Anonymous Google account?

Stephan-P

I'd like to ungoogle, but I fear that there is little point in doing so if I not doing it radically, which is including changing my phone number and all accounts I may be know for.

I may take my new pixel phone to a public WiFi area, setup an anonymous Google account and update the device to the latest stock OS (if it will at my begging)
At home I may install the phone with GOS and set it up with lots of FOSS alternative apps, but also some from big tech that I will need for work
When that is done, I'll insert the sim and start using the phone on a daily basis.
Am I right to assume that it won't take long for Google, and Microsoft for that matter, to figure out that this new fuzzy account is in fact the same one they've known all along?

de0u

Stephan-P I may take my new pixel phone to a public WiFi area, setup an anonymous Google account and update the device to the latest stock OS (if it will at my begging)

It is not clear that a Google account (or begging) is required for this step.

de0u

Stephan-P Am I right to assume that it won't take long for Google, and Microsoft for that matter, to figure out that this new fuzzy account is in fact the same one they've known all along?

If you tell Google or Microsoft who you are, they will know quickly. For example, using Microsoft's authenticator to log in to s work account would identify you as most likely being the person who typically logs in to that account.

gk7ncklxlts99w1

Stephan-P

To address the question "should I become anonymous", short answer is no because it's nearly impossible to maintain, especially if you're trying to de-google to a full capacity. No one does that without severe compromises. Their tentacles reach everywhere and you're better off with a "good enough" kind of job, because anonymity is by design, perfect. It's a binary equation, unlike privacy which is on a sliding scale. As you said, there is little point in doing so if not doing so radically.

Where did you get the Pixel? If you bought it with your personal credit card or some other KYC method, forget about the rest.
You should install GrapheneOS using a public AP if you're going to the trouble of being anonymous. Your IMEI will follow you home, and Google already knows it by this point.
/
It'll be easy for them, particularly Google, if you made any mistake in the above, which you probably did.

Viewpoint0232

Stephan-P I may take my new pixel phone to a public WiFi area, setup an anonymous Google account and update the device to the latest stock OS (if it will at my begging)

You don't need a Google account for this. You also don't need one to use GrapheneOS.

gk7ncklxlts99w1 Where did you get the Pixel? If you bought it with your personal credit card or some other KYC method, forget about the rest.
You should install GrapheneOS using a public AP if you're going to the trouble of being anonymous. Your IMEI will follow you home, and Google already knows it by this point.

I agree in principle, but what really is the issue if Google knows your IMEI? They'd only know that someone has activated the phone with IMEI no. #####. They'd have to somehow get the info from the credit card company or carrier to know that it's you using that IMEI. And even then, they'd only know that Mr XY has bought a Pixel with IMEI no. #####. GrapheneOS doesn't send any data to Google. The most they could then do is get your cellphone location data from the carrier but why would the carrier give that data to Google and why would Google want to buy it and what would they do with this info? I doubt that the cost and effort of creating such a location profile would be worth it just for personalized ads (which is Google's business model). And if your threat model is the NSA rather than Google, then it's going to be tough.

GlytchMeister

Putting the big tech apps on a separate profile to put an extra layer of insulation between them and the rest of your phone will help.

How much? I couldn't say. But it wouldn't hurt, though it might be a tiiiny bit less convenient.

That being said, keeping your work and home life separate is never a bad thing. Using a separate GOS profile is probably the next best thing to having a dedicated work phone.

Stephan-P

de0u indeed, these two actions are not related, but if I'd try to remain anonymous then I would do both at that place and time.

Stephan-P

Okay, thanks a lot for the reactions.
I figured as much. There's little point in trying to rid myself from Google and Microsoft as I can't do without them anyway.
This means that I can take the easy way and connect my new pixel 7a to my own home network, perform the stock os updates, install grapheneos and set things up.

gk7ncklxlts99w1

Stephan-P I do recommend moving away from relying on their respective software suites, though. Especially email.

GlytchMeister

Yeah it doesn't hurt to do what you can. Just don't expect you're anon and unassailable.

gk7ncklxlts99w1

Viewpoint0232

To that I can only respond by referring to TheHatedOne's video where he describes how he set up his GrapheneOS phone.

de0u

gk7ncklxlts99w1 Videos online suggest all sorts of things. As just one example, many of them carefully instruct viewers to enable USB debugging as a key step to installing GrapheneOS, though there is no requirement for doing that.

Based on one's threat model, it may or may not be useful to do the OEM-unlock "check-in" step anonymously. It is absolutely not a requirement for installing GrapheneOS. Skipping that cloak-and-dagger step, for the large majority of users, does not defeat the purpose of GrapheneOS, etc.

Note that anybody using an eSIM is sharing their IMEI with code written by Google that must have Internet access. So being careful to anonymously OEM-unlock a device, followed by installing an eSIM on that device, seems of dubious utility.

gk7ncklxlts99w1

de0u The interesting part about the video I referenced was how he stays anonymous. It starts at 5:46.

Purchase the phone in a physical store with cash
Use the store's wifi to install security updates without requiring a google account
turning on airplane mode once the updates are complete
install GOS