I work for an Android OEM; i am quite familiar with GMS and AOSP versions of Android. I was unclear what i meant - software choices on Android are highly limited when trying to avoid adware and trackerware apks. It’s just unfortunately a platform where the value extracted from it is way more often from provide free but not great software that also mines your life. not too many options for great software that also doesn’t mine you, free or paid.
I suspect you feel that way because it’s easier to know what DOES mine you, free or paid, on Android, than it is on any other mobile OS. Consequentially, it’s also easier to block such stuff on Android with custom dns, custom roms, root and a hosts file or using apps to track the trackers like Exodus. So, no, I disagree: You say it’s highly limited when trying to avoid those kinds of apps… We have F-Droid and other third party app stores. There’s a plethora of FOSS apps that can replace the common garbage data collecting apps out there. People just don’t want to make the effort and look a little bit harder elsewhere for what they would feel more comfortable using. That’s why we have privacy nightmares: people are lazy.
I work for an Android OEM; i am quite familiar with GMS and AOSP versions of Android. I was unclear what i meant - software choices on Android are highly limited when trying to avoid adware and trackerware apks. It’s just unfortunately a platform where the value extracted from it is way more often from provide free but not great software that also mines your life. not too many options for great software that also doesn’t mine you, free or paid.
I suspect you feel that way because it’s easier to know what DOES mine you, free or paid, on Android, than it is on any other mobile OS. Consequentially, it’s also easier to block such stuff on Android with custom dns, custom roms, root and a hosts file or using apps to track the trackers like Exodus. So, no, I disagree: You say it’s highly limited when trying to avoid those kinds of apps… We have F-Droid and other third party app stores. There’s a plethora of FOSS apps that can replace the common garbage data collecting apps out there. People just don’t want to make the effort and look a little bit harder elsewhere for what they would feel more comfortable using. That’s why we have privacy nightmares: people are lazy.