Welcome! This is a community for all those who are interested in protecting their privacy.
PS: Don't be a smartass and try to game the system, we'll know if you're breaking the rules when we see it!
Some of these are only vaguely related, but great communities.
Well, honestly what do people expect if they give apps access to that information without having the app provide a reasonable justification as to why it needs that information?
Edit: Not saying the people are the root cause, the apps that take advantage of them are assholes, but people should be more stringent on the information they provide
Unfortunately most people (even technical people) don't think that hard, or can't be bothered.
I said this as early as 2010, and my technical peers (I'm in IT) called me paranoid.
Yeah that's unfortunately true.
What most people tell me when I try to advise them is:
"I've been doing it this way for years. So if what I'm doing is wrong then companies already have my data and it's pointless to change. And if the companies don't have my data already, then what I'm doing is fine and it's pointless to change."
Edited for clarity
I had it today, I was with a friend and they got a notification "Hey! Youre quite close to us, come and have some food!". I shudder to think the picture that is painted just by being in proximity to people that have zero regard for their data.
Google did that to me a few years back when I went to a coffee shop. And that's how I began my journey towards calyx/lineage. (For privacy - had used lineage for long term support before)
Graphene OS / no Google account / no sim / perma airplane mode here
I also try to only install FOSS software and keep it minimal
How do you make phone calls / use the internet away from home with no SIM?
I don't, I use public WiFi and plan more. I use open street maps offline and have music etc. Saved locally
It seemed daunting at first but now it's just a way of life for me
I used to live like that but once I had a data plan I never went back... It's addictive.
Yeah I consider getting a silent.link esim paid with monero every now and then but I feel a lot better leaving it in perma airplane mode and not interacting with cell towers/stingrays at all.
I could buy a sim with cash as well but if I wanted to maintain opsec I'd have to travel to another city every time I turn it on and that's too much work for me atm