cross-posted from: https://thelemmy.club/post/11226460
This post is going to be a bit personal (and maybe a little bit out of context, it’s not just Google software I want to remove) but I’m tired of not knowing what to do about it. I want and have wanted to get rid of a bunch of proprietary software in my life, including but not limited to Google’s software, for quite a while now, and I even got a Pixel 7A with hopes of installing GrapheneOS. But there are a few problems. First, my parents are understandably concerned and need me to use Google Maps’ location sharing whenever I go to school. All my classmates use Instagram and we have that as our only messaging platform. I currently use DFInstagram, but I feel that it is not free from spyware. Finally, I also own a DJI Mini 3 Pro, and the associated DJI Fly app just refuses to work under GrapheneOS (I tested). Is there anything I can do to replace or limit the access of these aforementioned proprietary apps?
At least with Graphene (and DivestOS, which is a fork of Lineage that can run on Pixel), you can isolate Google Services in the work profile, so if you MUST run apps that rely on Google, they can be run there. Plus the work profile can be turned off as-needed.
Someone else remarked how tracking wasn’t even possible 15 years ago - this makes a good conversation starter with your parents about security, privacy, the invasion of tech into our lives, etc.
YOU…being in your generation, have a great opportunity to make a difference with these issues. Look at as an opportunity to educateyour parents, to move forward to a better solution to address their concerns, rather than as a conflict.
For example, finding out why they want you to use tracking - what do they fear that this tool is attractive to them? (I find it baffling, I’m likely old enough to be a grandparent to you - my parents pushed us outside and said don’t come home till dark). So your parents could be My children - so my peers taught them to be this way.
If you have the gumption, you could read up the links posted here, and put together your thoughts about all this stuff, and have a sit-down with whichever parent would be likely to listen and ask them for help implementing what you’re trying to do.
Asking people for help is shorthand for getting their buy-in. It’s an amazing method - when people help come up with answers, they now have some ownership.
Also, the link in your lemmy bio is broken (vuran.cf)
For whatever it’s worth, your parents requirement that you let them track you at all times just to go to school, is not actually particularly reasonable. Less than 10 years ago that would have been seen as insane helicopter parent behavior. But that’s probably outside your control, so if they won’t budge on it you could at least ask them to use an app that isn’t google maps. This would work if you were willing to self host it or something, or OsmAnd seems to have that feature integrated with telegram
The drone you can probably replace DJI Fly with sideloaded Dronelink: https://support.dronelink.com/hc/en-us/articles/15304402363411-Mini-3-Mini-3-Pro-Support-Overview but no guarantees it will work better on graphene than DJI Fly
As far as instagram goes, you’re pretty much stuck with trying to push people off of it for messaging afaik, or just locking down the app as much as you can. A VPN could prevent them from seeing your IP, and locking down the app’s permissions as much as possible would be a good idea too, but honestly the main thing is to just push for a different messenger. I got my friend group to switch a few times over the years. But it took a long time, and a decent chunk of them are tech-y people
