Least invasive way to use google messages?

Jdeppytt

With news this week of encryption between iOS / android via RCS getting closer, I was wondering what is the least invasive way of using Google Messages and what will google be able to track once installed.

I understand that google messages needs;
Contacts (using storage scope means they get no contact data?)
Network
Phone (what does this mean? They collect metadata or something else for all phone calls?)
SMS

Play services
Network, Phone , SMS

I assume that they would be collecting metadata like who I message and when, general location, and IP address. Is there anything else? Do they (or the play store via installing messages) have any way to collect data on my IMEI, identifiers, or what device I'm using?

I understand Google messages would need to be run on the main profile. Any advantage to using my main profile for only this one purpose (google messages) And using another profile(s) for everything else?

My threat model is zero, just value privacy

lcalamar

Jdeppytt Does Beeper help or hurt privacy/security? Not asking about Beeper itself but moreso if I use beeper for my Google RCS messages - does that provide any privacy protection from Google since Beeper is the front end? (my guess is 'no' since I can see all beeper RCS messages in the google messages app. ??

DirtyDan

Also don't forget that some carriers will require hardware/device identifiers for play services and google messages in order to get your phone number verified for RCS... You have to do this through ADB or App Opps+Shizuku.

The whole thing is pretty bad for privacy and security. I'm really hoping another RCS alternative pops up, ideally open-source that doesn't require play services.

de0u

DirtyDan The whole thing is pretty bad for privacy and security. I'm really hoping another RCS alternative pops up, ideally open-source that doesn't require play services.

That may be possible, but maybe not. My understanding is that part of RCS is that each carrier "owns" their phone numbers, in the sense that the carrier decides which RCS servers manage messages for each number belonging to a customer of theirs, and also each carrier decides which devices can send or receive messages from/to each of "their" numbers, and how much scrutiny to apply to each device. So if Verizon wants to know the IMEI and serial number of a device before letting it send RCS messages on behalf of a number... well, in a sense it's their number...

Over time this might really reduce SMS spam. And also it might reduce the ability of users to choose messaging client programs. We'll see!