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Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Android if not signed in?

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Re: Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Android if not signed in?

#4

Post by Seirdy »

Depends on the ROM. AOSP barely has any Google on it compared to "stock" Android; it uses Google services for system resources like DNS, time synchronization, cert stores updates, etc. This is configurable. Of course, it uses Google servers for updates.

I believe that webviews and such use Google Safe Browsing.

AOSP doesn't have Google Play Services at all. There's a trivial amount to "de-google".

I'd recommend looking into GrapheneOS too once it gets 5a support.

Re: Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Android if not signed in?

#5

Post by grawprog »

With a stock, store bought android rom with google play services and such?

It might help anonymize your device.

If you sign into a network regularly that you use with devices you sign into google with, or a network google associates you.with, they might correlate you with the device.

If you follow your normal routine of locations, browsing or other behaviour google is aware of, google may associate the device with what it knows about you.

It's kind of hard to say though, Google's data collection is somewhat opaque in regards to things it collects to associate you to other things.

I have noticed a few occasions where google has given me suggestions or ads based on searches i've made or on devices that I'm not signed into or associated me with data available only from such devices, other times not.

This is just anecdotal though so make of it what you will.

Re: Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Android if not signed in?

#7

Post by lucgommans »

If you install TrackerControl, no root needed (it pretends to be a VPN to capture your traffic, but is not a real VPN), you will see which apps try to talk to tracking services and thus also which ones talk to Google.

It also as a 'traffic log' feature which, when turned on, shows live which app is talking to which tracker.

Note that, especially if you turn on blocking services marked as essential in the setup, you will need to unblock a lot of CDNs and tracking services for many apps to work including Spotify, your browser, etc. Of course you can also just whitelist apps completely, or temporarily turn all blocking off altogether. But by default it will block trackers, since that's kind of its point. This has the side effect of blocking virtually all advertisements.

Re: Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Android if not signed in?

#8

Post by zachberger »

Disclaimer: I work at Google. In cloud, not on Android.

I am privacy conscious so I though I would give a try at Graphene OS, it was brutal. It was overall stable and the stock android R was refreshing. The app selection available through F-droid was very limiting and the quality of apps was a struggle compared to those in the app store.

I wish there was some incentive for the better apps to open source and publish on F-droid. I donate to many apps on Patreon, should I just message to the devs and ask them to go open source and publish on f-droid?

Re: Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Android if not signed in?

#9

Post by Thorrez »

partymonious wrote: post #6

I don’t if it’s still the case , but in stock ROM Androids it would track your location history even with location services turned off. https://www.wired.com/story/google-location-tracking-turn-of...

That article is about turning "location history" off, not turning "location services" off.

Full disclosure I work at Google but nothing related to that.

Re: Ask HN: How much is Google collecting and keeping on Android if not signed in?

#10

Post by greesil »

Seirdy wrote: post #4

Depends on the ROM. AOSP barely has any Google on it compared to "stock" Android; it uses Google services for system resources like DNS, time synchronization, cert stores updates, etc. This is configurable. Of course, it uses Google servers for updates. I believe that webviews and such use Google Safe Browsing. AOSP doesn't have Google Play Services at all. There's a trivial amount to "de-google". I'd recommend looki…

Like Pixel 5a?
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