[JohnFen]

> It really made me want to just exit this whole smartphone shitfest

Yes, this is why I've decided to bail on the smartphone nonsense as well.

To make the problem worse, it isn't just Google you need to protect yourself from. You also need to protect yourself from the vast majority of apps that are out there as well.

It's become an intractable security nightmare, and I no longer consider smartphones as fit for purpose.