this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2025
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(page 2) 30 comments
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[–] planish@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (25 children)

The article seems to go directly from "this piece of software talks to all the sensors and isn't well sandboxed" to "Google has directed this software to profile and surveil users" without actually providing evidence to support that leap. Is Google Play Services sampling your location so that it can send it in to Google HQ as part of a secret location tracking operation that runs without user consent or knowledge, or so that it can detect if the device has been stolen by the cops and use its proprietary ML model to activate anti-theft mode to protect the user's privacy?

If we can actually show mismanagement of user data by Google Play Services, we need to shout it to the hills, because those sorts of scandals are important arguments for increased privacy protections. But we need to actually find that mismanagement occurring, not just assume it must be because Google wrote the code and it isn't open source.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Part of the problem with this stuff is that the corporations using it are very hush-hush about what exactly they use it for. The privacy policy just lists what they may collect (everything) and what they may use it for (anything).

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

And the very few valid reasons for data collection are drowned in this. You consent to either all or nothing. Some consent that is.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 1 points 1 day ago

I was more wanting to point out that it is reasonable that the article wouldn't go into extreme depth

[–] majster@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago (3 children)

When you open the maps indoor you get immedieate location. This is not from GPS but from Wifi and cell tower data. This is only possible because your phone constatly transmits your location and network data. You can also call it surveilance because its 24/7 logging and processing of your location data.

does not happen to me, probably because i keep mobile data off and in the developer settings there is a keep mobile data always option that is enabled by default, for "fast network switching", I disable it and beyond that I disable google playservices and all google related or adjacent apps that cant be uninstalled from my oem rom

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[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Is Google Play Services sampling your location so that it can send it in to Google HQ as part of a secret location tracking operation that runs without user consent or knowledge, or so that it can detect if the device has been stolen by the cops and use its proprietary ML model to activate anti-theft mode to protect the user’s privacy?

They're the same picture.

If we can actually show mismanagement of user data by Google Play Services, we need to shout it to the hills

We can, and many have been for many years.

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[–] merde@sh.itjust.works 23 points 1 day ago (3 children)

easiest way to stop that ☞

pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.gsf
pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.ims
pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.vending
[–] Eagle0110@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Are these the only packages Google uses for this purpose?

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[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

This is a good tip, but what will stop working or start acting up and is this guaranteed to survive reboots, upgrades?

[–] merde@sh.itjust.works 1 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

yes, it reboots without play services. You may need to execute the code again after an update (when not only disabled bloat is reinstalled but often new bloatware too is pushed without your consent)

the other comment above mine covers your other questions

[–] protogen420@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 23 hours ago

from my experience none of my apps broke, only get some annoying please enable google play services notifications from whatsapp, and embed google maps also breaks, suprisingly my bank app works fine, havent had any issues beyond this, survives reboots but I havent tried updates as my phone doesnt receive those anymore and the rom scene for my model is non existent

[–] Sarothazrom@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Doing this Bricked my phone.

[–] Eagle0110@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Skill issue

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[–] suff@piefed.social 3 points 1 day ago

Trade paranoia against backdoored custom roms? Hm... 🤔

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