Google is awesome, nobody is denying that. It's been clear since around 1997 that Google would do very well for itself. Yeah, you know all about Google, and Google knows all about you too, which brings me to the point. Over the years Google's web services have become so awesome that it is almost impossible to use the internet without using those services. That was okay for a while, and their advertisements were non-intrusive enough that I didn't mind them. But than they sort of monopolized the internet, purchasing many major companies like Facebook, YouTube, and even the Android O.S. The biggest problem with this is what some have coined filter bubbles. Seriously, I am encouraging to watch this video explaining what I am talking about. It is very enlightening.
Despite us all being connected to a world wide web, content providers like Google tend to personalize our search results and web experience so much that we are now living in our own little bubbles, seeing what the algorithm thinks we want to see, and missing out on a lot of information and new ideas as a result. So if you ever feel like your Facebook news feed is somehow rigged, that's because it is. Facebook is engaged in all sorts of social experiments and content filtering/tailoring as well.
And if you have a gmail account, than chances are that you are always signed into your Google account when you are surfing the web, and as a result everything you do is tracked and logged. Even if you are not signed in, thanks to Google Analytics, you are still being tracked! Then factor in the fact that Google owns Android, which is currently the most popular O.S. in the world, and almost everyone that has an Android device is also logged into a Google account. Than think about the Google ads built in to a majority of the apps on the Play Store. The data mining potential is starting to become unfathomable when you put it all together. Who needs the NSA when everyone just gives it all up voluntarily?
Mass dragnet surveillance is a whole different issue, but destroying the connectivity that united the web through content personalization is an equally tragic result of too much big brother. Another thing that irritates me is that Android is supposed to be open source, but much of what is in the Play Store is now proprietary, or semi-open source software. This destroys the thing that made Android so cool: freedom to run the software you want, security through transparency, and peer-review, open source based trust. Some people wonder if Google has the ability to push software to Android devices without the users consent it's is running their framework. Nobody knows how often corporations such as Google comply with request from law enforcement, and they are certainly in one hell of an advantageous position to do so. I'd like to think this is all paranoia, but recent events have made it clear you can never be too careful in the digital world.
So it should not come as a surprise that a lot of people are looking for ways to not be dependent on the almighty Google anymore. For instance, Mozilla recently decided to ditch Google as Firefox's default search again, using Yahoo instead. Cyanogenmod has also pledged to ditch it's Google dependence, and at this point it is possible.
But how do you use Android without Google and still have a decent user experience? I know it sounds impossible, but it's not. It's actually an interesting and worthwhile challenge, and who knows, you may be happier with the alternatives. The first thing you should do if you have not already, is purchase an Android device with a bootloader that can be unlocked. This will allow you to run customized Android operating systems, or custom ROM's. Many Motorola devices allow this, and in a secure way that does not require hacking the device through a exploit any more. Instead, you buy a device that qualifies for their Bootloader Unlock program, and they provide you the unlock code. This way you can load your custom ROM and relock the bootloader, giving you much, better security. Of course, there is one catch: doing so will void your warranty. It is also likely that your current device can be unlocked. I would check xda to find out.
If you run Cyanogenmod, the game becomes a lot easier. In addition to the freedoms of alternate app stores, you also get frequent updates and tons of features that stock Android does not have with CM. You can use your Cyanogemod account for a device management instead of a Google account, allowing secure remote location and wiping for anti theft, and other things you'd expect from that kind of service.
There are many app stores out there that you can use instead of the Google Play store, my favourites are FDroid and Aptoid. Aptoid has an incredible amount of apps, and FDroid is great because they strictly adhere to the open source guidelines. For instance, if an application does something sketchy like report your location periodically, FDroid will list it as an anti-feature. It's also really fun discovering what these alternate app stores recommend, and it's refreshing to see a variety of pure open source apps that are not in the Play Store for whatever reason.
If you still want to have the Google framework in case you need it occaisonally or change your mind, simply freeze the apps with Titanium Backup, and you can get them back any time. If you think you could not live without Maps, I would recommend checking out some of the OSM (open street map) applications. Many are fine navigators, and offer features Maps does not such as storing maps for offline use, allowing you to navigate without a data connection, using nothing but the satellites in the sky. This is also preferable because you can use the GPS without leaking your sensitive location data to random servers. The entire concept of A-GPS is a bit scary to me. Okay, that concludes this blog. Try the open source challenge. You may be pleasantly surprised.
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