Comment by ulrikrasmussen
12 hours ago
> Also, while we are at it, why can't I disable network access entirely for some apps?
This is possible in GrapheneOS and is super nice. I use a keyboard app that I like but disable network access to ensure that it doesn't send private data anywhere.
It's also possible in LineageOS and its derivatives.
But it's not very useful in practice: if an application doesn't need networking for its core functionality, then there usually is an open-source equivalent that does not use the network in the first place. The few applications that lack a good open-source equivalent (public transportation, proprietary messaging protocols, banking) don't do anything useful without network access.
Being able to block network access gives me peace of mind regardless if the app is proprietary or open source. Humans are fallible and life can get in the way (maybe the app has old dependecies with vulnerabilities, or any other random thing that I don't want). Being able to set the permissions I want only has upsides.