New MicroG 'feature'

Have just gotten this screenshot of a new MicroG version with the covid virus tracker.

Hope, e.foundation will remove it from microG sources! !!

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Jeeeez…I don’t like it at all!

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Or just turn it off by default. Some people were interested by this fonctionnality.

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How can the covid virus tracker be recognized in the new MicroG version 0.2.11.209990?

It’s true!
But I’d like to know a bit more about how microg works, in the sense that I’d like to know if it’s the same thing to specifically deactivate that function, or if I have to deactivate microg completely at that point.

In short, I would really like to know better how this component works!

The same way apps are registered to Google Cloud Messaging.

The app will call for the “Exposure” tool that is supposed to be integrated into the “Google Play Services” and MicroG will receive this call because it spoof the Google Play Services (that aren’t installed in /e/).

In which eBuilds is version 0.2.11.209990 already integrated?

The current stable release is version 0.2.11.202414 according to the micoG last update 26.7.2020, 23:41:31


My devices still have version 0.2.10.19420.

It’s a user build ftom actual sources

I think it is a nice way to support public health. It’s all about options right? I do agree that the default setting should probably be off.

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I don’t think so, but that was heavy discussed in a other thread.

I think I will use a second user on my phone when I’m leaving home, because in second user profile you can disable microG complete :blush:

On a primary user profil too. That’s what I have done.

But my banking app will need MicroG :pensive:

Which service is the one …‘Exposure notificatons’ ?

That’s the new virus corvid framework

Dear all. I would like to bring in my dissenting opinion. It’s my wish to participate in the Swiss covid tracing effort and to be able to run the Swiss covid app. It’s a decentralized tracking effort, imho a pragmatic approach to be able to have a tracing app that most people can run on their smartphones. There are some issues, but imho the creators have given their best to balance privacy concerns and general feasibility. I would like to support this tracing effort, in order to help our country fight the virus.
I totally accept it if other people have other opinions on this, but I would greatly appreciate if /e/ would not patronize me in this aspect but give each /e/ user the option to use this new micro-g functionality or not, as he/she wishes.
Best regards and cheers

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pls, use this thread for your comment regarding c-19 apps. Here it is the place to discus the microG feature. thx

I don’t have a microg new enough for this (plus I’m not sure if it works now at all ) but I would comment about the behaviour of the official Google Services one: not only it’s off by default but you can’t even turn it on without installing some app that requests it. Once on it will notify periodically (weekly?) that it’s on and I think which app is using it (just in case you gave this to some other completely unrelated app or you forgot you have it on).

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In the Corona Warn App Thread I wrote more neutrally, but here I want to get a little more explicit.

Why should this part of microG be removed from /e/? Here we have an API that used to be proprietary but thanks to Mar-v-in we now have the possibility to use it, without having to create a Google account. We now have the possiblity to make the CoronWarnApp usable on /e/. My biggest issue with this app was, that it is essentially an open source work, funded by taxes but only usable, as long as you decide to let Google or Apple track your every move. Now this App - which I (and I know there too is a myrade of opinions out there) consider to be a good additional measure to fight the spread of COVID-19 - may be usable on a degoogled OS. On top of that: as long as we simply choose to just turn Exposure Notification off or - even simpler - to just not install the app, this API will do absolutely nothing. No data los. So basically, despite the framework being added to microG, anyone may choose to do with their data as they please. To me the slogan “my data is my data” includes, that I am free to release certain information about myself as long I think it makes sense to me personally. If somthing is mine, I should be free to do handle it as I please.

Honestly I am a little surprised, that the arrival of a microG version of the Exposure-Notification API is frowned upon instead of celebrated. I think the fact, that Mar-v-in managed to pull this off is commendable and I for one am hoping that it will find its way into /e/OS to make it even better.

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That’s the point!!!

I would like to have at least the developer’s guarantee that simply by deactivating this function, there is no “contact” with google

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Even the original Exposure Notification API in the play services doesn’t “contact” Google! ([https://www.blog.google/documents/63/Exposure_Notification_-_FAQ_v1.0.pdf])

This one included in MicroG also does not contact Google. It simply sends the generated identifier via bluetooth and receives the identifiers from other users. The identifiers are not linked to any other phone or personal information and are changed every 10-20 minutes. Basically there is no internet communication at all by the framework, only in case that the user received a positive test result and explicitly uploads that information in his corona-app.

In the end the Google-Cloud-Messaging feature of MicroG is far more privacy-concerning than the Exposure Notification API.

But, of course, the feature should be disabled by default in MicroG.

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