Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

eOS DeGoogled Privacy Smartphone in the US Review

ramblinggit.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 36 posts

Re: eOS DeGoogled Privacy Smartphone in the US Review

#21

Post by 1vuio0pswjnm7 »

"About e Foundation F.A.Q

Is e Foundation a non-profit or a corporation?

e Foundation is a non-profit organization created to host, develop, support and promote pro privacy tech solutions. Some partner companies handle the commercial side of the project and help finance e Foundation.

How do you make money? Where are your revenues coming from?

Most of our incoming revenue comes from private and public donations. As a non-profit, we strongly rely on individual and corporate donations."

Basic questions

Who are the "partner companies" that "handle the commercial side" and "help finance" the foundation. If the foundation has a "commercial side" is it truly a non-profit organisation.

Who pays the salaries of the persons working for the foundation. What are those salaries.

Could Google or some other entity at some stage acquire the rights or assets of the foundation. If not, what are the legal protections against that scenario.

Are the individual and corporate donations anonymous. How can we be assured that the donors have no direct or indirect influence over the hiring decisions or operations of the foundation.

Re: eOS DeGoogled Privacy Smartphone in the US Review

#22

Post by ThePowerOfFuet »

>Weather Underground - app works well. There are major privacy concerns with this but I don’t care because I’m a weather junkie.

Reading these words from the author of this review of a privacy-specific smartphone destroys the author's credibility.

Re: eOS DeGoogled Privacy Smartphone in the US Review

#23

Post by john61 »

Animats wrote: post #19
hombre_fatal wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not if “degoogling” is the purpose.

It's like, having escaped the walled garden, the user feels the need to be caged again.

you can very easily self host the server part. it is free software.

Re: eOS DeGoogled Privacy Smartphone in the US Review

#24

Post by 177tcca »

ForHackernews wrote: post #15
177tcca wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're not savvy at installing custom anything, and just want a setup that keeps the Android security model intact (unlike all of these LineageOS forks), check out GrapheneOS.org.

Most commercial apps will not run on GrapheneOS, because it doesn't provide alternative implementations of Play Services. https://github.com/GrapheneOS/os_issue_tracker/issues/204

Holy hell, the FUD.

YES THEY WILL — I wouldn't even say it's "many" or "some", anymore.

"Most" is just insulting.

Re: eOS DeGoogled Privacy Smartphone in the US Review

#25

Post by 177tcca »

ForHackernews wrote: post #15
177tcca wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're not savvy at installing custom anything, and just want a setup that keeps the Android security model intact (unlike all of these LineageOS forks), check out GrapheneOS.org.

Most commercial apps will not run on GrapheneOS, because it doesn't provide alternative implementations of Play Services. https://github.com/GrapheneOS/os_issue_tracker/issues/204

Also, there's great reasons for not providing an insecure/incomplete implementation of Google services (or destroying the Android security model with Lineage) which is discussed on GrapheneOS.org — if you're interested in learning more.

Re: eOS DeGoogled Privacy Smartphone in the US Review

#26

Post by hiq »

177tcca wrote: post #9
ForHackernews wrote: post #2

Worth noting that if you're savvy at flashing custom ROMs, you can install /e/OS (their preferred styling) on your own devices, too: https://e.foundation/get-started/ I've been using it on my old OnePlus for about a year now, and reasonably happy with it.

If you're not savvy at installing custom anything, and just want a setup that keeps the Android security model intact (unlike all of these LineageOS forks), check out GrapheneOS.org.

> want a setup that keeps the Android security model intact (unlike all of these LineageOS forks)

Can you expand on how LineageOS breaks the Android security model?

Re: eOS DeGoogled Privacy Smartphone in the US Review

#27

Post by ForHackernews »

177tcca wrote: post #24
ForHackernews wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most commercial apps will not run on GrapheneOS, because it doesn't provide alternative implementations of Play Services. https://github.com/GrapheneOS/os_issue_tracker/issues/204

Holy hell, the FUD. YES THEY WILL — I wouldn't even say it's "many" or "some", anymore. "Most" is just insulting.

You believe less than 51% of commercial Android apps on the app store use even one single Google Play Service? No push alerts, maps, ads, etc.

Re: eOS DeGoogled Privacy Smartphone in the US Review

#28

Post by jqpabc123 »

djrogers wrote: post #3

I'm having a hard time understanding how "de-googling" and Android phone fixes this issue: > Privacy - smartphones and their apps reporting where you are at, what you are doing, what you are looking for to third parties like Google and it’s advertising network. Specifically the second part - their apps. Does e-os do something to prevent 3rd party apps from requiring extraneous permissions, or using those permissions…

All of the creepy stuff has always been in the apps, and I don't see how this changes that.

Not all of it. Google embeds a lot of creepy into Android itself, including AOSP.

But apps are a legitimate concern with an easy, sensible solution --- don't install creepy apps.

eOS offers an alternative app store with non-creepy apps.

FDroid is another popular alternative store with only open source apps.

Some things are not available on these alternative stores. For these, I use Aurora store (load the client from FDroid) which lets me install just about anything from the Google Play store without a Google login and I can see how creepy an app is before I install it. They scan apps for trackers and show the results.

Finally, if all else fails, I can't find a suitable alternative and I really, really want a particular creepy app, I use an old phone (Moto G4 Play running eOS) with no personal info stored in it. About the only thing I have found that falls into this category is some banking and payment apps.

Bottom line: Non-creepy apps are available if you take the time to look for them. One of my personal favorites is TwinMe --- peer to peer video and messaging with no personal info required. Actually works better than the creepy stuff and my iOS friends like it too .

Re: eOS DeGoogled Privacy Smartphone in the US Review

#29

Post by jqpabc123 »

nobodywasishere wrote: post #16
Mediterraneo10 wrote: post #13

How are these phones with regard to an unlocked bootloader and passing Safety Net? Online banking apps refuse to launch on some de-Googled Android versions, on the grounds that the device is now supposedly insecure. The new COVID vaccine passports, which several governments have announced will exist only as an Android/iOS app producing limited-time QR codes (because paper certificates are too easily forged), might ha…

It's not going to pass SafetyNet without workarounds using Magisk Hide.

In my experience, it's not going to pass SafetyNet with Magisk Hide either. As far as I can tell, Magisk is of little practical value any more.

Re: eOS DeGoogled Privacy Smartphone in the US Review

#30

Post by jqpabc123 »

Karsteski wrote: post #10
177tcca wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're not savvy at installing custom anything, and just want a setup that keeps the Android security model intact (unlike all of these LineageOS forks), check out GrapheneOS.org.

Alternatively, CalyxOS is also a great choice. I've been using it on my Pixel 3 for a few weeks now and it's seamless

It may be great but I haven't tried it because the hardware support is really restricted, much more so than eOS.
Post reply on HN