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codedokode 4 hours ago

That's why you should be downloading from F-Droid anonymously.

tencentshill 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Any device with Google services installed has all apps scanned at least once per day.

>Real-time protections for non-Play installs Google Play Protect offers protection for apps that are installed from sources outside of Google Play. When a user tries to install an app, Play Protect conducts a real-time check of the app against known harmful or malicious samples that Google Play Protect has cataloged.

https://developers.google.com/android/play-protect/client-pr...

They will also go further for apks with novel signatures - take a copy, upload it to google to decompile and scan, and then if you have their express permission, allow you to install it.

gruez 3 hours ago | parent [-]

>Any device with Google services installed has all apps scanned at least once per day.

You can turn it off, so it's not "any". At best it's "most".

tylerchilds 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Also I daily drive graphene and that has no Google play services

bornfreddy 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Unless you want push notifications.

nabakin 13 minutes ago | parent [-]

Then you can sandbox

password4321 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

99% sure Google would still know the app was run associated with other identifiers, but probably won't be turned over with the list of users downloading from the Play Store.

EvanAnderson 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

For sure. Another demonstration of why "side loading" software is better.

logicchains 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

That's why F-Droid eventually won't work on new Android phones.

nathanmills 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

No, it will continue to work just fine. The restrictions are being added to Google Play Services, not Android itself. I and many others do not run closed source software like Google Play Services on our devices.

xp84 2 hours ago | parent [-]

And how long do you think that window will remain open? I expect anyone not running a closed system (hardware attestation) is going to not only be locked out of things like banking apps, government apps, etc., but also if Google has its way, you’ll be prevented from accessing those things on the web as well, maybe even from your desktop. We just saw that story a few days ago with them replacing CAPTCHA tech with “prove you have an unmodified locked-down Google or Apple phone.”

Clearly there is a single driving agenda, which Google and the government are largely in harmony on, to try to approach 100% real-identity-tying to every activity done online.

Where once, “online” meant generally greater anonymity than “IRL” activities, since most things could be signed up for with an arbitrary throwaway email address and no proof of identity. It is now or shortly will be the opposite.

nathanmills 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Forever, honestly. I don't see things actually becoming as closed as you predict. I will avoid banks that require me to do any of that (I already don't use any that report to credit agencies, avoiding ones that don't work on the web browser is much easier). There is about 1 site I use that uses the google captcha and that is archive.today, I will swiftly stop using it if I can't use it with open software, and I doubt they would keep it around in that case anyway.

VLM 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

We're going to have two phones, the big brother phone you usually leave at home for banking apps and tax filing and boring stuff like that, locked down and nanny up, and the "real phone" from aliexpress or whatever that is purchased rooted and you actually live your real life upon.

I would not be surprised to see double sided phone cases so we can carry our big brother phone with our real phone.

There is some prior art in people being forced to carry a "work phone" and a "personal phone" at the same time.

There will be strange product marketing effects. If you only carry one phone, you can currently talk people into spending over $1K on a high tier big brother phone. But if you only use a big brother phone for bank apps and only at home, a $1K phone from Apple or Samsung is a hard sell, I'd be more likely to spend $1K on a really nice anti big brother phone on ali express or whatever.

Denatonium 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Some of us are already doing this. My main phone is a Google Pixel 8 running LineageOS 23.2 with F-Droid, microG, and Aurora Store installed.

For things requiring Play Integrity, I picked up a $20 burner carrier-locked Motorola phone at Walmart for $30. It's WiFi-only, given that I'm never going to pay for service on it, but I can also tether it to my main phone. It's also useful for writing one-star reviews on apps that require Play Integrity to function, which is something everyone should be doing.

ashirviskas 2 hours ago | parent [-]

>For things requiring Play Integrity, I picked up a $20 burner carrier-locked Motorola phone at Walmart for $30.`

So it's a $30 burner phone, not $20?

bornfreddy 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Doesn't matter, it's still just $40.

red-iron-pine 37 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

this is basically what I do now.

gmail and a "work-ish" phone. official stuff like DMV or banks use this. my work requires MFA and auth apps and they live here too. no SIM card and mostly lives at my desk.

my main phone for doin stuff is a different phone with a custom ROM and nothin but f-droid.

gruez 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

>and the "real phone" from aliexpress or whatever that is purchased rooted and you actually live your real life upon.

Ironically the phones with best third party rom support are google pixels. Good luck getting lineageos support or even unlocked bootloader on a random aliexpress phone. You might be able to sideload without restriction, but the ROM is probably gimped, won't receive updates, and has random privileged apps possibly spying on you.

bigyabai 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It works right now, though.