Meta/Facebook preinstalls an app called Meta Services (previously Facebook services) on a very large percentage of android devices (I’ve never used one without it) and while they claim it helps updates and synchronisation between different meta apps, it is very suspicious. Why preinstall it on devices of people who will potentialy never use a single meta app?

Go to your app list/app management and show system apps and find anything with the words “meta” or “Facebook” then turn off network access for those apps (if you can) and disable them. (eg. Meta app manager, Meta app installer).

https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/meta-services-an-android-app-or-not/

https://fixyourandroid.com/about/facebook-app-manager/

https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS20FE/comments/ttmx4t/meta_services/

Edit: Looking around I have found several people complaining that this app is using their ram for 10 hours a day even though they don’t use anything Meta. That’s even more suspicious.

  • CranberryJam@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    91·
    1 year ago

    If it can’t be uninstalled, try using adb commands from a computer to remove it. I got rid of a bunch of preinstalled stuff on my phone that way.

  • JohnEdwa@kbin.social
    40·
    1 year ago

    Blame the phone manufacturer, they are the ones that took the bribe to put it there just like with every other bundled crapware.

  • Hyperreality@kbin.social
    35·
    1 year ago

    It’s not unlikely to be an NSA thing which allows them to access everthing. That sounds paranoid, but Snowden happened so we know they were doing stuff like this 10 years ago:

    DROPOUTJEEP … “A software implant for the Apple iPhone that utilizes modular mission applications to provide specific SIGINT functionality. This functionality includes the ability to remotely push/pull files from the device. SMS retrieval, contact list retrieval, voicemail, geolocation, hot mic, camera capture, cell tower location, etc. Command, control and data exfiltration can occur over SMS messaging or a GPRS data connection. All communications with the implant will be covert and encrypted.”

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANT_catalog

    To be honest, I think we just have to accept privacy is dead. The only real choice that remains is whether to regularly teabag our phones on on the off chance someone’s looking.

      • unceme@lemmy.one
        10·
        1 year ago

        I run a degoogled Pixel 6A with GrapheneOS and Linux on my desktop. I logged in to Google once on my phone and still haven’t logged in a single time on my desktop. I don’t use any of the gsuite apps.

        I don’t think the average person should or could reasonably do this. Google is so closely ingrained in society that removing it from your life requires a significant amount of effort to make sure you can still have as much of the stuff you need to participate in society as possible. Some of that stuff just doesn’t exist now without Google.

        I’m glad that the software and tools and resources exist to de-google yourself for those that want to but its just not an option for most people.

        • TooTallSol@kbin.social
          4·
          1 year ago

          Some of that stuff just doesn’t exist now without Google.

          I disagree. EVERYTHING Google offers has some sort of alternative. Will it take more effort? Sure. But I have been Google free for over 2 years now and I have not once been unable to do anything because Google has some imagined exclusivity.

          Start here for apps
          CalyxOS
          GrapheneOS

          And for the diehard there’s the Fairphone

          • unceme@lemmy.one
            4·
            1 year ago

            I’m typing this message on GrapheneOS. My point isn’t that it’s completely impossible but rather that degoogling basically has to become your hobby in order to fully do it. It requires a level of effort that’s not practical for the average person so its unreasonable to expect everyone to do it. Also, FOSS and non-google alternatives are often not as good as the service google provides for free, like Google Maps. I use OSMAnd as my daily maps app, but its pretty finnicky and isn’t anywhere close to the smooth, polished experience of Google Maps, and its lacking some important functionality. I still use it, because I’m committed to trying to avoid Google software as much as possible, but its definitely not the best experience.

            Also, a lot of institutions andemployers use the G-Suite and so its impoesible for people that have to do business with those organizations to be entirely free of google. My university uses the G-Suite and when school comes back in the fall I’ll be stuck using it again. The local school district does too.

      • Subverb@lemmy.world
        5·
        1 year ago

        I think the point is that such a vanishingly small percentage of people know how to do what you suggest (or care at all about privacy yammering) that it’s irrelevant to society’s overall privacy.

    • bouncing@partizle.comEnglish
      10·
      1 year ago

      Of course not. Google is a competitor to Facebook.

      But much of the long tail of Android phones bundle Facebook shovelware.

      • SuperSleuth@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Depends on your phone provider really. AT&T? Chocked full of crap. Verizon? Chocked full of crap. TMobile? Barely anything. Google Fi also doesn’t install anything.

        Let’s not even get started on unlocked, AT&T devices blocking updates unless you’re using their service.

          • SuperSleuth@lemm.eeEnglish
            1·
            1 year ago

            You are correct my good sir, I imagine their excuse would be that it subsidizes the device.

            • bouncing@partizle.comEnglish
              2·
              1 year ago

              Well it definitely does. But it’s still a dark pattern, especially because you usually have no warning about it when you buy the device.

  • fisco™🇬🇧🇺🇦@lemmy.mlEnglish
    30·
    1 year ago

    I always, disable or remove anything to do with Facebook or Meta, & lots of other crap, as a first sweep of a new phone or installation…👍🏼

  • DishonestBirb@lemmy.worldEnglish
    23·
    1 year ago

    Shit like this is why I use a DeGoogled phone. Get a Pixel and install GrapheneOS or CalyxOS and use open source apps wherever you can, and sandbox any Google Play apps you have to use (banking, etc).

      • priapus@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        16·
        1 year ago

        I don’t think they were implying that it was. Pixel phones don’t have this, but they have loads of other methods of stealing your data. Ungoogled ROMs are focused on complete privacy, not just from google.

    • giant_smeeg@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      I’ve always wanted to do this. How stable are these roms? Do all apps work without issue from google play?

      • drcobaltjedi@programming.devEnglish
        4·
        1 year ago

        Not the person you asked, but I run Calyx. It has microG services to impersonate google services. It works most of the time, but I have found a few apps that straight up don’t work since microG isn’t 100% viable yet.

        • giant_smeeg@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          1 year ago

          Which apps and what do they rely on? I just need stuff like banking/email/browser/whatsapp(I know but it’s what everyone uses here).

          • drcobaltjedi@programming.devEnglish
            5·
            1 year ago

            If you use the aurora store it will tell you what apps require google services. My banking app works perfectly fine though I’ve heard others don’t so your milage may vary. Calyx came preinstalled with an email app which works fine, though f-droid has dozens of foss alternatives. Calyx also came preinstalled with chromium though I switched to fennec (firefox). I believe whatsapp works though I don’t have it installed nor will I.

      • CrypticCoffee@lemm.eeEnglish
        3·
        1 year ago

        I’ve not found issues on mine other than when I don’t share my location and need to manually input.I quite like that though.

  • oryx@lemmy.worldEnglish
    21·
    1 year ago

    One of the pros of using a Pixel! Absolutely no bloat on my previous 4a or my current 7 besides a T-Mobile app that was installed because of my SIM card. Uninstalled that and I was golden.

      • Indépendantiste@lemmy.worldEnglish
        16·
        1 year ago

        Honestly, if I have the choice, I will choose Google to keep my data over Facebook/meta. While they will do the same stuff with it, at least they give me good products in exchange for my personal life. I also think Google is more transparent about how they collect their data and they let you pretty easily opt out of most of the very intrusive stuff. I also trust their security a whole lot more than Meta’s as they are pretty innovative in that space (like with webauthn)

        • ilickfrogs@lemmy.worldEnglish
          4·
          1 year ago

          That’s always been my only reason for holding google to a different standard. I know what data they harvest and see really clever optimizations and tailored experiences for me on their services. I actively see the benefit of my data being collected as the end user. I’ve ever felt that with meta products.

      • peregus@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        1 year ago

        Well, using Samsung (and whatever other brands) smartphone you my have Samsung spying on you (because he can install whatever he wants) AND Google because he provides Samsung the OS. With a Pixel phone, you’re spied only by Google.

      • oryx@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        1 year ago

        True, but most of it is useful and not useless games and shit. Google tracking me is better than Meta, I suppose.

        • dfc09@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          1 year ago

          I agree, at least with Google you get maps, timeline, a password manager, photos, drive, an entire suite of Microsoft office-like software, streamlined 2FA on my pixel phone (just pops up on screen, no text or email needs sending), etc. If I have to strike a deal with a devil, I may as well choose the useful devil.

      • HRDS_654@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        While technically it is, it mostly depends on whether you use Google products. I use some of them, but not all of them so the ones I don’t use I still consider bloat personally. Regardless of how I feel about it though anything pre-installed that you can’t uninstall is bloat and Samsung, in my experience, is the fucking worst I’ve used.

    • Zangoose@lemmy.oneEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      It doesn’t seem to be on my OnePlus 9 Pro so I don’t think it’s on every OnePlus device, this is anecdotal though and I don’t exactly trust OnePlus much anymore

  • LeHappStick@lemmy.worldEnglish
    15·
    1 year ago

    All the phones I’ve had come with bloatware like this, I currently have a Xiaomi phone and MIUI itself is bloatware, the ROM is full of ads. Thankfully there is an “adb” software for Xiaomi phones that allows you to disable or remove this pre-installed malware.

    Of the cheap Samsung, LG and huawei phones that I’ve had they also come with random bs pre-installed that can’t be uninstalled without the help of third party software.

    • fenndev@fedia.io
      14·
      1 year ago

      adb stands for “Android Debug Bridge” and it’s an Android tool, not specific to Xiaomi.

      • LeHappStick@lemmy.world
        1·
        1 year ago

        Yes my bad, it is just that the one I have is called ‘‘XiaomiADBFastbootTools’’ so that caused some confusion on that beautiful brain of mine

    • Hazen@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      I have Samsung S10 ultra. Never used Facebook, but this services app was installed used data. Can’t uninstall it. I can disable it but that’s not enough…

  • people_are_cute@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
    15·
    1 year ago

    This is why I avoid Samsung like the plague. Chinese brands atleast let you swap the stock ROM with whatever you like, with minimal effort.