Re: Was Google Location Accuracy (now is How to Spoof Wi-Fi Location)

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:
 

Unless Google is changing the high accuracy setting to enabled

 
That is indeed what google did on 16/10/2024 (the day Android 15 was
released on Pixels).
 
They enabled it, and left a notification on-screen that they had done
so, this wasn't only on my Pixel8a phone which got the upgrade, but also
my Huawei tablet (which hasn't been upgraded in years, thanks to the US
trade blacklist).

That definitely sucks, and is rude.  Close to malicious, or very
insensitive.  I've never been hit with malware, but this action seems
like we need something to watch for changes by Google via Play Store
services.  Seems we need an Anti-Google PUA (Probably Unwanted Action)
app that monitors the settings to either enforce them back to a recorded
state saved in the monitor app, or to force a popup to prompt the user
on every setting change, and not allow or revert the setting if the user
responds No.  That could be a ton of prompts for app, OS, and service
updates making the user spend more time on prompts than in using their
phone.  Too much security interferes with usability.

I suspect such an app wouldn't work unless running on a rooted phone
which pretty much knocks out 99.9% of Android users.  I doubt Apple is
any better.  There are a LOT of Android settings, in addition to those
for the apps, so even with such an intervention prompt the user might
not understand what a pending change is attempting to do. 

There are services, and even an Android app, and problem Windows/Linux
programs to monitor web site to detect changes.  Looks like we need a
change detection app for Android itself.

Would a de-Googled smartphone be any better regarding secured settings
despite updates?  That means no Play Store, and no Play Services.  Not
many users will root their phones.  Even less with play with custom
ROMs that can brick their phones.  You read horror stories about the
attempts, like:

https://www.tomsguide.com/features/i-tried-de-googled-android-again-heres-how-that-went

I haven't much dug into what all you get at https://de-googled.com/,
because I'm not as paranoid about privacy as some others.  I sometimes
use cash, but not to prevent tracking where I've been, what I buy, and
from whom when using credit/debit cards.  I'm not trying to disappear
off the grid.  Somehow detecting I was at Starbucks using my phone seems
no more a privacy invasion than everyone outside that that saw me enter
there, everyone inside the store that saw me there, and any security
cameras in the parking lot, and inside the store recording my presence
either near or in the store.