People running stock or OEM-Android: what do you think about privacy and your personal data in the hands of Google? For Apple, you just kinda have to trust them on not selling/using/… your private data (not discussing how much that trust is worth…). For Google, it is just clear that they are - it’s their business model after all.
Sure - Graphene, Calyx, Lineage etc. exist, but either are limited to specific models, have drawbacks in functionality or are more hassle to setup than most average users are willing to invest.
So, if you are aware of this but still opt to running default Google Android: do you just „ignore“ this? Do you try do „degoogle“ as much as possible? I’m curious to see different opinions on this.
I do banking on my phone so it’s tough. Otherwise I don’t install a lot of apps, carefully control app permissions, and set every Android privacy setting to the most strict setting hat I can.
Being unable to use zelle, CashApp, etc has been the biggest single frustration of switching to GrapheneOS.
Changing your workflow is work, but those apps, and Paypal, Stripe, Plaid, and bank account linking services all really exist to harvest all your personal transaction data under the guise of making your life “easier”. There are banking regulations governing (somewhat) how older style payment methods can be tracked. These apps circumvent those regs. Those services are best used with throwaway money accounts not bound to your normal accounts, and at the end of a very long pole, but mostly not at all.
However, even credit card companies like MasterCard and American Express are in on it as well, further limiting options. AmEx is an interesting one, as they marketed themselves as a more premium card, housing most services in-house, and keeping transaction data in-house…only to turn around and profit off of it just the same.
Might as well go back to cash and paper checks at this point. Although a realistic lesser perspective is just to minimize which of these services one uses, and be sure that when paying on a web site to not check the “remember you for next time” checkbox that gathers further information to cross-link your purchases. Can’t block it all, but starve them of what one can.
My one problem is there is no tracker warning on GOS and if I have trackers with me everyone gets spanked with unknown tracker.
Do you mean something like this?
Man, I don’t want to use those because of the privacy nightmare they present is every bit as bad as Google.