For those unfamiliar, GrapheneOS is a privacy and security enhanced custom ROM endorsed by Snowden. Despite these big names, plenty of people give it backlash
Even @TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml gives it backlash despite being a moderator of Lemmy’s biggest privacy community. A quote here: “grapheneOS trolls are downvoting every single post and comment of mine, and committing vote manipulation on Lemmy. They are using 5-6 accounts.” That was in response to downvotes on a comment posted in the c/WorldNews community, which is entirely unrelated to technology.
One of the reasons is that GrapheneOS can only be installed on Google Pixels due to security compatibility, which makes complete sense considering Android should be most compatible with Google’s own devices. GrapheneOS even lists the exact reasons they chose Pixels, and encourage people to step up and manufacture a different supported device.
One year ago, Louis Rossmann posted this video outlining his reasons for deleting GrapheneOS. Mainly, he had multiple bad experiences with Daniel Micay (the founder and main developer of GrapheneOS) which put his distrust in the GrapheneOS project. Since then, he has stepped down and will no longer be actively contributing to the project.
So, I am here to learn why exactly people still do not like GrapheneOS.
I have spent 5 years documenting “security” people in FOSS/privacy communities. Maybe it is okay to consider hearing me, when I am the only one in the world to go to such lengths?
GrapheneOS is pure snake oil with a disgusting sole developer that believes in pushing corporate Big Tech propaganda, harassing and witch hunting any critics, having a little social media army with sockpuppets to do this, abuses mentally challenged by hiding behind “autism” label (Louis Rossmann has a nice video), falsely claims he was swatted without giving evidence or coverage in local Canadian media and blames everyone from redditors to community mods to YouTubers and so on.
I covered this disease for about 5 years, and it emanates from the same sewer that “security” clowns like Brad Spengler and madaidan do in Linux community. All they do is either push their bullshit solutions or push corporate Big Tech propaganda and hate any FOSS project they think will not worship them.
https://old.reddit.com/r/privatelife/comments/ug9qnc/writeup_criticism_of_rprivacyguides_grapheneos/
https://old.reddit.com/r/privatelife/comments/13teoo9/grapheneos_corporate_foss_loving_witch_hunting/
I have encountered discussions like this in the past, where people were curious why I was so harsh, adamant and angry about GrapheneOS. Feel free to explore the context comments for these discussions.
https://lemmy.ml/post/7297399/5417295
https://lemmy.ml/post/14007303/9938793
https://lemmy.ml/post/7297399/5445755
https://lemmy.ml/post/7297399/5411801
https://lemmy.ml/post/7795487/5705352
You can dig my history freely using Lemmy’s search tool and “GrapheneOS” keyword.
I will take the liberty of sharing how GrapheneOS is a fully orchestrated propaganda project. Go through this, this is important. https://imgur.com/a/fpcsIL2 Or how Micay (strcat) orders his minions to witch hunt and harass any critics on internet. https://i.imgur.com/nhepoMJ.jpg
What privacy oriented rom do you suggest?
Anyway happy cake day!
CalyxOS or LineageOS, if you really must use or have a Pixel. Put AFWall+ or Invizible Pro with a nice HOSTS ruleset like Hagezi, educate yourself a bit on permissions for apps, use Firefox with uBlock Origin similar settings to desktop, and have fun!
Getting privacy and solid security is not hard on Android. Android across the board on any mainstream brand is very secure, as they all follow AOSP bulletin guidelines for security patching. It’s the little mistakes user makes that become a problem. Remember PEBKAC rule.
Instead of Pixel, I suggest using common SoC hardware phones, and trying to limit “privacy” stuff you do on your phone in the first place. For that, use a Linux computer. Or if you want to dial up things (very niche), TailsOS. Do not make your phone the only computer, like most people are doing nowadays. Big mistake.
Thanks for the alternatives.
I’m currently using a used ('cause fuck Google, you’re not gettin my money) Pixel phone with GrapheneOS (since my Pinephone stopped turning on) with TrackerControl and InviZible Pro. Is nice having a real clean AOSP rom with privacy/security customization.
GrapheneOS also provide an indeed cool feature: a proxy for Android services provided by Google, like Attestation key provisioning, Widevine provisioning, SUPL and PSDS. Does CalyxOS and/or LineageOS provide something like this?
Thanks in advance.
Calyx does cover attestation key provisioning, Widevine support, and about SUPL, it says this.
No IMSI or phone number is fine. If you want to be so adamant about this, just use LineageOS that allows microG with a non Google location provider.
As for PSDS, its not really beneficial or needed. PSDS reduces GNSS power usage by reducing the time needed to get a lock.
Genuine question for you and I hope you don’t ban me again for asking an objective question.
Do CalyxOS or LineageOS (which doesn’t even allow you to lock the bootloader) have all these others security and privacy features?
Storage Scopes
Native Code Debugging
Hardened Memory Allocator
Pin Scrambling
Auto Reboot
Secure App Spawning
Bluetooth and Wifi Autodisconnect
MAC Address Randomization per connection
Sandboxed Google Play Services (I know Google is the devil and I know of Micro G but certain applications simply do not work without the actual Google Play Services installed, and having them sandboxed is significantly better than giving them privileged access)
These are just the few I can think of on top of my head. Because as far as I’m concerned, I originally had the same reaction after Rossman’s video and wanted to switch over to LineageOS (not Calyx because they’ve fallen as long as 4 months behind on security updates which is why Henry from Techlore stopped using Calyx even though he really likes the project), but GrapheneOS objectively is the most secure and hardened version of Android in my view. I would love to be proven wrong by actual evidence and not just a distrust in the OS because of the developers and their toxic community.
You are arguing in bad faith once again. You trolled, which was the reason you were banned. https://lemmy.ml/comment/11511659 If you repeat this behaviour and avoid admitting your erroneous ways, action will be taken. This is a final warning to stop baiting mods unnecessarily. I will answer your questions for this one time, even though you continue to repeatedly make bad faith claims about your temp ban. Any further questioning will be treated as debate pervert behaviour.
CalyxOS, yes. LineageOS, no. However, GrapheneOS has never been tested against bootloader attacks, and they have even lied about it in the recent past, which is highly suspicious. https://i.imgur.com/woNxPhx.jpg
Added in Android 10.
What does this mean? Check Developer Options for Debugging section.
Part of Linux kernel and thus Android.
Some Android brands provide it, most do not. Better to use fingerprint to protect against shoulder surfing attacks.
Exists since over a decade under a different name, “scheduled power on/off” or similar name.
This is a complicated topic regarding Morula, Zygote and other app spawning methods. Easiest solution I can give is in developer settings, enable “Don’t keep activities”. Achieves the same thing. However this setting does not persist across reboots, only annoyance. This will effectively kill the ability to multitask on your phone.
Can download and use Greentooth from F-Droid. A similar app may exist for WiFi disconnection.
Added in Android 10.
GrapheneOS is mostly a rebranding of AOSP features and kdrag0n’s project put on top of AOSP. It is a deep rabbit hole. I did a dissertation of what it is over a year ago, when they sent a spy (ryan97) to siphon all of chat content from my r/privatelife Matrix room to monitor me, which is kept private. https://i.imgur.com/pQHoq84.jpg
bruh, I think I agree with most of your conclusions, but you gotta work on your delivery, as it definitely doesn’t serve your message well. I think you receive a lot more pushback because you use so many harshly negative words to describe people.
Just in this comment, you use:
which makes this comment sound more like a Donald Trump rally than a well-reasoned argument. It’s understandable given your history of conflict with members of the project, and I usually hate tone policing, but I think this word choice severely hurts your argument. Remember, most people here are just passerby and have no idea about the drama or your experiences with their community. Their first impression is gonna be you’re the flip-side to Micay.
I think your thesis is largely correct, that the project does a suspicious amount of shilling for big tech and Google and pushes a lot of anti-FOSS propaganda and has a toxic social media presence that silences good people geniunely asking questions or voicing opinion in good faith.
What you say makes sense, until you are in my position. A massive proportion of Linux/FOSS/privacy community hates these “security” shills. There are some interesting opinions on madaidan, Brad Spengler and such people in the community. madaidan’s blog is called “toilet paper” by Linux community users, for example.
The words “disease”, “sewer” and “security clowns” are used for “security” shills as a whole, who either recommend Big Tech methods or shit on Linux just to make themselves the implied authority and gain control on open source security narrative.
I call GrapheneOS “pure snake oil” because it actually looks like one. it is mostly a rebranding of AOSP features and kdrag0n’s project put on top of AOSP. It is a deep rabbit hole. I did a dissertation of what it is over a year ago. https://i.imgur.com/pQHoq84.jpg
Someone who has always lied about everything, all the people he accuses and so on is disgusting. Worse part, Louis Rossmann in his video showed chats of Micay claiming he is “autistic”, when he was asked about his terrible behaviour and response to people who ask questions. He used clinically autistic people as a shield for his social media narratives. If this does not make him terrible, what will? Witch hunting internet users to the point they are physically affected?
“minions” is a word I use because there are instructions directly from Micay for his members and mods to disseminate propaganda favouring GrapheneOS. https://imgur.com/a/fpcsIL2
“witch hunt” is a word I use because this is what they do. Micay orders people on Matrix directly to do this to any critics on internet, so that they change accounts and go silent. Unfortunately, he met a person in me who can go further than him. https://i.imgur.com/nhepoMJ.jpg
“malicious” is all of these intentional antics employed by him. The propaganda dissemination, witch hunting critics, harassing people, threatening people to ban critics else he will unleash his social media army on them, lying about people, all these things are indeed malicious. Infact, he always harps about character assassination and concern trolling, which is purely projecting what he and his minions really do.
Due to the propaganda dissemination and Big Tech fanboyism that exists in his community, to the point that GOS members tell people to go fly to other countries to get a Pixel to get ANY AMOUNT of privacy and security, they are indeed well “trained monkeys”. It is a common phrase and not very offensive.
It is true people do not know about these things, which is why I keep telling people to read my 5 year investigation writeups on FOSS/privacy communities, PrivacyGuides and GrapheneOS.
https://old.reddit.com/r/privatelife/comments/ug9qnc/writeup_criticism_of_rprivacyguides_grapheneos/
https://old.reddit.com/r/privatelife/comments/13teoo9/grapheneos_corporate_foss_loving_witch_hunting/
You will be shocked by the things Micay has claimed about me on Twitter and Reddit. He has openly called me a paid agent sent by Chinese government to destroy privacy communities, and Jonah Aragon (head of PrivacyGuides) even stickied his comment. Hard to believe? I got you. https://web.archive.org/web/20220502064114/https://old.reddit.com/r/PrivacyGuides/comments/uged1y/is_grapheneos_actually_good_or_just_hype/ (Everybody now knows there was no Uyghur genocide, looking at what is happening in Palestine. Tells you about Micay’s pro USA/NATO politics.)
These people have been infiltrating the community for a while now. Look at that madaidan guy who blatantly pushes corporate propaganda similar to the grapheneos bots. They want to eventually make you use closed source garbage for “security” and compromising privacy in the process. That’s the intended plan.