Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.
In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.
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(From South America)
About phones, same advice as monovergent, i use a separate phone for things that require google and another one for work. It's not ideal since they probably can correlate them, but it's the best compromise i found.
About ID, you are required to show it for most of the things you ask, which I think is reasonable. We don't have face id thankfully yet
(from United States)
(from France)
My phone is not rooted. I barely used it, like barely at all (I only have the required apps I need to access to, not a single app more), so I don't need to tweak it in any way.
I show my ID when I'm required to.
Sorry I cannot help you more than that.
(from USA)
Last time I used a clinic (stitches, not an overnight stay), they wanted to know who I am. But I did not have to show ID. It makes sense, they need to know who I am. They keep track of medications and things. It's been also true for routine vaccinations. They ask my name and age when I check in. And they want insurance info ofc. But never asked for an ID.
I have to show an ID to buy alcohol. But they do not copy or record it so I do not mind. The clerk simply looks at it to verify my age. Takes like 3 seconds. No copy is made. I'm cool with it.
I have to show ID to open a bank account. Two forms! And they do record it! That did not used to be true here. But now it is, KYC laws.
I have never used any form of face ID. Well not on purpose! Some stores may use FR outside my control. I've never used FR with a phone, I mean.
That did not used to be true here.
I've been researching the history of privacy. It seems World War I was the beginning of the adoption of identity documents (e.g. passports). Every time a major war happened, it got worse and worse.
How do you handle apps that refuse to run on rooted/jailbroken phones or on devices without Google Play Services? Can microG, Xposed, or other tools help in practice? (F*ck Play Integrity and “Google Play license check”). Can I bypass those restrictions without rooting?
The best thing you can do is leave feedback so that the developers fix it themselves. Rooting is not advised for security reasons.
Have you ever rooted your phone? Any practical advice for someone considering it? I don’t have a phone I know is compatible with alternative ROMs (e.g., LineageOS), so I’m leaning toward rooting and would appreciate recommendations or warnings.
No. I was fortunate enough to be able to flash GrapheneOS on a Google Pixel. You should know that you can debloat stock using something like Universal Android Debloater Next Generation. That provides more privacy without compromise to much of the security. Rooting gives you full control but is a major security regression because you have full control.
How often do you need to show ID where you live (hospitals, government offices, large transactions, etc.)? For example, in my country I always have to show ID (or use face ID) at places like hospitals or when making large transactions.
I've opted out of most institutions in the United States, but the most frequent times I show my ID are for employment, cashing paychecks, and any government-related things (e.g. obtaining a driver's license, opening a post office box, etc.)
How is eID implemented in your country? Does your government require or strongly encourage using eID apps? Are they widely adopted? (I know the EU’s planned age‑verification app is a form of eID—or not really. Real examples are Germany’s AusweisApp and Vietnam’s VNeID. Anyway, that age‑verification law should not exist).
eID hasn't been widely adopted here, at least not yet.
No. I was fortunate enough to be able to flash GrapheneOS on a Google Pixel. You should know that you can debloat stock using something like Universal Android Debloater Next Generation. That provides more privacy without compromise to much of the security. Rooting gives you full control but is a major security regression because you have full control.
Yeah, I do use Canta for bloatware removal, but there are some bloatware and system apps I can't remove.
The uncertain amount of privacy I can have with it, and my desire of bypassing Play Integrity and Google Play license check too, are why rooting is one of the options I'm considering.