eOS /e/OS e Foundation disastrous security WARNING-2

Discussion
#1

Please consider Topic eOS /e/OS e Foundation microG WARNING-1 first – thank you.
You may think that I am coming across too strong with disastrous security but these are not my words they stem from a German Tech site golem reviewing eOS. I was greatly assisted in the translation by German speaking posters at eFound community and discovering DeepL translation site with AI apparently! This was the final nail in the coffin that determined my shiny gold eS7 phone was to be returned – what a disaster? :woozy_face:
Here is an extract from the lengthy golem article - Please draw your own conclusions abot e foundation, golem and InfoSec and do a little research yourselves.
/e/ would be a great system that nerds and privacy activists could recommend or install to their less tech-savvy parents or friends so that their old devices get security updates and are less monitored by Google. In reality it turns out to be a bit different, because outdated apps, especially messengers and browsers, both in the app store and in the operating system itself, as well as the unknown origin of the apps do not allow for any recommendation.
This is also no excuse for the fact that /e/ is still in beta, because /e/ is already advertising users and selling devices with pre-installed operating systems without any indication of the disastrous security. However, this is not visible at least not for a less tech-savvy target group.(…)"
I think Golem is referring to me – Andy! :shushing_face:
Privacy enabled ??? Spok; This is privacy Jim, but not as we know it! :joy:
You may dismiss this independent review as a one off but for the fact that InfoSec confirmed this and more in their independent review. Admin tried to dismiss this too as being an old review and things were now fixed at eFoundation – Yeh, right? Admin did not say that the article had been updated not once but twice with recent final review of e. Whilst e admin including Gael Duval will not respond to golem and refuse to answer questions and emails from InfoSec then they roll-out cheerleaders to post how super eOS is and then add their personal likes to the cheerleader’s post. Tacky or what! Barf Out! :face_vomiting: In the background e admin then shut down posts relating to this disastrous security to stifle any future discussion – this is done under the false guise of Automatic shut-down. :lying_face:

https://community.e.foundation/t/e-privacy-enabled-android-rom-or-evil-corp-infosec-handbook/2804

https://community.e.foundation/t/infosec-handbook-25-12-2019-final-look/10638

https://codeberg.org/infosechandbook/scripts/raw/branch/master/other/e-rom-domain-names.txt

You may find links useful as a start. Please contain your posts here to e foundation articles of golem and InfoSec as I will post other seperate warnings for discussion.

2 Likes
#2

@Andy2 do I need to smash my smart phone or pull out the battery and never use it again?
What is eOS/e/OS? Yes, way too much info for this old timer. What’s the bottom line?

#3

Hi @easyt50 Howard from one old timer (70) to another - hope you are safe and well.

Check the link and you will see their claims about security and privacy of your data - de-googled too!

I foolishly believed all their claims and bought a refurbished S7 with eOS preinstalled from them - what a disaster. :lying_face: Seemed just as bad as a regular Android or iPhone so eventually returned it. :unamused:
I have posted these warnings so that hopefully no one else falls blindly into this trap and will do a little digging first. :thinking:
ps; Check out DiskLabs Faraday bags PS1 or 2. It will stop you being tracked while its in the bag.

2 Likes
#4

Hi @Andy2, so you’re 70. Well guess what? I’m 70 too. Turned 70 this past February. I guess we might be two of the oldest user on this site. Yes, stay safe and keep on trucking.

1 Like
#5

Thanks for sharing the discovery!

I’ve been looking around at Android alternatives and e/os has been a tempting option. Knowing that its a security risk, I’m pointed back at the Linux phone options PureOS and PinePhone. One of the few working options right now is UBports’ Ubuntu Touch. https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/
Also still in Beta - and not yet ready to be a daily driver, it comes installed on the PinePhone UBports edition (currently for sale) but can be downloaded and installed for free on a Nexus5 device available from ebay. I’m interested in the PinePhone as a android replacement - but with it still under development the best privacy option right now is to install Ubuntu Touch on a Nexus 5, or use a De-Googled android phone.
Rob Braxman talked about them in this video https://youtu.be/EawS7CAUrf8 - the De-Googled android used mis-information to obscure your data with a spoofed google server.
The ultimate privacy step is to drive over a bridge and toss your phone in the river… something many (including myself) cant bring themselves to do.

2 Likes
#6

Hey @mongst I have also been looking around at phone and OS combinations. Think that we should alert readers that you may have to pay import taxes on a Pinephone. Don’t forget that UBports also promotes the FairPhone-2 and the faster more powerful OnePlus-One along with 37 others at various stages. Would be great to use TOR browser on a phone. Please let us know how you get on after you have decided.

#7

Thank you for the detailed info here. I’ve missed looking at your thread. It’ll take me a while to check everything you’ve mentioned.

We’ll make sure to add a disclaimer in our older articles about /e/OS after verifying the claims.

2 Likes
#8

@Ankush_Das I discovered ephones from an it’sFOSS newsletter without any caveats or warnings. :guardsman:

This would be very good for Noobies and those not so conversant with security, privacy, tracking and data mining. :man_supervillain:
I am confident that my claims and those of independent reviews will stand up but should you require any assistance with checking out my claims please use internal mail to save clutter here - thanks. :+1:

1 Like