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Google has been trying to make Android proprietary for a few years now, and that's not news, as many AOSP default apps have been abandoned over time in favor of proprietary Google ones. This was never a huge problem for me, as you can still use those apps without network access or use open source alternatives like Fossify on a custom ROM.

However, the situation is quickly getting worse, now that Google is actively trying to prevent the development of custom ROMs and taking a page from Apple's book by forcing developers to beg them for permission to release apps on the Android platform, even outside of the Play Store - giving Google full control.

Is there still any hope left for privacy respecting Android ROMs? What do you think will happen next? And what would be your suggestions for those looking for a phone in 2025?

If you have a different perspective on the situation, also please comment below!

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[-] WhatGodIsMadeOf@feddit.org 7 points 22 hours ago

There's no hope for privacy at all as long as American and the 5 eyes exist.

[-] angband@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

I was thinking this. With advances in text recognition, they can potentially filter all that data now. Since five eyes is essentially for industrial espionage, google first requiring access to source code to ensure compatibility, and that you can't really turn off chrome web page sniffing (I have found the disabled chrome app still running, with "force stop" available,) all this makes more sense than the little bit they'd squeeze out of ad revenue chasing people who avoid chrome and google assistant. After all, it isn't bad actors or people who already buy from google they are spending so much effort on - it is the tech competent.

this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2025
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