Google is all over our phones.
The amount of data that they’re collecting about us is astronomical, regardless of whether we’re using an iPhone or an Android. But why does it matter if Google knows so much about us?
First, that data is being siphoned up by governments: Not just the US government, but governments all over the world. While we’re probably not doing anything wrong, what is considered “normal” or “acceptable” today may not be tomorrow. Regimes come and go, culture changes, but that data is forever.
Second, carving out some privacy in our digital lives is important. Surveillance has dramatic effects on a society: We self-censor and conform when we know we’re being watched.
Luckily there are lots of ways that we can protect our data so that it’s not all collected and stored in a permanent record attached to our identity.
I went to a “de-google your phone” install party the other weekend, where we learnt how to install a new operating system on our phones that will better protect our privacy. We installed “GrapheneOS”, a privacy and security-enhancing phone operating system recommended by Snowden. We also downloaded some awesome google-alternative apps.
In this video I’ll teach you how to do this too.
00:00 Intro 02:29
What is GrapheneOS?
03:51 Install Tutorial
07:44 Alternative to Google apps
11:02 My takeaways
11:25 Purchasing a pre-installed
Graphene phone Difficulty level for this tutorial: 1.5/3
It is actually not that difficult to live a Google-free lifestyle, enjoying almost all the things you would normally do on your phone, without compromising your privacy. Huge thank you to members of Boston Zcash for their help organizing this de-googling installation party!
I’m considering offering phones on my website with graphene and all the core apps that I use preinstalled. Visit https://nbtv.media/essentialprivacy if interested in learning more! Find the install packages and instructions at https://grapheneos.org
Brought to you by NBTV members: Lee Rennie, Will Sandoval, Naomi Brockwell
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I really wan to do this because i hate Google, but I am scared of it hurting my phone. I cant work yet, so if i destroy my phone i cant just afford another one easily. How risky is this to try?