Comment by dbtc

1 month ago

I haven't used android in a while, how is it different?

LineageOS[0] (and/or other non-Google OS)+F-Droid[1] (and/or other third-party app stores) allow you to avoid Google altogether. Which is nothing new.

Is that possible with IOS to avoid Apple? I think not.

[0] https://lineageos.org/

[1] https://f-droid.org/en/

Edit: Clarified my question as to what's possible with IOS.

  • Fair point. I am glad these projects exist in case I do actually want to avoid Apple at some point.

It's worse in every way, unless you're using a ROM, in which case it's worse in every way and your applications also refuse to start because Google's Remote Attestation service doesn't like you being free (despite Android technically having a better way to do attestation).

  • >your applications also refuse to start because Google's Remote Attestation service doesn't like you being free

    I've heard that from a number of folks on various forums, although I have not experienced that myself.

    No one has forced me to use such an app. Probably because I'd rather have my tonsils extracted through my ears than do anything financially related on my device.

    Perhaps I'm just curmudgeonly and set in my ways, or perhaps my 25+ years of professional infosec experience tells me that these devices (brand/version/OS is irrelevant) are hopelessly insecure and shouldn't be used for anything important.

    I'm guessing probably a bit of both.

    • I mean... Even Uber used to complain.

      That being said with the exception of Qubes desktop devices are dramatically less secure than Graphene, so unless you're foregoing digital payments altogether I don't see how you could avoid some degree of risk.

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