this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2023
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Piracy: ꜱᴀɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʜɪɢʜ ꜱᴇᴀꜱ

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

How can it do that?

And won't people just use piracy websites?

And Google already scans users phones and deletes apps?

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 year ago (1 children)

it's an emergency function that google silently introduced in all phones years ago. Theoretically it should be used if an app is widespread malware

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

What do I need to uninstall to disable this 'feature'?

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Disable "Play Protect" in your phone's Security settings

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago

That's the only component? If so, CalyxOS, GrapheneOS, LineageOS, and similar would be protected against this, since they have neither Play Services nor Play Protect. Am I correct in my understanding?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is there any evidence that this will really remove Google's ability to (a) see what's on your phone, and (b) delete whatever they want?

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago

No, because they can always push anything over Play Services updates. But right now it does disable it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

What about Think Shield? Found that next to Play protect in security settings

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

No, since on GrapheneOS Google Play Store/Services doesn't have permission to silently install/uninstall apps. They are sandboxed like any other app (i.e. F-Droid).

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Neat, thanks! Makes me even more grateful that I decided to switch.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Ugh, time to switch is coming... How to protect my android tv... Do i need to go back to media pc?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

This but unironicaly.

Sent from my Android phone

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

the only workaround is to install a custom ROM without google play and google services

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

That's overkill, with a rooted phone you can simply freeze (might be able to freeze it with ADB as well) or delete the Play store (it's the Play Store where this Malware lives). GMS and Account Manager will work just fine without the Play store.

Or, like the other person said you can just disable Play Protect.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Play Services. Replace with Aurora.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I just wish theu finalky fixed it, the rate limiting is really damn annoying by now! I started to sideload apps from apkpure and update them with Aurora to keep my anonymous user account but it can't take long till that's gone too I guess! :(

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Honestly, almost every third party store is better, if you can get rid of play services for it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well, Aurora is the only one and it's jalf broken and has a history of lacking development so the situation isn't great but I don't plan to ever get Play Services again ether

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The only open source one, yes. But since the Apps in the store are proprietary too, i just have both (in my case Aptoide) in Shelter with Tracker Control.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I trust Aptoide less than Google so I stick with the apkpure website as backup but thqt's a lot less convinient for sure!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The problem is that a lot of apps break without Play Services.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

All 10 proprietary apps i use don't, including Post, transportation, banking and Twint. Only thing that doesn't work is some ads in the 2 games i have. I don't know, maybe swiss companies are late in the enshitification game?