Android data collection

This article addresses the manner in which Android phones share personal user information with Google, usually in a complete user unaware and unapproved way, and the legal consequences Google has endured for deceptive practices in users' location tracking. This article also discusses non-Google OEM privacy concerns with companies who implement their own modified version of Android such as Samsung and Xiaomi.

Android, the global top mobile operating system,^[1] is used to power billions of devices globally. Tests have shown that Android phones with Google Services transmit user data to Google on multiple occasions even when users try to restrict sharing of data via settings. This has encouraged increasing alarm over user privacy, transparency, and personal data control.

A study found that data collection happens without any chance to opt out even before the user has even opened their first app.^[2]

Moreover, most phone vendors do their own tracking on top and pre-install so-called bloatware in exchange for payment from the respective company, such as social media and shopping apps Meta, TikTok, Aliexpress, eBay, …), which transmit data in the background without user consent even if the apps are never even opened and the user never agreed to their TOS.^[3]

A research study examined the frequency of data sharing between Google and Android phones with Google services.^[4] The study describes that even if minimally configured and in idle mode, the handset will share data with Google on an average of every 4.5 minutes. The shared data includes the following sensitive information:

• IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity)

• Hardware serial number
• SIM serial number and IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity)
• Handset phone number

In addition, Google services on Android sends telemetry data to Google even when customers directly decline to have their data collected. For instance, each time a SIM card is inserted into the device, Google services sends its information to Google automatically.

Data exchanged with Google by Google Messages and Google Dialer applications on an Android smartphone was also researched.^[5] These applications report to Google whenever messages are being sent/received or calls are being received/made. Precisely:

• Google Messages sends a message text hash so Google can match the sender and receiver in a message exchange.
• Google Dialer also transmits call time and call duration to Google for linking both devices for a call.
• Both of the apps forward phone numbers to Google.
• Both user interaction timing and duration with both apps are also forwarded to Google in addition to the above.

No exemption option exists in the data transmission. Data comes through two pathways:

1. The Google Play Services Clearcut logger.
2. Google/Firebase Analytics.

Google misled some Android users into thinking that the setting titled “Location History” was the only Google account setting that affected whether the company collected, kept and used personally identifiable data about their location. In fact, another account setting titled “Web & App Activity” also enabled Google to collect, store and use personally identifiable location data when it was turned on, and that setting was turned on by default.

For this, Google was sued in the United States and in Australia.^[6][7]

Some alternatives are available to users for completely avoiding this data sharing. Attempts to disable data collection via settings, Android integration with Google services does make it impossible to fully discontinue the passing on of person and device details.^[4]

The use of custom ROMs or privacy-focused applications, do cut down on sharing data, these are likely to require technical know-how and are not necessarily in the hands of the average user.

In general, Google services which are the source of most of the data collection serve two functions:

1. Application dependencies, like network location services, debugging tooling, advertising services etc.
2. Application distribution

A privacy replacing alternative should therefore have an alternative for these functions.

The only fully degoogled alternate configuration comprises of MicroG applications, which is an open source reimplementation of Google services. It provides necessary dependencies so that most of the applications which depend on Google services can function on a device without those Google services.

Another option is GrapheneOS, an optionally de-googled privacy and security focused Android ROM. While not replacing google play services completely, GrapheneOS offers a sandboxed version of the google play services. The sandboxing allows users to control the permissions of the google play services, limiting the privacy risk they pose. GrapheneOS has many other privacy features like more control over app permissions and automatic time-based Wifi and Bluetooth off switches. Despite these features, users may choose not to consider this Android ROM due to its development history and other controversies.^[8][9]

As for application distribution, alternate channels, such as F-droid, Aurora Store, Accrescent, and Obtanium, do exist. These alternative application sources allow users to install applications of their choosing without a single entity to regulate the applications. These application sources have different uses, with F-droid acting as an app store for only free and open source apps, Aurora Store acts as an anonymized version of the Google Play Store, Accrescent focuses on app-installation security, and Obtanium acts as an update-grabber from code repositories like Github, Gitlab, and Codeberg.

Murena, Fairphone and Iodé sells devices pre-installed with de-googled Android based on LineageOS and MicroG, making privacy friendly Android phones accessible to non-technical users. However, the operating system called /e/ on Murena devices has a history of not always addressing security vulnerabilities in a timely manner.^[10] However the situation is still much better than the millions of phones in active use that no longer get manufacturer support.