| No, microG is definitely not talking to Google all the time, NetGuard would warn me if it did. https://www.kuketz-blog.de/e-datenschutzfreundlich-bedeutet-... When I tested /e/OS a few months back, I found the same. (which is easily done, as opposed to stopping Google Services in GrapheneOS) This is incorrect. By default, GrapheneOS does not even have Google Play Services, it is something you have to install explicitly through the GrapheneOS App Store. I can even survive the icons. What is the problem with the icons? Only their own icons are black/white. If you install other apps, they'll just have their standard icons. if GrapheneOS refuses to support an alternative to Google Play Services, I'm not too happy about it As I mentioned, you can use it without Play Services, it is not even installed by default. But if I have to choose between sandboxed Play Services or privileged microG which loads Google binary blobs into that privileged process (for SafetyNet), I will pick sandboxed Play any day. That's besides them doing many other weird things. Like their App Lounge does not install F-Droid apps directly from F-Droid, but through middle-man proxy that they do not want to reveal the owner of (cleanapk.org). That combined with Android's TOFU security model makes it a vector for rolling out backdoored applications or intentionally delaying app security updates. Either they are incompetent or they are malicious. If there are real problems with microG then I'm sure the authors would be interested in a better solution too. /e/OS does not use vanilla microG, but their own fork of it. |
We are talking about different threat models. I trust Google not to hack my phone, but I don't trust them not to spy on me. So yes, running a Google binary blob in privileged mode occasionally is preferred to running non-privileged Google binary blob all the time (otherwise push notifications do not work on GrapheneOS, IME).
I never used App Lounge but always F-Droid directly, or Aurora Store, so I can't comment on that.
But more importantly, you seem to confuse my rant against GrapheneOS not supporting MicroG as an endorsement of /e/OS. I know they have their set of problems, some of which you outlined. However if my goal is to limit communication of my device with Google as much as possible, then they (/LineageOS) still win. Which is a pity, I like GrapheneOS security focus otherwise, but my primary priority is degoogling my phone as much as possible (and no, it is not possible to do it completely without serious tradeoffs I am not willing to make).