Why Smartphones are more secure than computer desktops? : OpSec | Torhoo darknet markets

There is no security or privacy protection on any Android or iOS system without dramatic workarounds which are outside of your wheelhouse. They were both OSs written to track your every movement so they can harvest and sell your data.

Neither of your assumptions are correct.

Smartphones were designed with security in mind, desktop computers weren't. In fact modern phones are considered to be much more secure that any traditional computer.

Android has by default implemented several privacy protection like Storage Scope, MAC address randomization, strict app permissions policy etc. Desktop Os are far behind the privacy features offered by Android.

Evil companies have nothing to do with the security model of modern phones.

Nothing prevent Google from tracking you on your computer.

AOSP has no tracking codes, intrusive apps or lack of proper security mitigations. Graphene Os(based on the Android Open Source Project) is the best example of a secure, private operating system.

You should focus on providing factual information and avoiding spreading misinformation, we aren't on Reddit.

Sorry, have to disagree. Yes, AOSP burns are more secure but GMS is on virtually all Android smartphones sold in the Western hemisphere. China burns a few AOSP flavors and I'd imagine it was a AOSP burn used for the FBI's "Trojan Shield/Greenlight" sting. The number of AOSP systems pales in comparison to GMS systems, hands down.

It is not that other solutions than GMS are available but rather that in the context of the OP they are over his head, just my impression.

And it is wholly incorrect to say "Nothing prevent Google from tracking you on your computer" which is the most 'we aren't on reddit' thing in your post. I would suggest that there are more than a few desktop OSs which are not Google tracked and your over-generalization is grossly wrong.

The Android smartphone world of GMS is, was, and shall forever be a Google tracking OS.

That's a significant deviation from your previous claims which you've stated

"There is no security or privacy protection on any Android or iOS system without dramatic workarounds"

"GMS is on virtually all Android smartphones sold in the Western hemisphere."

This is, unfortunately a false assumption.

AOSP does not contain Google Mobile Services or any tracking.
Quote from The android project

While the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) provides common, device-level functionalities such as email and calling, GMS is not part of AOSP. GMS is only available through a license with Google and delivers a holistic set of popular apps and cloud-based services.


By default, GrapheneOS does not come with any Google app or service installed.

Like the Android Open Source Project, GrapheneOS doesn't include Google apps and services. They won't ever be bundled with the OS. GrapheneOS includes a compatibility layer for sandboxed Play services to make user installed Play services apps able to run as fully sandboxed, unprivileged apps.



I understand that you may be confusing privacy with security. Let me clarify -

As proven, the Android operating system (AOSP) is not directly related to Google's privacy-invasive services, such as Google Play Services, which has high privileged permissions.
GrapheneOS lets you install Google Play Services in a sandboxed manner, like any other Android app.

"And it is wholly incorrect to say "Nothing prevent Google from tracking you on your computer" which is the most 'we aren't on reddit' thing in your post."



The purpose of that claim was to highlight that Google tracking is not limited to smartphones. I don't see what's incorrect with that statement.

"I would suggest that there are more than a few desktop OSs which are not Google tracked and your over-generalization is grossly wrong."



The same could be said for smartphones. Assuming that all smartphones are insecure, and a privacy nightmare is like saying that computers are superior even with Windows installed - it's a false assumption.

"The Android smartphone world of GMS is, was, and shall forever be a Google tracking OS."



The evidence points in a different direction. I don't think you need to apologize for disagreeing with me, but it's important to ensure that your claims are factual and not based on misinformation.

I value diverse perceptive, but your position is based on misleading information from unreliable sources, such as Reddit posts.

Think what you'd like, but the post was directed at the OP. If you feel that he can easily root & replace to use Graphene then tech him how to do it. You do not seem to acknowledge that the open source AOSP is different from the proprietary GMS (Google Mobile Services), which I referred to. You understand that they are entirely different builds, yes?

I believe you either did not understand my contention in context or are picking out statements out of context in a hope to gain cred somehow. If you wish that track - please explain how you arrive at the perspective that "Android has by default implemented several privacy protection like ... MAC address randomization". Given that maybe 90% of the Android installs are of the GMS flavor, your statement provides a false understanding of the GMS world because you are saying that 'default GMS' implements MAC address randomization; which I am sure would give Google no end of surprise. As explained in the article portion of "AOSP, GMS, and their forensic implications":

Google Mobile Services are included with virtually all Android smartphones sold in the Western hemisphere. Google uses its services to collect large amounts of information from GMS-enabled devices. Location reporting, Google Account details, notes, search and browsing history, stored forms and passwords, synced application data, and a lot of other information is automatically transmitted to Google services by GMS-enabled devices.

Get over it.

I choose to remain silent when I lack sufficient knowledge or expertise on a particular topic to avoid providing inaccurate or misleading information.

Unfortunately, not everyone follow the same approach :(

"If you feel that he can easily root & replace to use Graphene then tech him how to do it"



This simply prove that you don't know what you're talking about. Flashing Graphene Os on a pixel phone does not involve rooting. In fact rooting an android phone is the biggest mistake you could make from a security perspective.

You do not seem to acknowledge that the open source AOSP is different from the proprietary GMS (Google Mobile Services), which I referred to. You understand that they are entirely different builds, yes?



Do you read my replies? Or you're just trolling? I've acknowledged that AOSP provides the basic operating system and core functionality, while privacy intrusive services like GMS provides additional Google services and applications such as Google Play Store, Google Maps, and Gmail.
However, this does not change the fact that GMS is not part of AOSP and requires a separate license from Google to use.

You're the one who's making assumptions that aren't supported by the evidence, not me :-) plain and simple.

I believe you either did not understand my contention in context



You're the one who said "There is no security or privacy protection on any Android or iOS system without dramatic workarounds which are outside of your wheelhouse."

Not me :)

Your arguments are completely pointless. Claiming that all Android devices are inherently insecure and cannot be made private, based on false assumptions, is like saying "don't use a computer because it comes with Windows installed by default."

Your arguments lack substance and fail to recognize the nuances of the subject at hand. Suggesting that all Android devices are inherently insecure is a gross generalization that overlooks the fact that many Android devices are highly secure(much more that any traditional computer) and employ advanced security measures.

"picking out statements out of context in a hope to gain cred somehow. If you wish that track"



This doesn't make sense. I've been debunking your misinformation. My presence here is solely intended to rectify and refute any incorrect or misleading information that you may be propagating with a sense of enthusiasm.
Let me remind you that credibility is closely tied to the presence of verifiable and substantiated information.

"please explain how you arrive at the perspective that "Android has by default implemented several privacy protection like ... MAC address"



What are you trying to prove there?

Those are real privacy features implemented and used by default on modern Android phones.

"Given that maybe 90% of the Android installs are of the GMS flavor, your statement provides a false understanding of the GMS world because you are saying that 'default GMS' implements MAC address randomization; which I am sure would give Google no end of surprise. As explained in the article portion of "AOSP, GMS, and their forensic implications":



Already debunked. The evidences provided doesn't support those false assertions.

"Google Mobile Services are included with virtually all Android smartphones sold in the Western hemisphere. Google uses its services to collect large amounts of information from GMS-enabled devices. Location reporting, Google Account details, notes, search and browsing history, stored forms and passwords, synced application data, and a lot of other information is automatically transmitted to Google services by GMS-enabled devices."



Repeating quotes from articles may give the impression that one is knowledgeable about how smartphones work, but true understanding can only be attained through a deeper examination of the technology and its inner workings. "Everyone can know but the point is to understand".


It seems that you were the one who made baseless claims that smartphones cannot be made secure without extensive workarounds that are beyond your area of expertise. Now that it has been shown that such assumptions were false, you appear to be attempting to hide from the facts rather than admit your mistake.

Look, it's important to be willing to admit when you're wrong and make changes to your beliefs. Instead of stubbornly clinging to incorrect assumptions, you should take an objective look at the evidence and adjust your views accordingly. Don't try to convince yourself that you're right just to save face
that's not productive or honest. Stay open-minded and be willing to revise your thinking based on new information rather than spreading misinformation.