News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Google can use Bluetooth to track phones even with Bluetooth turned off (2018). Parent comment

Re:Google can use Bluetooth to track phones even with Blueto... by dmos62 on Monday April 13, 2020 @11:56AM (#22856923)
It's easy to hide these things behind It Just Works (tm). Give me a device that doesn't "just work". I want actual freedom in what my peripherals are doing.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Google can use Bluetooth to track phones even with Blueto... by Angostura on Monday April 13, 2020 @12:51PM (#22857480)
If you want actual freedom, you have to take time to look at all the menus.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Google can use Bluetooth to track phones even with Blueto... by pbhjpbhj on Monday April 13, 2020 @03:03PM (#22858909)
.. and construe terms in the worst possible double-speak way: purchase means rental, off means "spy on you mode", ...?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Google can use Bluetooth to track phones even with Blueto... by franga2000 on Tuesday April 14, 2020 @05:32AM (#22864096)
Except more and more options are being taken away by Google, so there's no menu (not even developer setting?!?) that could give you any sense of freedom back. For examples (not all privacy-related), see clipboard permissions, background usage rules, Firebase notifications, WiFi scanning...

The only way to get freedom back on Android is to either run a very old version (bad!) or undo all the bad changes in an AOSP fork (difficult).

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Google can use Bluetooth to track phones even with Blueto... by fsflover on Monday April 13, 2020 @02:08PM (#22858300)
You should consider Librem 5 phone.
[ Parent | on HN ]