My Phone Is Anonymous Now

I needed to anonymize my phone. This how I did it.
Support independent research and analysis by joining my Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thehatedone

I can’t trust anyone with my data. When I use a phone with a Google Account or Apple ID, these companies are by default going to be collect unique hardware identifiers, my location information and app usage data without possibility to opt out.

If I want to use a phone I need to choose one that is going to allow me to use it completely anonymously and let me be in control of all of my data. I want to a phone that maintains Android’s security model and keeps the best security practices for security updates.

GrapheneOS has a far-reaching number of substantial improvements that altogether make up for the most secure mobile operating system for the end user.

Because I want to keep this device as anonymous as possible, I do not even insert a SIM card at all and use the phone as a WiFi-only device. To protect my IP address, I use Orbot to route my traffic through Tor.

Sources
[1a] https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/google-geofence-location-data-avondale-wrongful-arrest-molina-gaeta-11426374
[1b] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/13/us/google-location-tracking-police.html
[2]a https://www.abc15.com/news/region-west-valley/avondale/valley-man-suing-avondale-police-for-false-arrest
[2b] https://azcentral.com/story/news/local/southwest-valley/2019/07/31/jorge-luis-molina-says-avondale-police-used-google-data-wrongfully-arrest-him-murder-joe-knight/1873878001/
[3] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/08/nsa-boundless-informant-global-datamining
[5] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-tracking-cellphone-locations-worldwide-snowden-documents-show/2013/12/04/5492873a-5cf2-11e3-bc56-c6ca94801fac_story.html
[6] https://www.wired.com/story/geofence-warrants-google/
[7] https://www.fastcompany.com/90452990/this-unsettling-practice-turns-your-phone-into-a-tracking-device-for-the-government
[8] https://harvardlawreview.org/2021/05/geofence-warrants-and-the-fourth-amendment/
[9] https://transparencyreport.google.com/user-data/overview
[10] https://www.apple.com/legal/transparency/us.html
[11] https://www.apple.com/legal/transparency/
[12] https://apnews.com/828aefab64d4411bac257a07c1af0ecb/AP-Exclusive:-Google-tracks-your-movements,-like-it-or-not
[13] https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/apple-id/
[14] https://arxiv.org/pdf/1904.05572.pdf
[15] https://qz.com/1131515/google-collects-android-users-locations-even-when-location-services-are-disabled/
[16a] https://grapheneos.org/usage#sandboxed-google-play
[16b] https://source.android.com/
[17] https://grapheneos.org/features
[18] https://grapheneos.org/faq#supported-devices
[19] https://grapheneos.org/install
[20] https://grapheneos.org/features#privacy-by-default
[21] https://grapheneos.org/faq#hardware-identifiers
[22] https://source.android.com/devices/tech/config/device-identifiers
[23] https://tracki.com/pages/how-gps-tracker-works-and-cell-phone-tower-triangulation-accuracy
[24] https://theintercept.com/2015/02/19/great-sim-heist/
[25] https://grapheneos.org/features#wifi-privacy
[24] https://theintercept.com/2015/02/19/great-sim-heist/
[25] https://grapheneos.org/features#wifi-privacy
[26] https://guardianproject.info/apps/org.torproject.android/
[27] https://support.torproject.org/about/
[28] https://tb-manual.torproject.org/bridges/
[29] https://medium.com/supplyframe-hardware/bluetooth-indoor-positioning-and-asset-tracking-solutions-8c78cae0a03
[30] https://grapheneos.org/features#network-permission-toggle
[31] https://grapheneos.org/features#sensors-permission-toggle
[32] https://caslab.csl.yale.edu/publications/matyunin2018zeropermission.pdf [33] https://www.zdnet.com/article/hundreds-of-apps-are-using-ultrasonic-sounds-to-track-your-ad-habits/
[34] https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204053
[35] https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/27441?hl=en
[36] https://grapheneos.org/features#improved-user-profiles
[16] https://grapheneos.org/usage#sandboxed-google-play
[37] https://source.android.com/security/encryption/file-based
[38] https://grapheneos.org/faq#encryption
[39] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/03/technology/facebook-device-partners-users-friends-data.html
[40] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/technology/facebook-device-partnerships.html
[41a] https://www.reuters.com/article/google-apple-int/google-to-stop-using-apple-tool-to-track-iphone-users-avoiding-new-pop-up-warning-idUSKBN29W1VM
[41b] https://9to5google.com/2021/06/02/android-personalized-ads-opt-out/
[42] https://www.wsj.com/articles/you-give-apps-sensitive-personal-information-then-they-tell-facebook-11550851636
[43] https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/facebook-receives-personal-info-like-your-heart-rate-from-popular-apps/

Credits
Music by: White Bat Audio