when I discovered special access rights for apps (probably a dark pattern to hide interesting access rights):
Go to “Settings → Apps → Special app access”
There, you’ll find some important access rights:
Device Admin Apps
Display Over Other Apps
Modify System Settings
Notification Access
Wi-Fi Control
I believe /e/OS apps there are OK but third-party apps ?
Example:
Imagine “Fake your location” is active in “Advanced privacy” shield and Whatsapp is able to control Wifi around your phone with special access “Wi-Fi Control”.
From what i know advanced privacy is a system app and so its execution comes before any other non-system app. Fake location or IP adress is then used by the entire phone. I am, too, using whatsapp, and the exodus report seems to show that there’s no trackers in the app (except facebook flipper). However, the autorizations you give to the app matter. I advise you using Chat launch for whatsapp which allows you to add phone numbers to whatsapp without giving it your contact autorization. By default, /e/OS do not give any permissions to the apps without asking you. Keep an eye on that i guess.
The question is what happens if the phone uses a GPS fake location and then a app defines a new location based on Wi-Fi triangulation or Wi-Fi network name like Google cars recording all Wi-Fi network names (street view )?
Won’t work. The app will be forced to use the custom location set by the phone. From what i know, every apps using location will be using that custom location.
Of course, if you want extra control on these kind of things, you can consider rooting your phone. In that case you could use XPL (formerly XPrivacyLua), App Ops, TrackerControl etc.
I wrote a topic about that. Just search for it and find out the benefits.
