De-Googling my life part 1

De-Googling my life part 1

"Privacy is in the hands of the beholder. It's not a problem now but it will be."

Being heavily in Google's ecosystem (after swapping out from Apple's; yes it can be done) I have come to realize just how much we are dependent on big tech companies. I have calendar, email, files, photos, storage of data (podcast files) probably more things all locked away in my Google account not to mention all the activity data built up over the years on services I use daily like Google Maps, YouTube, YouTube Music and the big one Google Search and after going through my account curiously I think I am handing over too much data to Google just as I did with Apple and I think it's time for a purge.

I'm going to start by using Google's tool called Google takeout to save as much data out of my account as possible before I start making the step to remove Google from my life (as much as possible). I would love to remove Google fully but unfortunately as a pod-caster for a football team (soccer for the Americans and Australians) I have to use YouTube at the very least as there is no alternative (Vimeo anyone? 😂)

Once I have all the data from over the years (I have no idea the file size 😬) I will figure out what I am willing to sacrifice and how much data I am willing to give Google and how I will give that data. I currently run a pixel phone so I am thinking of switching to a custom ROM like grapheneOS but if I do this I will not be using ANY! Google services installed on the device which means I will need a backup device (my old trusty pixel 6a) to have a Google account signed in to access mainstream social media (for the podcast) as they are also pretty bad with privacy which is the whole reason for this change.

The very least the Google services I have to use are:

  • Google Drive - it's cheap but only host the podcast files not personal files like receipts and phonebills etc.. other cloud storage is expensive.
  • Google Docs - podcast episode scripts, syncs with Google Drive nicely.
  • YouTube - to run my podcast channel.

There might be some others but the big ones that are a privacy nightmare and I want to get rid of are:

  • Google Maps - tracks you everywhere | stock android does this all the time hence the operating system change.
  • Google Calendar - Google doesn't need to know my work schedule among other things.
  • Google Contacts - Do they really need to know who I associate with and message?
  • Google Messages - RCS encryption keys held only by Google, yeah no thanks!
  • Google Assistant - Has your voice on file and all audio from where you've been, home and personal locations.
  • Call Screener and Hold For Me - These are pixel phone exclusives originally why I even got my pixel devices in the first place, so useful but Google records the phone call.
  • Speech To Text Typing - Another one with voice but let's face it us humans have became increasingly lazy hence why I'm not hosting this site myself and writing the code, I can but can't be bothered anymore for just a personal blog.

Google services are helpful and so useful but it truly is privacy anathema. Follow these posts to see how I go 😂