As I had stated earlier, I’ve been considering updating my phone to one more privacy focused. Read the earlier post for more information on why.

Well, I had never gotten around to purchasing a CopperheadOS phone, and now it appears I’ll never do so. The CopperheadOS project has imploded, with the developer and business partner parting ways under “less than ideal” circumstances.

See the post here for more information:

Goodbye
by inCopperheadOS

Where does that leave me? I had purchased an unlocked Pixel2 via eBay a while back, and it’s still sitting here unused, with a valid SIM in it. I also have my daily driver Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. I would prefer to keep my daily driver using the regular Android version so that I don’t have to transfer things around. My ideal is to take the new phone and install a more private & secure OS on it, get it fully running and then consider upgrading either the whole S7, or the OS on it.

What options am I considering?

1. Upgrade one of the phones to LineageOS. While it doesn’t have the security and privacy of CopperheadOS, I can get it without Google Play services, which are prime in my privacy concerns. If I were to upgrade, I would have to determine whether to upgrade my S7 (less desirable since it requires more data migration), or try the currently unofficial support for the Pixel2.

2. Wait and see. I could either sell the Pixel2, or just hold on to it looking for a better solution. Yes, it means less privacy and security than I would prefer, but to be honest, I’ve not exactly been focused on this. Progress has been slow. In addition, there is some encouraging information being posted by the previous developer of CopperheadOS:

The project will be continuing with a new name and external funding to run it as a non-profit project
byu/DanielMicay inCopperheadOS

It may just come down to available time. I’ll probably activate the Pixel2, start running it normally, see if I can migrate my key apps and turn it into my daily driver. If I have time, I’ll upgrade the S7 to LineageOS without Play Services. And yes, until then, Google and many of the apps I install on my phone will know where I’m at, what I’m doing, be able to turn on the microphone & listen to me, and a myriad of other nitpicky details that I would prefer they don’t have access to.

What if I told you I was watching everything you did? I know every web search you make. I know when you leave your home, and when you come home. I know when you go to visit the doctor, and how long you spend there. I know when you visit that website you shouldn’t. I know when you go to the liquor store, and I know when you visit with friends and can even pinpoint the friend you visit with and how long you were together.

Would that creep you out? I (personally) do not know all those things, but Google does. Facebook does. How? They own your cell phone.

I’ve known that this is possible for a long time. Previously working at Intel, I am tech saavy, and have had a friend on the cell phone team. When asked whether a company or agency could track us using our cell phone, he answerd, “It’s just software, Shan, and you know software.” Wow.

The amount of tracking was underscored by a recent video on how Google will track you even when your cell phone is not available because you turned on airplane mode. This is important because it underscores the possibility that Google could track us even if we put our phones in privacy sleeve or possibly even if we have our phone off.

I have many upstanding friends who say, “I have nothing to hide; why should I care?” To that I respond asking how they know they have nothing to hide? There is a huge amount of federal criminal law, state criminal law, and even local laws that can land one in jail. I guarantee that if we lived in a world where law enforcement was 100% effective at identifying and imprisoning those who committed any crime, we would all be behind bars. We’re going to leave it up the the discretion of those in some government to determine whether they want to prosecute us? Or are you saying you agree 100% with every law and everyone in government? There are thousands of examples of abuses in this area. No thanks.

As someone who values the security of living armed, the idea of reducing my attack surface to corporations, individuals, and agencies who might wish to do me harm is attractive. It helps me further protect myself and my family. If I ever decide to take a higher profile role in the community, it helps me protect them as well.

As a result, I’ve decided to increase both my security and privacy. I’ve decided to improve my cell phone security and privacy as part of this journey. I did it once, years ago, with the now-dead Cyanogenmod (note that it has a direct successor — Lineage OS). Perhaps you’re interested in how I do it? If so, follow along as I share some of my experiences.

Next article: Options to increase cell phone privacy and security.