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Fellow humans, there are alternatives! Your neck need not be under FAANG's boot! You don't even need to give up any functionality: CalyxOS: https://calyxos.org

Fellow humans, there are alternatives! Your neck need not be under FAANG's boot! You don't even need to give up any functionality: CalyxOS: https://calyxos.org/ https://calyxos.org/ Privacy-respecting Android distribution that replaces Google spyware with MicroG, so you can have your cake and eat it too. Most everything will work as you're used to, but it does still talk to Google to make that happen. GrapheneOS: https://grapheneos.org/ https://grapheneos.org/ Very much like Calyx, but extra-hardened and with no MicroG. No involvement with Google at all. LineageOS: https://lineageos.org/ https://lineageos.org/ The successor to CyanogenMod, will work with many different phones. More privacy and control than stock Android. There are also many others: Sailfish, Replicant, e Hardware-wise: CalyxOS and GrapheneOS run best on Pixel 3, 3a, 3XL, 4, 4a, 4XL, 5. The path of least resistance is to get one of these phones and run CalyxOS (if there is an app you need to use that needs Google services like Firebase Cloud Messaging...note that many that can use FCM will run fine without), otherwise run GrapheneOS. You can also buy a Librem 5 https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/ https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/ If privacy and security and hacking are really important to you. Or a pinephone: https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/ https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/

FearlessNebula 5y ago
Even with Graphene OS you’re still using a phone that has a proprietary modem which has its own hidden CPU that acts like a black box. Who knows what it does or if it can read main memory.
- ellenhp 5y ago
  I'm not smart enough to know what some of these words mean or if this guy is being truthful, but I found this comforting to read as a GrapheneOS user: https://grapheneos.org/faq#baseband-isolation https://grapheneos.org/faq#baseband-isolation
- clarkmoody 5y ago
  Don't let perfect be the enemy of good and always evaluate solutions against your threat model.
landemva 5y ago
This is a good start for taking back my privacy. Have been considering purchase of Librem phone.
grishka 5y ago
I've been thinking about getting away from proprietary Google Services and their backdoors, but the one thing that's holding me back is Google Pay (NFC payments). It's way too convenient and I'm unwilling to give it up. Is there an open-source replacement/reimplementation maybe, or something like a way to run the original proprietary app with MicroG? What about other apps that require SafetyNet? (Important note: I'm not from US) (Google's data collection isn't much of a concern for me anyway because I block all ads and analytics — so even if they do collect something, they have no way of showing me ads)
- caeril 5y ago
  NFC is perhaps two seconds more convenient than a chipped card. Two seconds is worth the price of living in a panopticon?
  - grishka 5y ago
    It is 2 seconds if you're paying less than 1000₽. With a physical card, you have to enter the pin if you're paying more. You only have to unlock the phone before tapping if you're using NFC.
- NoImmatureAdHom 5y ago
  Have you thought about looking in to the problem yourself, or maybe just throwing some coffee money at the devs who are? I'd argue you should still be concerned about data collection even if you're successfully blocking ads. It doesn't worry you that some super-powerful faceless corporation tracks your every move in the real world? It's one of those things...it won't be a problem until it is ;-)
  - grishka 5y ago
    It doesn't really track my every move in real world either — I removed the location permission for the Google app and disabled the creepy as hell location history a while ago. It doesn't track anything at all in the virtual world because I have third-party cookies disabled and run ad blockers on everything I own. > Have you thought about looking in to the problem yourself, or maybe just throwing some coffee money at the devs who are? The problem with this particular thing — making a free software, non-Google NFC payment app — is that it's a regulatory hell and requires partnering with banks. No way an individual would be able to pull this off. Also probably no way to keep it open, I'd be surprised if there are no NDAs involved.
dpifke 5y ago
I really want a Librem 5. I ordered (and paid for) one in October, 2017. It might ship in October or November of this year.
- NoImmatureAdHom 5y ago
  I think of a prepurchase from Purism as something halfway between a purchase and a donation. They're truly doing the work that needs to be done, and I'm happy for them to take my money.
KronisLV 5y ago
Here's my phone: https://www.gsmarena.com/ulefone_armor_x7_pro-10293.php https://www.gsmarena.com/ulefone_armor_x7_pro-10293.php It's not supported by CalyxOS: https://calyxos.org/get/ https://calyxos.org/get/ It's not supported by GrapheneOS: https://grapheneos.org/faq#supported-devices https://grapheneos.org/faq#supported-devices It's not supported by LineageOS: https://download.lineageos.org/ https://download.lineageos.org/ It's not supported by Sailfish: https://shop.jolla.com/ https://shop.jolla.com/ It's not supported by Replicant: https://www.replicant.us/supported-devices.php https://www.replicant.us/supported-devices.php Librem 5 is 8-9x more expensive than my current device: https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5/ https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5/ PinePhone seems more promising, but the battery capacity is lower, as well as the other specifications are (slighty) worse: https://pine64.com/product-category/pinephone/?v=0446c16e2e66 https://pine64.com/product-category/pinephone/?v=0446c16e2e6... I feel like that perhaps calls for an asterisk to be added to your statement: Fellow humans, there are alternatives*! *As long as your device is one of the supported pieces of flagship hardware and/or you get a device specifically for it. Which is unfortunate, because a lot of those devices won't be as affordable. I bought my phone for just over 100 euros, in part because it has a recent enough OS version and is pretty tough. I feel like this situation won't improve until manufacturers get their crap together and make devices based on more open standards which may or may not ever happen. I still dream about the same level of hardware support that GNU/Linux has (with proprietary drivers), where most distros just run on most hardware.
- trulyme 5y ago
  The alternatives are just that - alternatives. Don't want to make compromises needed for them? Then don't and stay in Google / Apple candyland. Or, make a sacrifice yourself and develop the missing support for the phone you fancy. Manufacturers don't have incentives to help out here, with a precious few like Librem and Pine. I for one am happy they exist and will be glad to shell out 8-9x as much money for a promise of better privacy. And when many do so, the prices will come down too. There is no reason for having a load of tracking on your phone, it is there just because its OS was developed by an advertising agency. And the alternative is worse in freedom-to-fix view because Apple.
  - 5y ago

FearlessNebula 5y ago

Even with Graphene OS you’re still using a phone that has a proprietary modem which has its own hidden CPU that acts like a black box. Who knows what it does or if it can read main memory.

ellenhp 5y ago
I'm not smart enough to know what some of these words mean or if this guy is being truthful, but I found this comforting to read as a GrapheneOS user: https://grapheneos.org/faq#baseband-isolation https://grapheneos.org/faq#baseband-isolation
clarkmoody 5y ago
Don't let perfect be the enemy of good and always evaluate solutions against your threat model.

landemva 5y ago

This is a good start for taking back my privacy. Have been considering purchase of Librem phone.

grishka 5y ago

I've been thinking about getting away from proprietary Google Services and their backdoors, but the one thing that's holding me back is Google Pay (NFC payments). It's way too convenient and I'm unwilling to give it up. Is there an open-source replacement/reimplementation maybe, or something like a way to run the original proprietary app with MicroG? What about other apps that require SafetyNet? (Important note: I'm not from US) (Google's data collection isn't much of a concern for me anyway because I block all ads and analytics — so even if they do collect something, they have no way of showing me ads)

caeril 5y ago
NFC is perhaps two seconds more convenient than a chipped card. Two seconds is worth the price of living in a panopticon?
- grishka 5y ago
  It is 2 seconds if you're paying less than 1000₽. With a physical card, you have to enter the pin if you're paying more. You only have to unlock the phone before tapping if you're using NFC.
NoImmatureAdHom 5y ago
Have you thought about looking in to the problem yourself, or maybe just throwing some coffee money at the devs who are? I'd argue you should still be concerned about data collection even if you're successfully blocking ads. It doesn't worry you that some super-powerful faceless corporation tracks your every move in the real world? It's one of those things...it won't be a problem until it is ;-)
- grishka 5y ago
  It doesn't really track my every move in real world either — I removed the location permission for the Google app and disabled the creepy as hell location history a while ago. It doesn't track anything at all in the virtual world because I have third-party cookies disabled and run ad blockers on everything I own. > Have you thought about looking in to the problem yourself, or maybe just throwing some coffee money at the devs who are? The problem with this particular thing — making a free software, non-Google NFC payment app — is that it's a regulatory hell and requires partnering with banks. No way an individual would be able to pull this off. Also probably no way to keep it open, I'd be surprised if there are no NDAs involved.

dpifke 5y ago

I really want a Librem 5. I ordered (and paid for) one in October, 2017. It might ship in October or November of this year.

NoImmatureAdHom 5y ago
I think of a prepurchase from Purism as something halfway between a purchase and a donation. They're truly doing the work that needs to be done, and I'm happy for them to take my money.

KronisLV 5y ago

Here's my phone: https://www.gsmarena.com/ulefone_armor_x7_pro-10293.php https://www.gsmarena.com/ulefone_armor_x7_pro-10293.php It's not supported by CalyxOS: https://calyxos.org/get/ https://calyxos.org/get/ It's not supported by GrapheneOS: https://grapheneos.org/faq#supported-devices https://grapheneos.org/faq#supported-devices It's not supported by LineageOS: https://download.lineageos.org/ https://download.lineageos.org/ It's not supported by Sailfish: https://shop.jolla.com/ https://shop.jolla.com/ It's not supported by Replicant: https://www.replicant.us/supported-devices.php https://www.replicant.us/supported-devices.php Librem 5 is 8-9x more expensive than my current device: https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5/ https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5/ PinePhone seems more promising, but the battery capacity is lower, as well as the other specifications are (slighty) worse: https://pine64.com/product-category/pinephone/?v=0446c16e2e66 https://pine64.com/product-category/pinephone/?v=0446c16e2e6... I feel like that perhaps calls for an asterisk to be added to your statement: Fellow humans, there are alternatives*! *As long as your device is one of the supported pieces of flagship hardware and/or you get a device specifically for it. Which is unfortunate, because a lot of those devices won't be as affordable. I bought my phone for just over 100 euros, in part because it has a recent enough OS version and is pretty tough. I feel like this situation won't improve until manufacturers get their crap together and make devices based on more open standards which may or may not ever happen. I still dream about the same level of hardware support that GNU/Linux has (with proprietary drivers), where most distros just run on most hardware.

trulyme 5y ago
The alternatives are just that - alternatives. Don't want to make compromises needed for them? Then don't and stay in Google / Apple candyland. Or, make a sacrifice yourself and develop the missing support for the phone you fancy. Manufacturers don't have incentives to help out here, with a precious few like Librem and Pine. I for one am happy they exist and will be glad to shell out 8-9x as much money for a promise of better privacy. And when many do so, the prices will come down too. There is no reason for having a load of tracking on your phone, it is there just because its OS was developed by an advertising agency. And the alternative is worse in freedom-to-fix view because Apple.
- 5y ago