So, i have just learned that blokada is ‘only’ a kund firewall with predefined ip lists. So, it is not blocking trackers, it’s blocking some ip’s.
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What are they contacting Google servers for?
I think it’s quit the same thing and both can be used. NoRoot Firewall is blocking some domains (with more options maybe) and monitor requests, like Blokada and others do.
Isn’t it the same thing ? If a tracker domain is blocked, the tracked can’t talk right ?
Not really, because the ‘home’ ip for the tracker can chsnge from one moment to the other. NRF will ask you for every ip which us requested, blokada not.
Trackers must be blocked fir collecting data not for ‘calling home’. That’s what e is (trying) to do with the OS trackers and in the default apps.
But it can’t really work. For example MagicEarth. You can’t block the wrb access because tge app needs to load the maps. So the teacker coukd send the data to MagicEarth.
Before, if you wanted to use Android, you were forced to use it with all Google and the constructor trackers in it.
You can choose many other independent Android distros and choose no Google apps too. There is still a tiny bit of tracking, but small compared with one bad tracking app.
But if you want a proprietary app, you can because liberty is about choice.
A misinformed, misguided choice that doesn’t really accomplish what you think it does…is ignorance and bliss, but not true liberty.
A tiny bit 
no, alot !!
no, alot !!
If you use bare Lineage without General Magic, and no weather app, the only difference from e is using google versus e servers for “connectivity check.” 2 other issues are still open.
https://gitlab.e.foundation/e/management/issues?scope=all&utf8=✓&state=all&search=Infosec
What’s your “a lot” ?? If you mean generalized tracking from browsing or apps using internet filled with google bugs, I agree.
Install on a bare lineage the NoRootFirewall and monitor all outgoing connections and you will see how much, how often google servers or amazon servers are connected. And why are theses servers are connected ? Because of sending your collected data ‘home’
Not finding that app on f-droid, but Net Monitor doesn’t show much, for me (minimum microG checked on).
Yes, NetMonitor shows not much, that’s why I have talked about NoRootFirewall from Aurora. It will show you a much more.
I’ll try instead NetGuard. It has f-droid version with extra features - adblock. Also Tor support, unofficial. But uses amazon, with disable option…
Edit: I feel proprietary apps are unsafe for “my data.”
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NoRootFirewall send no data home. You can use it. Only the beta version send crash data home, but you can block it 
for really monitoring your outgoing connections you need NoRootFirewall
It’s a principle. I’m lucky I don’t have to compromise this principle for any business or other reason.
Also, professionals use a separate monitor device like raspberry pi or other router for monitoring connections.That’s even better.
i think you don’t have lost the scope. We have talked about monitoring the connection of a bare LOS to see how much servers are contacted and how much data will leave your device
i think you don’t have lost the scope. We have talked about monitoring the connection of a bare LOS to see how much servers are contacted and how much data will leave your device
I’ll try to help you back on track. I refer to professionals like InfoSec Handbook or e foundation monitoring phone connections with a device outside the phone, as illustrated so (ascii art):
https://gitlab.e.foundation/e/management/issues/271#note_21557
On principle, it’s whether to use proprietary app like NoRootFirewall or FLOSS app like NetGuard. Proprietary apps are unsafe because they violate FLOSS freedom principles.
That was the starting … but I will leave no this part of conversion, because it went in.the wrong direction
Imo there’s a usability question at the heart of this conversation: If unsafe apps are in the /e/ app store under the heading of “your data is YOUR data” the average user will trust that the app is save. I know there’s the privacy review, but apart from questions about how reliable the info is, it’s hidden away and not very obvious, especially not to the average user.
I love the traffic light idea, and the idea of a slider or similar. I got an /e/ phone because I want to get rid of google et al. So at the very least I would want to be able to have a setting that lets me only install apps free of trackers. This could be done in various ways, with a big fat warning when you try to install something that has trackers and / or having to unlock the ability to install apps with trackers in the settings for instance.
I am the first one of my friends and family who has gotten /e/. Interest is very high, both from more techie folks as well as from absolute luddites. And the thing is: The techie folks care less about this question, they just go: Well, I’ll just use f-droid instead.
It’s the luddites who are more concerned: If they make the switch, they want it to be easy and effortless to avoid trackers, and hearing that there are unsafe apps in the store makes them go: ah, well, then it’s not worth the effort, I will be just as vulnerable to have my data exploited with /e/ as with the phone I already have.
I’m not fundamentally opposed to having unsave apps in the store, I actually think with the right usability work around it, it could be rather educational and help people learn about privacy in a way that they can relate to and that feels applicable to their everyday life.
But a project that is based on privacy really needs to throw up big fat warnings when people install apps that go against that mission. Warnings that are obvious and easy to understand especially for the less technically inclined.
The way it’s currently presented, the availability and ease access to harmful apps undermines the messaging of /e/ and the trust people place in the project.
If you want to appeal to a wider userbase, @GaelDuval and @Manoj , what people who consider /e/ at this point in time are looking for is a phone/OS that lets them sit back and breath a sigh of relieve that they won’t have to worry about leaking their data anymore.
Making that happen with a mix of a traffic light system, search perimeters to exclude apps with trackers, and having to explicitly agree to installing trackers would make that happen without removing unsafe apps entirely for those who feel they still need them.
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A lot of the people very active here are people who already have the tools to judge apps and make informed choices about what they want to allow on their phones and what they will not allow. One of the issues /e/ could help solve is that the vast majority of users is not in that place. So part of the mission is giving people the tools they need to make informed choices.
Android etc are built on misplaced trust that they will safeguard the personal information of users. That trust has been taking substantial hits lately.
Offering unsafe apps in the /e/ store without also providing information about how and why they are unsafe means repeating those mistakes. It’s not patronizing to educate people. But it is misleading to offer apps that leak personal data with barely any comment on a platform built on the promise of privacy.
Most people are not currently in a position to make informed choices. It’s not about telling them what to do or not to do, but about giving them the tools to make that informed choice. The privacy info is a step in the right direction, but it’s too easy to miss it and there’s nothing educating users on why this is important.
I’ll risk repeating myself here, but the minimum I’d want, not only for my sake, but to also feel good about recommending /e/ to other people, are the following:
- Ability to search the app store only for apps with no trackers.
- Easier way of quickly judging safety of an app (this can be solved with the traffic light for instance)
- Prominent and unmissable warning when I’m at risk of installing trackers because I haven’t paid attention or whatever. I mean, hell, make people put in their password to confirm they’re ok with trackers, to avoid third persons installing something random.
I do have other issues with the app store that I don’t want to get into right now, but from a strategic perspective it makes sense to keep unsafe apps like WhatsApp etc and use it as an opportunity to educate people and help them make an informed choice.
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Hi, guys (just jumped into /e/, great work and ideas, love !).
This is really a great summup of how the /e/ app store should work for me, thanks !
And to repeat some others hints, I’d also expect /e/ to promote apps that can help us discover leaks and trackers in other apps, and/or blocks these … which comes also with serious and understandable (for non-geeks) information about how private data collection works, even in details.
So happy having come here ! (learning much thanks to you guys, and worrying more every day, but that’s life struggle in a tough world 
There are ClassyShark from F-droid and TrackerControl which is blocking trackers. It’s available on Github
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