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Comment by goku12 | Hacker News Reader

This is truly egregious. Facebook and Instagram are installed by default on many android phones and cannot be fully uninstalled. And even if asked for consent, many people may choose the harmful option by mistake or due to lack of awareness. It's alarming that these companies cannot be held to even the bare minimum standards of ethics.

As an aside, there was a discussion a few days back where someone argued that being locked in to popular and abusive social/messaging platforms like these is an acceptable compromise, if it means retaining online contacts with everyone you know. Well, this is precisely the sort of apathy that gives these platforms the power to abuse their marketshare so blatantly. However, it doesn't affect only the people who choose to be irresponsible about privacy. It also drags the ignorant and the unwilling participants under the influence of these spyware.

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This is why I just spent weeks tracking down a modern device that I could vendor unlock and install LineageOS on. It's no longer possible on recent OnePlus devices and many people selling other brands on Swappa and Amazon claim their devices are vendor unlockable when they're actually just carrier unlockable. I don't want any vendor's crapware running on my device. I hate that I "have to" use Google Play to function in the modern world but Lineage and MindTheGapps is at least a less bad way to go.

I should sit down and try something like postmarketOS or Mobian as a portable Linux machine is what I really want ...

That's what I plan to do too. My current device is locked down pretty aggressively. But the problem here is, what percentage of the population has the skill and patience to do it? These companies need to hold only a simple majority of the population hostage. The holdouts like you or me can be eventually peer pressured into accepting the same abuse.

For example, let's say that you avoid a certain abusive messaging platform. But what if your bank or some other essential institution insist on using it to provide their service? We can complain all they want. But they will probably just neglect you until you concede in despair.

To fight this, you need affordable and ethical alternatives for the device, platform and applications. You also would need either regulation or widespread public awareness. Honestly, the current situation is hopeless on that front.

> I should sit down and try something like postmarketOS or Mobian as a portable Linux machine is what I really want ...

Or you can buy Librem 5 with preinstalled Debian-like OS. Works for me.

Coincidentally, I just saw the announcement about the Fairphone 6 which is similar to the above _and_ is able to be repaired or upgraded by mere mortals.

Librem 5 runs a Debian-like OS. It can also be easily upgraded. Most important things in it can also be repaired, including the battery, modem and WiFi card.

You can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to disable pre-installed Facebook/Instagram apps without root via `pm disable-user` commands, effectively preventing them from running or collecting data.

which what, 0.5% of users will know and be able to do?

That number is way way way way way too high

That's what I did. But as others point out, how many know about this? And modifications are getting harder by the year. They are relying on these factors to ensure that the majority of the population remains exploitable.

Bettet make it a script or ansible playbook from the start since you will need to reapply it after system updates.

I don't want their shit on my phone at all. Can I remove it entirely?

With root.

So the ADB method alone isn't sufficient?

Buy a phone that doesn't sell your soul to the highest bidder. Or install an alternative OS.

You don't buy a bike and complain about the missing roof

Edit:// on my last Xiaomi I could remove anything with ADB, even definitely necessary apps, without root, do try it.

> Facebook and Instagram are installed by default on many android phones and cannot be fully uninstalled

If you buy a phone with this kind of business practice. It's still your own choice to do so. Many good brands let you remove any app.

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