For those unfamiliar, GrapheneOS is a privacy and security enhanced custom ROM endorsed by Snowden. Despite these big names, plenty of people give it backlash
Even @TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml gives it backlash despite being a moderator of Lemmy’s biggest privacy community. A quote here: “grapheneOS trolls are downvoting every single post and comment of mine, and committing vote manipulation on Lemmy. They are using 5-6 accounts.” That was in response to downvotes on a comment posted in the c/WorldNews community, which is entirely unrelated to technology.
One of the reasons is that GrapheneOS can only be installed on Google Pixels due to security compatibility, which makes complete sense considering Android should be most compatible with Google’s own devices. GrapheneOS even lists the exact reasons they chose Pixels, and encourage people to step up and manufacture a different supported device.
One year ago, Louis Rossmann posted this video outlining his reasons for deleting GrapheneOS. Mainly, he had multiple bad experiences with Daniel Micay (the founder and main developer of GrapheneOS) which put his distrust in the GrapheneOS project. Since then, he has stepped down and will no longer be actively contributing to the project.
So, I am here to learn why exactly people still do not like GrapheneOS.
I don’t like it because its not actually FOSS. It includes closed source software (Sandboxed Gservices, Android Auto, etc.) which completely defeats my main goal of wanting to take power away from big corpos. I dont want that to even be an option in an OS I’d recommend because if the easy way is there lazy people who dont care about their privacy will use it. Ive actually installed a few custom Roms for friends and their phones always end up with Insta/Snap/Discord installed and it just defeats the whole purpose…
For what it’s worth, GrapheneOS includes neither Google Play nor Android Auto. Like nearly any Android-based OS, it allows you to install apps of your choosing, but it does not include either of those. It is a FOSS project through and through.
Why are so many people so fast to downvote over a misconception? GOS does not include any Google anything, it does allow to install, but it is the most bare ROM out there in terms of pre-installed stuff, for sure.
I am not defending “MacCock” and his goons in any way, shape or form, I believe they are all certifiable, but misconceptions don’t help anyone either, which is why I chose to clarify this.