Hey guys
as written above.
Does it make a difference to use WA on GOS compared to stock android or iOS?
Or can Meta collect as much information and metadata?
What can I do to be as much secure as possible in because of privacy, when using WA on GOS?
Unfortunately WA is a big thing where I live and no one wants to switch with the groups I'm in to Signal or Threema.
And most people don't give a shit about privacy and data protection.
brandy078 WhatsApp can gather less information about you in GrapheneOS than on stock Android. GrapheneOS offers the ability to set up a Contact Scope, which means WhatsApp can only read the contacts and phone numbers you allow it too, not all your contacts and contact data. You can also set up Storage Scopes, so WhatsApp cannot read all your media files, only the files you allow it to. Both of these things together will make it much more privacy respecting to run WhatsApp on GrapheneOS than it would be on stock Android.
WhatsApp can still communicate with other Meta apps you have installed, to share account information. An Application Scope feature is planned but not available yet. Such a feature could make WhatsApp believe no other Meta apps are installed. WhatsApp will also still always be able to obtain identifiers for your Google services since it needs Google services to function.
Of course all interactions with the WhatsApp app itself can still be gathered by Meta, including information about who you communicate with, when, and theoretically what you write.
You can divert metadata collection and blend in with the crowd by using busy VPN servers.
DeletedUser127 You can divert metadata collection and blend in with the crowd by using busy VPN servers.
No. You need to ID yourself to sign up for a WhatsApp account by registering your phone number with them. They will always know who you are, or at least who signed up for the account, whether you use a VPN or not.
ryrona WhatsApp will also still always be able to obtain identifiers for your Google services since it needs Google services to function.
I've had this impression for a long time aswell, but it came to my attention, through this forum, that whatsapp actually doesn't need play services to function. It functions on 'barebones' grapheneOS with notifications.
r134a I've had this impression for a long time aswell, but it came to my attention, through this forum, that whatsapp actually doesn't need play services to function. It functions on 'barebones' grapheneOS with notifications.
Oh, really? That I wouldn't have expected. That certainly means it can be made even more privacy respecting, especially once we have Application Scopes. Thanks for sharing! I have obviously made some assumptions here.
I too like many others have to use WA reluctantly because of Family/friends etc reluctance to use anything else.
I use WA and do not have any Ggle services installed and it works fine.
I do use WA via a VPN and Orbot. (not at the same time) but swap from one to the other as and when I want to.
Hopefully that mitigates most of the data harvesting that goes on. However my phone number in the other persons devices in regular Ggle phones will be known to G**gle, which is why i signed up with a sim I disposed of.
ryrona I think I didn't explain it well. Of course, you can not stop WhatsApp (Meta and indirectly Google) from collecting this metadata, but they are not the only actors that may be interested in collecting it.
Also @r134a not needing Play Services in order to run and not contacting them are 2 different things, wouldn't you say?
DeletedUser127 Also @r134a not needing Play Services in order to run and not contacting them are 2 different things, wouldn't you say?
Not entirely sure why u quote me on this? One mentioned it needed play services to run, i've rectified this assumption which i had for a long time aswell.
ryrona Would it help to isolate WhatsApp into a different user profile, with no other apps, exept vpn, in it?
brandy078 if you have just whatsapp installed it should be good.
Because then it can't communicate with other meta apps or google play apps.
I just installed Whatsapp in main profile and am able to use it normally, without Google Play. I ordered a free SIM which I will hold and use it just for registration. So its also anonyme because with this number I'm not known to Meta.
brandy078 The benefit of isolating WhatsApp in its own user profile with is that WhatsApp will not be able to get the list of apps you have installed in any other profile. You also prevent WhatsApp from communicating with other Meta apps or embedded Meta libraries through IPC.
You could use a Private Space instead of a secondary user profile. It's a lot more convenient to use WhatsApp in a Private Space because a Private Space is essentially a secondary user profile but integrated in the Owner profile UI.
Oh I see. I thought it can't communicate with Apps which are not installed or connected to Google Play Store
TGOS Did you make a new account with sim, or did you just changed your number?
ryrona WhatsApp can still communicate with other Meta apps you have installed, to share account information.
You can install WhatsApp in a different user, work profile or private space to stop this communication with Meta apps.
Carlos-Anso You can install WhatsApp in a different user, work profile or private space to stop this communication with Meta apps.
True, I should had said, "other Meta apps you have installed in the same user profile".
DeletedUser88 Thanks. But I already use private space with a bunch of apps, with trackers and my banking apps
brandy078 you need to reeavaluate your threat model and ask yourself what exactly you want to protect and from whom. You can then make decisions based on that.
while i understand whatsapp sometimes is a must.
I stopped trying to get people to use telegram or other. whatsapp is deeply embedded in lives of people, mostly in my country. everything goes through it basically.
the day wsp is down the country is uncommunicated and i am not exaggerating.
however, the use of meta-apps is avoidable. the mobile websites work as good. avoid installing other meta apps but whatsapp.
