[rjzzleep]

How is that going to help you? Googles recent android version are also making sure you can't change the default camera app for in app photos. So you'd have to run a bunch of third party apps in conjunction.

It's possible, just really inconvenient. Except for the "few" people running their custom rom android phones.

[TheGirondin]

So anyone who is acting nefariously can circumvent with bit of work, and the rest of us are subject to another vector of mass surveillance.

[laurowyn]

So roll back to a previous version and start there. Android is open source. No reason a community couldn't fork it, maintain it and do what they want with it.

Jailbreaking is also a thing. Modifying the OS enough to break through vendor imposed restrictions. Why is that implausible for this example?

I'm not saying it's easy. There are certainly limitations due to the secure boot process of Android devices. But what if there was a way to change the root keys? Then it's an open game. Black market for devices with modified keys, unique per device, sign the image loaded on them to ensure the same level of security, and then load whatever you want.

This idea that our corporate overlords define what we are able to do is the only thing stopping us from proving otherwise. If someone says something is impossible, you ask for proof, question them, check their work. You don't accept and move on. This is a foundation of security research - any business claiming their product is "hack proof" is just asking to be hacked. Same goes here - if the vendor says you're not allowed to do something, you find a way around it.