Google Data Collection research

https://digitalcontentnext.org/blog/2018/08/21/google-data-collection-research


#reasons #why #gapps #malware #spyware

📱 WebApps
(Sandbox for webapps)
https://f-droid.org/app/com.tobykurien.webapps

Provide a secure way to browse popular webapps by eliminating referrers, 3rd party requests, cookies, cross-site scripting, etc.

It accomplishes this by providing a sandbox for multiple webapps (like Google's apps, Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Each webapp will run in it's own sandbox, with 3rd party requests (images, scripts, iframes, etc.) blocked, and all external links opening in an external default web browser (which should have cookies, plugins, flash, etc. disabled).

By default, all HTTP requests are blocked (only HTTPS allowed). This improves security, especially on untrusted networks. The app can also handle HTTPS links and open them in their own sandbox.

Based on GApps Browser.


📱 GApps Browser
(Sandbox for web apps)
https://f-droid.org/app/com.tobykurien.google_news

This app started out as a way to view Google News on the author's phone but now encompasses Google+, Google Maps etc. The idea is to be able to access the Google web apps without having to log into Google on your browser, so that you can browse privately. It is a good way to access the Google webapps if you have an AOSP-based ROM and reject the proprietary GApps. Also the webapps are less bandwidth and battery-hungry than their native counterparts.

Links to external sites (such as news articles, etc.) will be opened in a regular browser, thus keeping the Google authentication sandboxed in the app


📡 @NoGoolag
#gapps #webapps

/d/gapps

Delete/disable GApps

https://f-droid.org/app/org.droidtr.deletegapps

This application is used to delete or disable gapps. It uses a regex to find GApps package

- pm disable xxx (xxx is a package name that is found by the application)

or

- rm -rf xxx (xxx is a path name that is found by the application)

It requires root to work.

Don't delete GApps on touchwiz (or similar) stock rom or your device might not boot afterwards. You should try to disable GApps instead!

To re-enable GApps, go to the *Settings › Apps* menu, and chose "restore apps preferences". If you want to reinstall GApps, you should use the OpenGApps zip or GApps installer (third party apps).

Sources:
https://gitlab.com/parduscix/disable-delete-gapps


📡 @NoGoolag
#dgapps #delete #disable #debloat #gapps

A way to programmatically disable the "Find my device" in gapps from being a device administrator

The trick is to disable gms - which clears device admin status, and then enable it again:

pm disable-user com.google.android.gms
pm enable com.google.android.gms

I know most of you don't have GApps at all on board, but still it might be useful to know.
Best is, to run the script at boot, with a delay - in order to kick in only after "Find my device" was reactivated and kill it for good.

#!/system/bin/sh

(
sleep 60
pm disable-user com.google.android.gms
pm enable com.google.android.gms
) &

Commands are in a backgrounded subshell in order not to delay boot.
Best way would be, to put it in your init.d, or execute it from Kernel Adiutor, or with Magisk boot hooks and put it in /data/adb/post-fs-data.d/.

Source, last (unvoted!) comment here:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13911444/disable-deviceadmin-from-shell


📡 @NoGoolag
#find #findmydevice #disable #device #administrator #google #gms #script #shell #gapps

/d/gapps

Delete/disable GApps and other bloatwares

It uses a regex to find GApps package
- pm disable xxx (xxx is a package name that is found by the application)
or
- rm -rf xxx (xxx is a path name that is found by the application)

It requires root to work.

Don't delete GApps on touchwiz (or similar) stock rom or your device might not boot afterwards. You should try to disable GApps instead!

To re-enable GApps, go to the *Settings › Apps* menu, and chose "restore apps preferences". If you want to reinstall GApps, you should use the OpenGApps zip or GApps installer (third party apps).

Install:
https://f-droid.org/app/org.droidtr.deletegapps

Group:
t.me/antiGapps

Channel:
https://t.me/joinchat/AAAAAFHu1UPpeWNFHm8Qgw

Sources:
https://gitlab.com/parduscix/disable-delete-gapps


📡 @NoGoolag 📡 @Libreware
#dgapps #gapps #debloat #disable #bloatware

Explanation about gapps spyware from comments here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/d8c9pv/i_used_to_be_a_skeptic_but_now_im_almost_certain

On Android, Play Services is a multi-app layer of APIs for all sorts of functionalities. Apps that have Play Services built into their framework communicate with GPServices and GSF pretty much all the time. One immediately noticeable function of this are C2D messages, or GCM. This is how you get seamless notifications on these sorts of apps.

Now, GPServices is also the spyware hub on stock Android. On SDK 21, it demands at least 269 permissions. On Marshmallow devices onwards, you can pretend to grant or deny user permissions for apps. You can't do this to GPServices, though.

There's a framework that apps use to communicate with GPServices. I think it's called Shared Preferences. If, for example, you deny IG of the Record Audio permission, GPServices still listens to everything you say, as well as ambient sound. Keywords, keyphrases, and "sound bites" are noted and parsed.

IG can and will request this data locally, then process it properly utilizing its many analytics build tools. It's then sent to as many Facecrook servers as stated in the intent. Of course, this happens in a matter of seconds.

This is assuming you denied IG of the RA permission in the first place. If you didn't....

The other thing you want to consider, actually the culprit here, is your camera. The process is similar to that of your microphone that I described above.

This is just a reminder that GPServices has constant access to your device's cameras and microphone, and it is ALWAYS recording. Even if you deny permissions for some spyware apps, they have other ways to surveil.

This is why there is a VERY NOTICEABLE difference in one's battery life the moment GPServices (and GSF) is completely removed from a device (the ultimate step in degoogling an Android device).

A smart person knows the importance of removing the cameras and microphone. You either wisen up, or let them keep telling you these events are "just coincidences".


#gapps #why #spyware #permissions #mic

Google location data tracking saw innocent cyclist become key suspect in burglary

https://9to5google.com/2020/03/09/google-location-data-cyclist-burglary

https://fossbytes.com/how-google-turned-innocent-biker-into-thievery-suspect


#google #location #tracking #gapps #why #suspect #burglary #nothingtohide

Tutorial to have Google Classroom app run with microG

Goolag classroom for Android will work if you backup and restore the app data from a rom with gapps to a rom with microg

If you already have microg installed you can try this way:
- Remove microG if you have it
- Install a weebGapps magisk zip. Get one that suits your device from @WeebGAppsChannel (look out for the magisk tag!)
- Install Google Classroom and login with your account
- remove the WeebGapps Magisk zip (with Magisk Manager)
- Install microG again
- In Settings > Accounts, add your Google account (with microG)
- Done!

In other words:
Install GApps, login to Classroom, remove GApps, success


@NoGoolag
#classroom #google #gapps #fix #trick

Google and Apple have conspired to install tracking spyware into your smartphones with the coronavirus excuse in a mandatory update

https://9to5google.com/2020/04/13/android-contact-tracing-google-play-services/

Here are some ways to avoid it:

1 Don't use Apple, it's a closed source tyranny, destroy them

2 Get devices like #pinephone, #librem or other non Android #phones instead

3 If you have an Android, be sure you can unlock the bootloader to be able to install a clean operating system (rom) free from Google spyware (without gapps).
Search on the internet your phone model + unlock bootloader.
Then install a recovery like twrp and from it a rom without gapps

4 Check out these instructions for Android if you don't have unlocked bootloader or root:
https://old.reddit.com/r/privatelife/comments/g13tyz


📡 @NoGoolag
#google #apple #gapps #mandatory #update #tracking #spyware #why

Plexus

https://plexus.techlore.tech

Remove the fear of Android app compatibility 
on de-Googled devices

Plexus is a crowdsourced project that relies on the community. You can contribute here: https://github.com/techlore-official/plexus


#plexus #alternatives #degoogle #gapps

Sandboxed Google Play #gapps

#GrapheneOS has a compatibility layer providing the option to install and use the official releases of #Google #Playstore in the standard app #sandbox. Google Play receives absolutely no special access or privileges on GrapheneOS as opposed to bypassing the app sandbox and receiving a massive amount of highly privileged access. Instead, the compatibility layer teaches it how to work within the full app sandbox. It also isn't used as a backend for the OS services as it would be elsewhere since GrapheneOS doesn't use Google Play even when it's installed.
Since the Google Play apps are simply regular apps on GrapheneOS, you install them within a specific user or work profile and they're only available within that profile. Only apps within the same profile can use it and they need to explicitly choose to use it. It works the same way as any other app and has no special capabilities. As with any other app, it can't access data of other apps and requires explicit user consent to gain access to profile data or the standard permissions. Apps within the same profile can communicate with mutual consent and it's no different for sandboxed Google Play.
Sandboxed Google Play is close to being fully functional and provides near complete compatibility with the app ecosystem depending on Google Play. Only a small subset of privileged functionality which we haven't yet ported to different approaches with our compatibility layer is unavailable. Some functionality is inherently privileged and can't be provided as part of the compatibility layer.
The vast majority of Play services functionality works perfectly including dynamically downloaded / updated modules (dynamite modules) and functionality provided by modular app components such as Google Play Games. By default, location requests are rerouted to a reimplementation of the Play geolocation service provided by GrapheneOS. You can disable rerouting and use the standard Play services geolocation service instead if you want the Google network location service and related features.
Our compatibility layer includes full support for the Play Store. Play Store services are fully available including in-app purchases, Play Asset Delivery, Play Feature Delivery and app / content license checks. It can install, update and uninstall apps with the standard approach requiring that the user authorizes it as an app source and consents to each action. It will use the standard Android 12+ unattended update feature to do automatic updates for apps where it was the last installer.

https://grapheneos.org/usage#sandboxed-google-play

https://youtu.be/SZ0PKtiXTSs