Using Google Authenticator? Eeeeeeek! 😱

[DoctorG]

Using Google Authenticator? Read this.

"It may collect data from at least eight different data categories, including your phone's contact list, the photos and videos on your device, plus your phone number and physical address."
– https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/google-authenticator

Via: https://social.vivaldi.net/@[email protected]/113425343723493261

[Catweazle]

@DoctorG, ..to sell it to Advertising companies. It even reads your Gmail to see if anything is going well. Poor Google also has to pay it's bills. You can't be so heartless not to give him something too.

[luetage]

@DoctorG Proton is a for‐profit business directly competing for customers with the likes of Google. This isn’t a neutral source. When you are on an Android phone with Google services, Google Authenticator is the least of your worries. Although I’m not using it either, it lacks crucial features.

[Catweazle]

@luetage, all Proton products are OpenSource, Proton AG is a Swiss foundation by scientifics of the CERN with crowdfunding. Proton's founder publicly announced on June 17, 2024, that Proton AG is now majority-owned by the Proton Foundation.The current members of the board of trustees are Andy Yen, Antonio Gambardella, Carissa Véliz, Tim Berners-Lee and Dingchao Lu.
A way different business modell as Google, there isn't any user trackig, logging or ads, the free services are all entirely paid by premium accounts (mail, VPN, Drive, etc)

[luetage]

@Catweazle You are ignoring my point, using Authenticator on an Android phone with Google services does no additional harm. Google has all your data already.

[Catweazle]

@luetage, Android is certainly controlled by Google, but by default what he know is limited by the permissions settings in the phone and using Google services, like Gmaps for your direction or Weather apps with your GPS location on (my is always off), using pay apps (I don't), etc.
The only one which always know your exact identy, independent from which service or OS, is your ISP.

[cptnoblivious]

@luetage They're actually moving towards being a non-profit.

Just FYI

[ingolftopf]

@cptnoblivious
Welcome to our 'Vivaldiverse'.

Have fun with the browser and all other possibilities with Vivaldi.

@DoctorG
@Catweazle
@luetage
@cptnoblivious
Thank you for your good contributions.

[ingolftopf]

@luetage said in Using Google Authenticator? Eeeeeeek! :

When you are on an Android phone with Google services, Google Authenticator is the least of your worries.

That's why there are very good 'Custom Roms' for many mobile phones.
Operating systems for mobile phones based on the 'Android Open Source Project' (AOSP).

Unfortunately, Apple is no different.
There is also no easy-to-install 'Alternative App Store'.

I think the 'Proton' projects are quite remarkable.
Some apps are even available on 'F-Droid'.
The better Android store.

[Catweazle]

@cptnoblivious, every company is for profit, they all have to pay their bills for the infrastructure, salaries and servers, the question is only how they do it, ethically and respectful of the user or not. Proton gain money only with it's paid premium services and offers in change free servics, reduced but free of ads and clutters. It's one of the few which offers eg a free VPN without data limits, military grade encrypted and without logs and ads.

[ingolftopf]

@Catweazle
Again, good roar, lion.

[Dancer18]

I use GrapheneOS on my Android phone and I use the authenticator from Bitwarden.

[ingolftopf]

@Dancer18
Veery good!

'GrapheneOS' is one of the best, perhaps even the best 'Custom Rom' currently available.

Unfortunately, at the moment, only available for Google 'Pixel' devices.

But they are working hard to expand the range of mobile phones.

Let's see what comes next.

Edit:
This is not because Google is so nice.

It is because very common components that are well developed for the Open Source community are used in the 'Pixel' devices to minimise costs.

And because Google guarantees long-term Google-Android support.

From this, 'GrapheneOS' then builds its 'Android Custom Rom', based on the 'Android Open Source Project' (AOSP).

[Dancer18]

@ingolftopf said in Using Google Authenticator? Eeeeeeek! :

Unfortunately, at the moment, only available for Google 'Pixel' devices.

For all who are using mobiles just for communication, pictures and some other internet-related reasons, one don't need the "highly advanced" newest super flag ships of any other label.

Pixel devices are the recommended hardware for GrapheneOS because it is most safe and without lack of important needs.

I use it - an older Pixel 6a for about 200 € - more than 12 months and I am very satisfied.

[ingolftopf]

I think 'custom roms' are highly recommended for all mobile phone/tablet users.
No matter what you do with it.

@Dancer18 very good what you are doing.
I hope as many people as possible follow your example.

[Dancer18]

@ingolftopf Yes, it feels good. I'm not an investigative journalist, who needs completely different standards than a normal user anyway, but all this excessive spying should be stopped wherever possible. We are sovereign people and not consumer slaves.

Before I finally found GrapheneOS, I looked into other solutions. Almost always my smartphone model was not in the list of compatible devices. Apart from the fact that there were/are some other snags, for example the loss of warranty.

[Catweazle]

I use my mobile mainly as I have always used a mobile, since the first brick Nokia, to receive and make calls. Although I have installed Vivaldi, I only use it on very rare occasions to consult something on the Internet.
I don't use it with banking or administrative apps, nor for chats on social networks (in any case, a horror with a small screen and my eyes that are almost 3/4 of a century old).
I don't save relevant data on my phone, because in any case I don't trust the security of these things.
I always use the cheapest ones for as long as they last until they fall into pieces. For the use I give them, this is enough for me.
Nothing like a PC for the tasks.

[iqaluit]

I use Aegis as authenticator and eyeing Graphene OS or equivalents in the market. As soon as security updates of my current phone are exhausted I will make the switch ( I hope)

[mathieulefrancois]

I use Bitwarden as my authenticator

[ingolftopf]

@Dancer18 said in Using Google Authenticator? Eeeeeeek! :

Before I finally found GrapheneOS, I looked into other solutions.

There has been something about 'GrapheneOS' in the forum for some time.

May I ask if you have installed GrapheneOS from your computer to your Google 'Pixel' phone yourself?

If so, it would be very nice if you could tell me about your installation experience.

Are you very experienced in such things?