Google Play Services are required for eSIM management, but they can be removed once eSIM is activated. Does Google get any eSIM info, such as IMSI, or whatever other info that identifies a user? Is it a requirement to have a Google account to activate eSIM?
Cellular Carrier Discussion Thread
Bumping my last response questions!
OpenSource-Ghost in using privileged eSIM management functionality you expose your IMEI to Google. There is no evidence to suggest they scrape it through this but it is something to be aware of.
It is not a requirement to have an account just need to tap Sign In to initialize.
How does AT&T compare to T-Mobile in terms of 5G coverage? Does it still use IPv4? T-Mobile is not an option because of its IPv6 464XLAT/CLAT that doesn't work with Android 13 VPN Lockdown. The issue existed for 2 months without even a hint of official confirmation from Google regarding even acknowledgement of the bug.
I'm trying to install Graphene OS and when I try to click "unlock bootloader" when my Pixel 4A is in fastboot mode I get the error message noted in my title.
No idea how to go forward. Any help would be appreciated.
I also noticed in device manager there's an error message and when I try to update the driver it tells me windows is unable to find a driver for this device.
The error message being "No Compatible Devices Found"
All Cellular Carriers will comply with government subpoenas for your cell phone call, text, location, IP/DNS information.
It's almost impossible to escape this level of data intrusion since your IEMI is handset specific and registers with the Cellular Carrier.
What we get with GrapheneOS is to unplug ourselves from the world of subpoena free data harvesting and profiling.
Personally I use Verizon Prepaid with my name, credit card, etc... I "think" all major Cellular Carriers require a subpoena for the government to receive your cellular information, but could be mistaken.
I personally can't afford a crate of "burner" Pixel phones and "burner" sims to continually cycle through so I'm stuff at this level of privacy. Reality is that other than that unpaid parking ticket in Cornwall 12 years ago, I'm not likely to get sucked into a "drag net". If you're dealing drugs, then you can likely afford the crate of pixels to burn.
https://blog.google/products/google-fi/automatic-privacy-protection/
Interesting blog post with a white paper as well. Thoughts on what this means regarding Google Fi's security and privacy compared to alternatives?
Can someone post a relatively detailed list of the kind of phone information, usage, and data carriers can access?
From my research, carriers have:
- IMSI
- IMEI
- Phone number
- Location
- Phone call records
- SMS/MMS records
- Calendar events
- 911 emergency contacts/information
- "About" device information (which can also be used to identify someone over WiFi)
- PIN codes for telephony services (such as voicemail)
- Number/key presses used during telephony services
It is crazy how much information carriers get. I think many people make the mistake of using the same PIN code for insecure services like voicemail and for secure services like Signal and/or for unlocking the phone itself.
I know for a fact that local (US) cops had far more issues intercepting, eavesdropping, and monitoring Google Fi network compared to local T-Mobile network. It seems counter-intuitive because Google is basically anti-private, but Google Fi somehow ties its Google Account login infrastructure into cellular network, even for normal telephony usage.
- Edited
Calendar events
Would this be calendar events in some sort of carrier calendar app? They can't get data from my FOSS calendar app can they?
911 emergency contacts/information
Is this data that one would add to the owner emergency information in settings or something else?
- Edited
I don't know exact details carriers get about calendar events. The information you add in Emergency Settings is what carriers can see.
Access list I mention earlier (courtesy of local communications officers) is far from everything. A lot of it can be deduced by looking at Android developer and SDK information. It lists code examples for access and permissions of telephony services. I am not a developer and don't understand much of it, which is why I am asking here.
OpenSource-Ghost would spoofing the IMEI or changing it every hour resolve the tracking of a person by the carrier and agencies even when you change the phone number or sim card?
Is it possible to spoof the IMEI with GrapheneOS?
- Edited
tinymce_goudreau
I'm pretty sure internal modem does not permit changing IMEI's. Also in many countries its forbidden by the law to change IMEI.
Correct, sort of. no subpoena required to utilize Mobile Ad ID data just as Fog Reveal does for your local, state, and federal law enforcement departments.
I think/assume that your wireless carrier (VZW, ATT, TMo, etc) DOES require a subpoena as this is essentially "wiretapping". GrapheneOS specifically enables us to block MAID tracking and App specific tracking.
From Fog article:
"What distinguishes Fog Reveal from other cellphone location technologies used by police is that it follows the devices through their advertising IDs, unique numbers assigned to each device. These numbers do not contain the name of the phone’s user, but can be traced to homes and workplaces to help police establish pattern-of-life analyses."
I would assume the Google Fi utilizes everything they can, perhaps even cell tower data, to track your every move (but this is assumption.