Photos taken on my grapheme phone are in google pics

Peeto

Hi all. I had to use my second phone which I use for google purposes, (until I've fully moved away from their services) and was really surprised to see my photos in google photos!
The only connection I have with google on my graphene phone is gmail running through a 3rd party server K9 mail.
How could this have happened?
Love to hear your thoughts.

Peeto

other8026

Peeto check Google Photos' permissions. Does it have access to photos? Or is storage scopes enabled with a folder with photos added?

boldsuck

Peeto The only connection I have with google on my graphene phone is gmail running through a 3rd party server K9 mail.

Please be more specific. Do you have Gmail (or other Google Apps in the user account) or do you access your Google mails with K9 via IMAP or POP? If the latter, do you authenticate via OAuth or with an app specific password.
Where did you get K9? (Play Store, Github, F-droid)
I use Fairmail without the Google OAuth code from Github or F-droid. K9 is also available from there without proprietary code.

I still have an ancient googlemail.com account. I have the messages automatically forwarded to my provider's email account. So I don't need to log in to Google at all.

xzutils

Peeto Could be someone with root level access to google joking with you or warning people through a 0day exploit

It seems unlikely, but what other explanation is there?

If you use both on the same network they could correlate identities but how would they go into your storage and move them into google without an exploit?

Unless you installed terrible software with net access that syncs with google and allowed it to guess your identity but that seems implausible also.

[deleted]

Peeto
Are you using RCS messages?

Peeto

other8026
Hi
I don't have google anything on this phone.
Was surprised to see the photos there

Thanks
Pete

Peeto

boldsuck Hi. Thanks for your reply.
I use k9 via the aurora store. I had to use my google password to allow access.
I've no google products at all on my phone.
Sea I might need something google to allow some apps to function but I want to be able to continue without anything google related.
I miss google maps but keep a second phone for this purpose.
I'll check out fairmail.

Thanks!
Pete

Peeto

boldsuck
Hi again
I tried to install fairmail via aurora store but received a message saying file is corrupt.
Is where I need some kind of Google application installed?
I was hoping to avoid all things google, that's why I'm surprised my photos go to google.

Thanks again
Pete

boldsuck

Peeto I tried to install fairmail via aurora store but received a message saying file is corrupt.

My reference to Fairmail should not imply that there is anything wrong with K9 Mail. Both apps are good and can handle OpenKeychain or PGP keys. Changing the MUA is a lot of configuration, especially if you have multiple mail accounts.

Is where I need some kind of Google application installed?
I was hoping to avoid all things google, that's why I'm surprised my photos go to google.

I have never used Opensource apps from the PlayStore and have never used Aurora Store, so I can only guess.
This may be because of the in App paid version for Pro features.

FairEmail FAQ

A little warning if you get the app from Github. Marcel throws out updates almost every day, sometimes several times a day. I sometimes wonder when he sleeps ;-)

OfflinePuffin

Are you using the pixel camera app, also have you send any photos over your gmail?

Peeto

OfflinePuffin Hi.
Yes, simply using the stock camera app. I've not sent any photos via gmail. I'm hoping to get to the point of deleting my Google accounts. I first want to download and store my photos elsewhere. Yahoo appears to have good storage

PaulDavis

Peeto you would throw google under the bus, but trust yahoo?
You could pay for the Proton set of services, and use their storage, or host from home.
Remember that every free service is likely to have in its terms the right to sell off your data, and access your pics and files, so as to be able to sell to recoup costs, and make a profit.

Peeto

PaulDavis well, yes I have considered that. I've also proton mail and storage. But yahoo doesn't seem to have any invasive tech that is included in everything attached to google. I'm still trying to navigate the best way forward. Obviously the lunatics that run the asylum have all their plans in order to install their control system regardless of what tech I'm using

de0u

Peeto But yahoo doesn't seem to have any invasive tech that is included in everything attached to google.

Maybe the below are outdated and Yahoo's policies have dramatically improved?

https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/yahoo-aol-oath-privacy-policy-verizon-emails-messages/
https://clark.com/technology/yahoo-mail-privacy-settings/

Peeto

de0u thank you. I started using yahoo because James Corbett of "the Corbett report" uses it.

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Peeto what's the point to leave google and use anothe giant like yahoo?

xzutils

Ive even thought this could be an exploit used by bad sophisticated actor to make people doubt open source operating systems

Gos patches exploits fast but sophisticated bad actors likely dont share all exploits