• MudMan@fedia.io
    145·
    7 days ago

    I like that in this scenario they still have to install Whatsapp to be able to phone on the phone.

    Frankly, my stance to this is to just do what’s convenient and deal with the rest. For big, meaningful change you need regulation, not user behavior.

    • ivn@jlai.lu
      81·
      7 days ago

      What do you mean? They can phone without, they install it to “communicate with boomeer relatives”, as it’s written.

      • MudMan@fedia.io
        31·
        7 days ago

        It was hyperbole… but only just. Even most of my audio calls happen over Whatsapp these days. Certainly 100% of the texting.

        I know this is very region-dependent, so mileage may vary, but I did find it funny that it was acknowledged here despite the deliberately convoluted deep scrubbing depicted on the rest of the post. It’s… less funny now that you made me explain it, though.

        • ivn@jlai.lu
          3·
          7 days ago

          OK, I’ve never used WhatsApp so I thought you meant that with these changes the regular call feature would be broken.

          • MudMan@fedia.io
            3·
            7 days ago

            Oh, no, not at all. It’s just that socially in some territories Whatsapp is incredibly ingrained. Even if you cut off every Meta app people will expect you to be reachable that way by default, so you kinda can’t avoid it. I don’t know if that was the point of the post, but it’s the best bit, at least if you’re in that kind of place.

    • pH3ra@lemmy.ml
      62·
      7 days ago

      I still haven’t found a way to make my parents use Signal, so either I stop communicating with them (which is tempting sometimes) or have this compromise

          • Black616Angel@discuss.tchncs.de
            6·
            7 days ago

            While you are technically correct, most people vastly overestimate the cost of self hosting a (matrix) server. Mine costs like 5€ a month with domain and we use it as a group of 5 people.

            • psmgx@lemmy.world
              1·
              3 days ago

              Late to the party. So like this sever is just a VM or container in the cloud you’re paying for?

              • Black616Angel@discuss.tchncs.de
                1·
                3 days ago

                It’s a virtual server, so not really a hardware server, but no container either. It’s when multiple servers share RAM, CPU and other things on a big cluster, but each behaves like a normal server. The 5€ in this case even includes the domain. So it’s more like 3-4€.

        • RogueBanana@lemmy.zipEnglish
          3·
          6 days ago

          Can you get that to work with all messages or only a few groups you have to setup manually? Was looking into it before I started self hosting but didn’t find it desirable at that time and just resorted to do what anon did.

      • Dyskolos@lemmy.zip
        32·
        6 days ago

        Easy choice. No such nasty crAPP (pun intended) will touch my innocent phone. If they wouldn’t even install a safe(er) app for their kid, then that’s already enough communication.

        • pH3ra@lemmy.ml
          5·
          6 days ago

          Well life is all about what morals you decide to follow, I’ve evidently chosen the one where I’m handing over a small amount of privacy to be less of a pain in the ass to the people around me.
          And the main reasons are:

          1. elder parents I need to take care of
          2. people won’t listen to you if you are unreasonable with them
          • Dyskolos@lemmy.zip
            12·
            4 days ago

            I don’t see what these points have to do with WhatsApp and co? You can’t take care of them if you don’t install some shitty app they decided to use? And they won’t listen to you if you don’t use the same app? Age is no sign of competence. One should listen to the one more competent in discussed matter. No matter the age or whatever else attribute.

            Besides…it’s not really just “a small amount of privacy”. You’re on Lemmy, so I just assume you somehow know better.

      • Routhinator@startrek.websiteEnglish
        117·
        7 days ago

        I just don’t communicate with anyone that insists on using products that have user agreements I don’t agree with. The amount of bullshit user agreements are getting overloaded with makes them dangerous legal contracts that can have serious implications on your rights. Just ask the family whose daughter died at a Disney theme park and when they tried to sue Disney tried to force them to arbitration because their son had tried Disney+

        • pH3ra@lemmy.ml
          151·
          7 days ago

          Well evidently you’re not in charge of anyone’s healthcare: when you have a parent that has to be taken care of, you have to compromise if they’re not able to adapt

      • Bonsoir@lemmy.ca
        5·
        7 days ago

        I toyed with a Pinephone last year. Most of my complains were toward the hardware, although I didn’t try every basic functionality either.
        It took me a while to setup the OS because I wanted to try a few different distros and screwed up a few times here and there. Arch was the most stable of those I tried. It also comes with a built-in right to brag about using Arch, which is cool. I think that using a more recent and higher grade phone could make it usable in the day to day, as the pinephone is more of a development tool. Otherwise, give it a few more years.

        • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
          3·
          7 days ago

          Yup, I hoped that last year would’ve been long enough, but it’s still not in a state that I could daily drive it, so I ended up with a Pixel 8 w/ GrapheneOS. I’m definitely watching development, and if I find a good phone/OS match that allows me to daily drive something like PostmarketOS or Arch on a phone, I’ll probably switch.

          It’s a cool project, and I sincerely hope Linux gets to a place where I can daily drive it on my phone. I already use it on my laptop and desktop (openSUSE Tumbleweed, after several years of Arch), and I would love to also use it on my phone. I’ll even help port/develop apps for it as well, but it needs to meet my basic needs first (so MMS, all day battery life, good audio, reliable calls/texts). In the meantime, I’m trying to switch to a VOIP service instead, which simultaneously makes my need for all-day battery less important (can answer calls on my computer), complicates basic phone features (not sure how VOIP call device wake-up works on Linux), and eliminates much of the issues w/ carriers (just need a data plan, and most calls will be over wifi).

  • Yodan@lemm.eeEnglish
    1236·
    7 days ago

    Buys a $1000 modern communication device

    Disables all ways for it to communicate or use its modern services

    Just buy a Nokia dumb phone and call it a day.

      • Yodan@lemm.eeEnglish
        1420·
        7 days ago

        My point is that you’re buying a branded device specifically because it has ease of use features but then you’re replacing them all with custom services that you now need to upkeep manually and tend like a garden. It’s over complicating the purchase.

        • atro_city@fedia.io
          275·
          7 days ago

          A perfect interpretation by somebody staring out over the walls of their own garden. “Pah, look at those peasants out there, putting effort into their freedom. How stupid can you be?”

          • Yodan@lemm.eeEnglish
            615·
            7 days ago

            What do you mean? Just buy a phone that doesn’t include tracking features if you want a phone without tracking features…? Like why buy a Mazda CX5 if you are going to modify it and replace the engine and body to turn it into a Honda Civic?

            I get why people would want to privacy proof their phone but it’s going overboard to basically undo everything that makes a flagship device a flagship device.

            • arandomthought@sh.itjust.works
              273·
              7 days ago

              Ah yes, the market will surely regulate itself. So what phone would you recommend if I want flagship hardware (nice screen, fast processor etc.) but don’t want to be tracked? You make it sound like I’d have a bunch of phones to choose from.

            • atro_city@fedia.io
              221·
              7 days ago

              That’s a false equivalency. You’re not replacing the engine but replacing what controls the engine. No-one is ripping out the hardware of their phones in this picture. It’s the software being replaced.

              Privacy conscious people buy flagship phones for the hardware. The screens are better, the performance is better, they have more connections and whatnot (some higher wifi version, some higher bluetooth version, etc.).

            • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
              5·
              7 days ago

              Just buy a phone that doesn’t include tracking features

              Such as?

              I’ve looked, and I can’t find one. The best I found are:

              • PinePhone/Librem 5 - basic phone features don’t work properly (crap battery life, can’t use all carriers in the US, audio sucks)
              • FairPhone - not directly available in the US (can get from reseller)
              • alternative Android ROM GrapheneOS/LineageOS/Calyx/DivestOS

              I went with a Google Pixel 8 w/ GrapheneOS. I don’t have any of fancy AI features that Google advertises because they all rely on Google Play services (no thanks), but it works competently as a phone, has 7+ years of promised SW support, and gets a decent repair score (not perfect, but everything important seems serviceable).

              I’m coincidentally looking at buying a newer car, and everything has spyware, so I’ll definitely be ripping out whatever phone home devices they have. This means no remote start, probably no navigation (though navigation doesn’t need to phone home), and a bunch of other modern features won’t work. But I don’t get the option to get one w/o it w/o getting an older car, so I guess that’s what I need to do. So I plan to rip apart the car to remove the SIM or antennas, or at least remove their power.

              I wish there were actual privacy-respecting options available, but I guess this is the world we live in now…

              • psud@aussie.zone
                1·
                6 days ago

                No one likes the option, but Tesla uniquely will let you opt out of all car <-> Tesla communications. Don’t buy full self driving as I don’t think that works opted out. Definitely don’t subscribe to premium connectivity as opting out disables connectivity.

                • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
                  2·
                  6 days ago

                  Is there a guarantee that works? As in, there’s no way to locate my car if stolen? Because that’s what I want.

                  If there’s a way for Tesla to access my car remotely after opting out, there’s a way for them to change the terms of the sale and require phoning home. I want technical guarantees, not promises backed by a mutable service agreement.

  • MumboJumbo@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    3·
    5 days ago

    @[email protected] Sorry I can’t figure out how to reply in thread, made an account just to tell you you can get a nøglebrik/kodeviser for MitId. It’s a fully offline TOTP thing that you can use instead of the app. I never even installed the app :)

  • devilish666@lemmy.world
    17·
    7 days ago

    For me it just :

    • root it with magisk
    • install adguard + adaway + blocker + LuckyPatcher + LSPOSED
    • add custom filter to adguard & adaway like HAGEZI, 1Host, Cubic, StevenBlack
    • Tweak adguard so it always run on startup, using DNS Bootstrap/Falback, enable AntiDPI, etc…
    • Install LSPOSED Modules like HideMyAppList, Disable Target API Block, Let Me Downgrade, BOOTLOADERSPOOFER, etc…
    • Set Blocker mode to package manager
    • Disable any SDK/Tracker inside any apps with Blocker
    • Install magisk module like PIFork, ZygiskNext, Shamiko, etc
    • Reboot my phone
    • Tweak any LSPOSED Module so i can use any mobile banking apps or apps that stop working if phone rooted
    • Reboot again
    • Check play integrity fix & disable play protect
    • ???
    • PROFIT…
  • arc@lemm.ee
    13·
    6 days ago

    And then anon still walks around with a beacon in their pocket

  • xep@fedia.io
    22·
    7 days ago

    If I’m not mistaken, Anon’s Phone will still communicate with Google services for location services and push notifications after this.

    • superkret@feddit.org
      271·
      7 days ago

      No, not after he removed everything with Google in the name, including Google Play services.

      What anon doesn’t realize it’s that you don’t need to root your phone for all this, you can just use adb or the universal android debloater.

      — sent from a Samsung that’s degoogled in the same exact way.

      • xep@fedia.io
        17·
        7 days ago

        I see. In that case his push notifications will not work for apps that rely on Google play services for them. A few other things off the top of my head:

        A-GPS SUPL must be changed Captive portal must be changed DNS, NTP servers must be changed Depending on how much you trust Chromium system webview should be avoided

        It is not trivial to remove Google from Android, even AOSP

        • GregorGizeh@lemmy.zip
          6·
          7 days ago

          Apps that don’t rely on google push notifications usually come with a workaround that shows a permanent fake notification; which then allows normal push functionality. If that doesnt bother you it works perfectly fine without play services.

          What makes me keep it myself is the necessity for certain play store exclusive apps such as banking and the one for my local public transit. Can’t do without those

        • superkret@feddit.org
          4·
          6 days ago

          Yep, those are all issues you run into. Without microg you lose quite a bit of functionality. Personally, I’m content with sending less data to Google, so I leave some things alone.

  • kamen@lemmy.worldEnglish
    111·
    6 days ago

    … and then hope that you don’t get hardware issue warranty claim denied because of the software.

  • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
    19·
    6 days ago

    I’d love to degoogle and debullshit my phone but then I need the back app… I’d like to tap with my phone to pay, and that won’t be allowed because we can have nice things.

    I’d like to use a host of other apps I won’t be able to use anymore…

    Any solution that allows me to just use a nice phone with all the features?

    • Ajzak@lemm.ee
      10·
      6 days ago

      put your credit card in the back of the case hah

      best bet is get a phone with default android and delete default apps with ADB

      • figaro@lemdro.idEnglish
        2·
        5 days ago

        I did this when I was in Japan. I didn’t want to jump through all their ridiculous hoops to get tap to pay to work, so I just threw my NFC debit card into my case and called it a day. Worked 90% of the time.

        • Ajzak@lemm.ee
          1·
          5 days ago

          It’s funny how i never thought of this until i wrote the comment. Was Now i just gotta make an RFID blocking sheet that flips off the back lol

    • zoostation@lemmy.world
      6·
      6 days ago

      Pay with a credit card, you can tap those, and then you’re not inviting one of the tech giants to monitor your purchases for no reason.

      • Dale'sDeadBug@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        5 days ago

        Your payment processor and creditor are probably also selling your info btw. If you use a service like Google Pay or Samsung Pay there’s a layer of anonymity between you and the merchant at a minimum. Google has an incentive to monetize your data, but they for sure don’t sell it. Companies pay them to advertise to certain demographics and geozones, but parting with that info would make them obsolete in a heartbeat. That’s the strategy nowadays at least. Hoard the data and tightly control access to it. Last time I checked(it’s been a few years), only like 8 people at Google even had the ability to decrypt user data with master keys to comply with lawful orders given by courts, and even then they had a good track record of denying subpoenas due to an unreasonable request for mass amounts of user data outside of specific timelines or even data on people who were within a geofence at the time of a crime. It’s why there moving your maps timeline away from their severs and onto the device. I’m all for giving companies some shit where they deserve it, but in my opinion this kind of stuff gets blown out of proportion and parroted everywhere without much explanation.

        • zoostation@lemmy.world
          5·
          5 days ago

          I know too much about how ad tech works. I’ve written code to de-anonymize all the data Google leaks through bid requests. Not individual credit card transactions, but enough to make me want nothing to do with them.

          Ignorance is bliss as far as credit card companies go, I tell myself they sell anonymized transactions as csv dumps that aren’t tied to cookies etc. It’s probably worse than that. But if I really want to be anonymous, I pay cash.