this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2023
64 points (93.2% liked)

Privacy

31850 readers
120 users here now

A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

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.

Some Rules

Related communities

Chat rooms

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Those three apps are often installed by default in the most of android systems. They can be easily removed with adb. But what they do exactly? What type of data they collect and send online?

top 22 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Before you remove it install tracker control from fdroid. And let us know if you find anything.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

I removed those apps in a old device and I find that they connect to Facebook very often, to send I don't know what.

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

What app are you referring to? I searched tracker control on fdroid but nothing came up.

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

Yeh its a bit of a pain searching. Here https://www.f-droid.org/en/packages/net.kollnig.missioncontrol.fdroid/

Or search DNS and look through apps until you see it

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Thanks, I got the app. Strangely enough, meta apps don't show on tc even with system apps enabled. Guess I'm just going to adb them.

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

Can you recommend one? I am using the one in duckduckgo and holy trackers batman

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

TrackerControl one word.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What kind of device are you having and have Facebook Services as system services?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Those are system apps in the OnePlus new devices but there are even in other devices like Xiaomi, Redmi, Oppo, Motorola and even some Samsung devices. You can remove those app with adb but I'm curious to know what they do exactly. In most devices they are hidden but you can see in your phone using AppManager from fdroid or using adb itself.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Facebook applications as system apps...oooofff...

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Uninstall the app and use the web version if that's an option for you?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

No it's not a Facebook frontend they are without graphical interface and they don't need of Facebook app to work. The problem is, what they do exactly? And why Facebook need to puts 3 apps in your device and not just one?

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

Most likely so that they can get more data.

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

Facebook Services is probably now Meta Services.

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

Damn

This would be an interesting reverse engineering problem, if someone pulled the APK files and analysed tyem to see the kind of shit they're inevitably up to.

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

U need universal android debloater it works via adb and u can delete apps temporarily until factory reset,u can also delete a lot other Chinese spyware like msa daemon which sending tons of data from your phone.https://github.com/0x192/universal-android-debloater And yeah this apps always come preinstalled with any xiaomi phone for Facebook surveillance :)

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

I know. You can also remove the apps only with adb, this is not the answer. The answer is what actually those apps do exactly?

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

Well it's require reverse engineer them,but knowing Facebook don't expect anything good.

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

I don't know what they exactly do, but meta services app is constantly trying to connect to Facebook. I've isolated it with rethinkDNS so it can't use internet connection.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

You can uninstall with adb

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

I'm not sure about the first

But as much as I hate Samsung and Facebook for doing this, I don't think they actually do anything.

They're basics place holder apps with version number set to a low number, so when you update all apps from play store these gets 'updated' and installs the functional app.

load more comments
view more: next ›