerd 7y ago
Google requires all apps that are on Google Play to use Firebase, which is baked into the OS, for notifications. Developers might make apps available on F-Droid or through individual download, but most of the time, those are just the same versions available on Google Play and configured to use Firebase. The problem is that while Android is OS, most apps use functions and OS-level API's available that are only available through the Google Play Services application. This is a good thing for people who have phones from manufacturers who don't update the OS's, but it's a bad thing if you don't want Google Play Services to run. You don't want Google Play Services (or Google Mobile Services) to run because if it's running, it's talking to Google (even if you never configured an account) in order to use their hosted API's like location detection based on nearby Wifi AP's, push notifications, malware scanning, etc. Whenever it connects to those hosted API's, it POST's a unique device ID. This is harder than it sounds. The current versions of the stock keyboard, clock, calendar, contacts manager, and even phone dialer all have Google Play Services as a dependency.
- lern_too_spel 7y ago
  > Google requires all apps that are on Google Play to use Firebase, which is baked into the OS, for notifications. Only for apps on the Play Store. This is much less restrictive than iOS, which requires you to use APNS for notifications without any workarounds. Also, Firebase is not "built into the OS" and doesn't exist at all in AOSP. > The current versions of the stock keyboard, clock, calendar, contacts manager, and even phone dialer all have Google Play Services as a dependency. Those aren't "stock." Those are Google's apps. Many devices don't even use Google's by default. The AOSP implementations don't use Google Play Services at all. It is trivial to install replacements on even Google-flavored Android devices that don't use Google Play Services. Compare to iOS. Apple knows every app you ever downloaded, and there is nothing you can do about it. Every time you click on an address link, it sends the address to Apple, and there is nothing you can do about it. Any time an app looks up your GPS location, that location is sent to Apple, and there is nothing you can do about it. If you want to write apps for your own device, you need to give card details to Apple, and there is nothing you can do about it. That is what data collection built pervasively into the OS actually looks like