You are probably safe. Long story short: Google/Apple has the technical ability to force anything on your phone, as you might hear from the Snowden files.

They will only do it if they receive a court order / NSL letter. If you are not into any kind of violence, you are solid.

I use brave browser to block trackers and ads and other sorts of things. You can go pretty deep down the privacy on android rabbit hole and it will never be the same easy to use experience. For me I just use brave and limit social apps as much as possible. So no reddit, FB, Twitter, TikTok (obviosly), whatsapp. Im considering using Telegram for messages but that will be an uphill battle getting my social group using it. Android can also use a VPN by default. That will add another layer of privacy and anti tracking.

i'd say you are a 5/10 on the scale of paranoia, i'm at 8/10 with my cheap old dumb phone that's essentially used as a landline xD

I don't even use apps for news, I just use my browser (Brave)... Yea, if you gotta dive into the belly of the beast and take a risk though, do it... I'd try clearing your news apps' cache/data first, then do the update if needed.

Hey guys, I'm new. I'm also a developer. I can't give you a straight answer... but I can give you this:

(don't worry, paragraph after next is meant for laymens)

TLS and SSL have been receiving updates a LOT. I may be confused with enforcing. Basically, phones have been forced to use the latest standards, when they weren't a year or two back. Google's API update for 2019 made me rewrite A LOT of Java from someone else's project. I had to rip out just enough React (RxJava) to make it work, but not too much to rewrite the whole app. For you programmers, that means I rewrote the GSON to my own JSON parser and used Volley otherwise.

For you non-techies, that means a lot of stuff under-the-hood has been swapped in the past 2 years because standards are now being enforced (no more TLS 1.0). It's too easy to break, and known exploits for older SSL allow a middle-man attack too easily.

Also, Apple and Google have a thing where you can enforce updates. ALSO, Apple put in a new SSO (single sign on, eg, use someone else to sign in) which Android probably also did/copied. (I hate to say Apple was first since Android is more free and allows more).

Look into Librem, PinePhone, Ubuntu Touch, Necunos, and possibly other privacy-focused linux devices. Blackphone still updated?

Edit: If you learn Fiddler, Wireshark, and/or Charles... you can hook up your phone and see what it's transmitting. BUT... I don't recommend this if you can't at least navigate your router settings or have CCNA or Network+ equivalent knowledge. I don't have the certs myself... but I know networks.

I have been trying to figure out which browser is best. It's difficult to decide.. Every time I think that I figured one out, I find something bad about it. Is there a browser that has some of the features Google has. Bookmarks you can organize, access to a document creator , I can't think of the other things at this moment. Even if it has a way to just organize my bookmarks that would be great! I have been using Duck Duck Go but lately it seems like they are suggesting a lot of Commie-crat bullcrap. Again, I might just be being paranoid. Lol I would rather be paranoid and prepared than comfortable and conned.