Does GrapheneOS have any built-in privacy measures for Google Maps?

ZorkLV

I recently learned that when not signed in, the Google Maps app still collects data and ties it to a unique identifier rather than a full account.

Just wondering if GrapheneOS has built-in counter measures for this, or if anyone could suggest a way to counter this. Probably uninstalling/reinstalling might do the trick, or possibly a device reboot, but what a hassle that would be.

Xtreix

ZorkLV Please visit the features section to learn how Sandboxed Google Play is implemented and how it works.

https://grapheneos.org/features#sandboxed-google-play

You then decide what permissions you want to allow or deny to the Google Maps apps.

Apps don't have access to the IMEI, if that's what you mean.

other8026

ZorkLV I'd suggest reading these two sections of the website first for an idea of what kinds of data apps can access to attempt to fingerprint us:

[deleted]

Restricted Google Maps WebView

https://gitlab.com/divested-mobile/maps

Murcielago

[deleted]

Thanks for the tip. To improve readability, I'll just copy the features and downsides mentioned in the link you posted:

Features:
Deletes private data when closing
Blocks access to Google trackers and other third-party resources
Limits all network requests to HTTPS
Allows you to toggle location permissions

Disadvantages
Navigation is not available, only a list of turn-by-turn directions
WebRTC is not blocked due to WebView restrictions
The cache is not deleted for resource/data reasons, but could enable tracking without other data (cookies)
Manually clearing the app cache, if necessary, can be fixed in the future

My question about this:

Can't this also be achieved with a setup like this:

Using Google Maps in an incognito window in Vanadium browser (additional settings: "use https whenever possible" + "Use Secure DNS + blocklist (e.g. adblock.dns.mullvad.net or similar) + "WebRTC IP handling policy" set to disable non-proxied UDP)?

Or am I missing an additional feature that is in favor of GMaps WV?

The killer feature of Google Maps app for me personally is navigation which unfortunately does not work in the browser or with GMaps WV. Everything else - restaurant reviews, Street View etc. can also be looked up conveniently in the browser.

ZorkLV

Murcielago If the WebView app had navigation, It'd be a no-brainer.

For me, the navigation + traffic conditions are so important that I'm going through the process of creating a second user account on the device just to install Google Maps.

The closest acceptable alternative for me was Magic Earth, but it has some quirks I don't like. It's very close, but not quite there yet for me.

Eirikr70

ZorkLV The best counter-measure is not installing Google Maps. Anyway, I understand that it is a "deal-breaker" for you. So a dedicated profile without Google Services Framework and associates is the next best choice. But far far behind.