New ask Hacker News story: To see Google track you in real time, disable Play Services
To see Google track you in real time, disable Play Services
93 by mimixco | 27 comments on Hacker News.
In an attempt to de-Google my life, I recently disabled Play Services. Now, my Pixel 2 XL complains every time it can't "phone home." Google wants to contact Play Services (itself a rootkit) every time you receive a call. You'll see the notification/complaint several seconds before the phone rings. While driving with Maps, Google attempts to track you each time you enter a destination or cancel one as well as at regular intervals during your drive. Play Services also tries to track me at random times for no reason when I'm not using the phone. It tries to track you while listening to voicemail and the notification/complaint stops the voicemail playback every few seconds when it can't. But perhaps the worst offense is that it tracks you as you scroll through your contacts. God help if you look up a phone number because, every few seconds as you scroll through your contact list, Play Services attempts to report it to Google. I find this behavior reprehensible and I'm sorely looking forward to getting a Puri.sm or /e/ device. Just for fun, try it for yourself by disabling the Play Services app and see how often Google is spying on you.
93 by mimixco | 27 comments on Hacker News.
In an attempt to de-Google my life, I recently disabled Play Services. Now, my Pixel 2 XL complains every time it can't "phone home." Google wants to contact Play Services (itself a rootkit) every time you receive a call. You'll see the notification/complaint several seconds before the phone rings. While driving with Maps, Google attempts to track you each time you enter a destination or cancel one as well as at regular intervals during your drive. Play Services also tries to track me at random times for no reason when I'm not using the phone. It tries to track you while listening to voicemail and the notification/complaint stops the voicemail playback every few seconds when it can't. But perhaps the worst offense is that it tracks you as you scroll through your contacts. God help if you look up a phone number because, every few seconds as you scroll through your contact list, Play Services attempts to report it to Google. I find this behavior reprehensible and I'm sorely looking forward to getting a Puri.sm or /e/ device. Just for fun, try it for yourself by disabling the Play Services app and see how often Google is spying on you.
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