Your Cell Phone Setup -- What Do You Do to Maintain Some Semblance of Privacy?
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Using a cell phone means ceding privacy. What do you do to minimize this while still keeping in touch with friends and family?
I just acquired a Moto G 2014 running Cyanogenmod 13. Replicant doesn't seem like a much better alternative to me because the boards that it runs on are still fatally flawed. I don't have a mobile carrier. My best friend has a similar setup and is also a free software proponent who values his freedom and privacy. We can use Ring or some other end-to-end encryption setup to communicate with each other but I am looking for ways to call and text friends and family who don't care about securing their privacy without downloading a bunch of proprietary garbage.
My friend uses Multirom and has two installations of Cyanogenmod on his phone. The first one doesn't have any proprietary software and the second has Googleplay so he can use GrooveIP or something to call and text regular pstn phones. Everything is routed through Orbot on the first install. He actually has the antenna disconnected and monitors the phone with a few apps to make sure it doesn't communicate with any towers.
Neither of us is happy about the proprietary texting app or using anything to do with Google. I have been looking at SIP providers but that's a mess. I've spent the better part of two days trying to find the best solution for making a WiFi only phone that respects my freedom and privacy as much as a phone possibly can. I am willing to pay a small amount per month but the world of SIP is confusing and there are so many poorly documented services that keep me hesitating.
What is your setup? What apps, SIP providers, etc. do you use?
Have any of you tried making a phone out of a Cubieboard or a Beaglebone?
I am a translator!
> Cell Phone Setup -- What Do You Do to Maintain Some Semblance of Privacy?
If by Cell Phone you mean a smart one then don't owe one.
As far as the old dumb nokia I do owe I use it only when I need it. I never liked phones too much, I prefer the old school (pic related).
I would prefer not to have a phone at all, even a dumbphone that still locates me. But I'll use something WiFi only to keep up with friends several states away. It looks like I'm going to have to use a service that communicates with Google's protocols until I can find a better SIP to PSTN provider although I'll at least make Google think I'm somewhere else with Tor.
For my friends who care about privacy I'll use something better.
I gave mine away over a year ago. I’d like to use one running Replicant, but for me a mobile device without wifi isn’t worth buying.
But the ones of relatives and friends laying around made me thinking about the dangers these devices pose for ‘passive’ users. I heard about bags working like a faraday cage, but this won't stop the thing saving everything and sending it away later.
Do you know about anything like a box for mobile phones making them numskull and blind?
Sometimes you can remove the microphones and cameras. If you want to call you can use an external mic. Might be your best option.
So I downloaded the OpenGApps and found a proprietary app that lets me call and text for free. I can firewall it when not in use. It's the best I can do for now. I have everything Google related blocked by firewall. This is my friend's setup as well and he told me the texting app gets fussy when it thinks Google's services aren't installed but it still works when they're firewalled and when I'm not signed into any Google services. I hope Google is neutralized but I'm not too sure. If I can find a better SIP service that will let me call and text to PSTN phones then I will gladly move over to that.
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