fid02

Thank you very much for finally clearing this up with such a detailed message.
I'll link to that from now on, I always lacked the energy to look for all the Twitter sources and assemble such a message, but I should've done earlier.

    DjBeau I'm signed into Maps. That's why.

    That would do it!

      GrapheneOS I assume you mean if you have Play Services installed using an account there's little to no privacy differences to not using an account? That seems logical.

      Clearly, no Google account, no Play Services and using apps without google (and other data collection) libraries will have a fairly substantial privacy benefit.

        This discussion has made me nervous as I have installed the banking apps from the aurora store on a secondary profile with play services installed. They work normally without any problems. ( simply binance asks for play integrity api constantly even when not open) . do you think that with this setup there is a risk of installing an invalid application via update and possibly interception of data? If so, what do you suggest to fix this security issue? Perhaps installing the playstore and updating the apps there? Or uninstall and reinstall from the playstore?

          Goseur7 I have done that. Moved everything that's not installable via Obtainium to the Play Store. I only use Aurora for apps I have to spoof my device so that they work.

            fid02
            I tried creating a Google account without phone number by making a new user through GOS. It works, but there's no other way to do it. So I'm wondering if it's working because google is simply grabbing the number from the SIM card?

                pxlkng There is no benefit in using Aurora Store as it is outright dangerous and insecure to use and overall just a dumpsterfire of an application.

                You need to prove that the dangers, insecurities, and dumpsterfiredness you claim for aurora store EXCEED the levels of those same characteristics for google store software. Just because it says "google" on it DOES NOT prove that its safe. If anything, it implies that its NOT safe, since google is in the business of manipulating you with your own data.

                    DjBeau Not just the phone number from the sim card, but other hardware identifiers as well, like IMEI.

                        DjBeau I tried creating a Google account without phone number by making a new user through GOS. It works, but there's no other way to do it. So I'm wondering if it's working because google is simply grabbing the number from the SIM card?

                        On GrapheneOS that would require Play having been granted the Phone permission.

                        Google's account-creation system uses a variety of heuristics. If an account is created using a residential IP address, for example, a phone number might not be required.

                          secrec

                          Google software tends to be very secure, as security is one of Googles strengths.

                          You can read the long message by de0u with sources to GrapheneOS's twitter posts saying the same as me above.