Do we need a privacy smartphone and would you actually buy one?

Do you sometimes feel that your phone is secretly listening to you? Ever get a creepy ad after you've talked about a specific topic with your friends? And do you spend the time and resources to reject all the tracking cookies your phone tries to shove down your throat constantly?

We're at the point in modern internet history where many websites are information brokers, trading with your data. The internet, as it is now, is ad-driven, and companies need data to precisely target people with ads, like guided missiles.

Smartphones are the perfect devices for granting that data; they have the necessary tools to track an obscene amount of things about you. Thanks to the GPS data, they know what places you visit, what you eat, and if you use a fitness band or a smartwatch, they even know your body vitals and how often you exercise.

If we go deeper into the tracking cookies inside smartphone browsers, we will find that they know all your preferences: what music and clothing you like, what movies you prefer, your shopping habits, what games you play, and the list goes on and on. Your smartphone probably knows you better than your significant other.

What can be done about this?

What is privacy in smartphone context?

In the realm of modern smartphones and internet browsers, privacy refers to the ability of individuals to control and protect their personal information from being collected, used, or disclosed without their consent. This includes browsing history, search queries, location data, and other sensitive information mentioned above.

Digital privacy has been an elephant in the room for the past few decades, but now it has grown in size to the point where the room can't fit it anymore. Elaborate metaphors aside, the sheer number of vendors and partners every site you visit shares your info with is astonishing. One misclick and your data is on its way to hundreds of third parties.

Technically, sites and companies wash their hands by allowing you to reject unnecessary cookies, but most of the time, it's very cumbersome and requires time and attention. We won't even go that paranoid to say that you can't even turn your phone off (as batteries can't be removed nowadays). Just because your phone screen is black doesn't mean that the modems don't ping cell towers, and there's no "statistic" data sent back to the manufacturer, the OS vendor, or any of your installed apps.

But yeah, let's not get paranoid here and see what is being tracked officially on popular Android and iOS phones.

What is being tracked?

Android devices share various data types with Google to enhance user experience and provide services. Here’s a breakdown of the key categories of data typically shared:

• Device Information:

- Model, manufacturer, and operating system version.
- Device identifiers (like IMEI and Android ID).
- Network information (such as mobile carrier and Wi-Fi network).

• Location Data:

- GPS and network-based location information when location services are enabled.
- Location history if location tracking is activated.

• Usage Data:

- App usage statistics, including which apps are installed and how frequently they are used.
- Interaction data, such as search queries and activity logs.

• Account Information:

- Google Account details, including email address and profile information.
- Sync settings for services like Google Drive, Calendar, and Contacts.

• Crash and Diagnostic Data:

- Information about app crashes, system performance, and error reports to improve software reliability.

• Voice and Audio Data:

- Voice commands and interactions with Google Assistant if voice activation is enabled.

• Advertising Data:

- Advertising IDs for personalized ads and tracking ad performance.

• Contact and Calendar Data:

- Information from contacts and calendar entries if synced with Google services.

• Payment Information:

- Payment details if using Google Pay or similar services.

What about iOS, then? Does your iPhone treat data sharing differently? Well, it's similar to Android, really. iOS shares various data types with Apple to provide services, improve user experience, and maintain security. Here's the breakdown:

• Device Information:

- Model and serial number
- Operating system version
- Unique device identifiers (UDID)

• Usage Data:

- App usage statistics
- Crash logs and diagnostics
- Performance metrics

• Location Data:

- GPS location information (if location services are enabled)
- Wi-Fi network information

• Health and Fitness Data:

- Data from health apps and devices (if permitted by the user)

• Contacts and Calendar Data:

- Information from the Contacts and Calendar apps (if synced with iCloud)

• Safari Browsing Data:

- Browsing history and website data (if using iCloud or Safari suggestions)

• Apple ID Information:

- Email address and account settings
- Purchase history and subscriptions

• App Store Activity:

- Downloads and updates of apps
- In-app purchase information

Let's say you don't want to share all these with anyone. Is there such a thing as a "privacy smartphone" that doesn't track you, listen to you, or share anything about your activity?

Are there any privacy phones that don't spy on you?

The simple answer is yes. Several brands and models focus on privacy and offer features such as hardware switches to turn off location services, Wi-Fi and cellular modem hardware kill switches, preloaded secure apps, military-grade encryption, etc.

Let's name a few, including pros and cons.

PinePhone ($149-$199)

The PinePhone is another privacy-focused smartphone that runs Linux at its core. It features hardware kill switches for the camera, microphone, and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, providing the best analog level of security you will get now. You physically disconnect these parts, so no power is sent to them, so they are really, truly off.

The phone is customizable and repairable, and Purism, the company behind the Librem 5, prioritizes ethical sourcing and manufacturing practices if you also care about the environment.

However, like the PinePhone, the Librem 5 suffers from limitations such as not having exactly polished software, limited app availability, and performance issues. The latest models are not cheap, either, starting at $799 for 32GB of onboard storage, 3GB of RAM, and a 1.5GHz quad-core processor. These are not even mid-range specs in 2024.