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  • Adara AstinAdaraAstin@supervolcano.angryshark.eu
    Nov 10, 2026, 1:05 AM

    Security / privacy heads up: It looks like Google is now publicly linking the phone number on Google Pixel phones (or at least Pixel 4 and up) [edit: and some non-Google phones too -- see comments in the thread] to any Gmail/Google account you've logged into that phone with.

    "Phone number verification is turned on by default. We verify the phone number and add them to all Google Accounts that are signed in on the device. This applies to both current and future accounts and phone numbers. "

    I.e., if you write erotica, have an Only Fans, do sex work, etc., and you have logged into your alt email addresses on your phone, Google will now make your personal phone number "findable" for anyone who has that email address.

    This will potentially adversely affect a lot of (vulnerable and/or marginalized) people.

    Everyone has been opted into this by default (because who has heard of consent or security in tech circles grrr).

    To opt out:

    1. On your phone, go to Settings, then next to your account name at the very top, go to "Google Services and Preferences".

    2. Under “Privacy & security,” select Phone number verification.

    3. Select whether to verify your phone number.

    If you don't want your different identities linked and findable, make this change asap.

    I hope that tech and especially infosec people and privacy advocates raise hell about this. (No one listens to the rest of us.)

    *I don't work in tech, but I haven't seen tech people talk about this yet (from my limited Fedi vantage point).

    Stay safe and keep your people safe.

    Read more in the Google support pages.

    support.google.com/android/ans

    You're welcome to boost or share this post, but if you see tech professionasl discuss it, I'd much rather you quote them, and if you discuss this outside of Fedi, please do *not* give me credit. I don't need reply guys coming at me, I just want to flag people on what might be a problem. Thanks for your understanding. 1/2

    #Infosec #Cybersecurity #Google #Pixel #Gmail

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Replies

  • Adara AstinAdaraAstin@supervolcano.angryshark.eu
    Nov 10, 2026, 1:17 AM

    For the love of all that's holy, do not come into my mentions to lecture anyone about how we should "just" not use Google phones, Gmail, etc.

    Point the non IT professional people at a good choice that is stable, user friendly, reliable, not sloppified, and not funding or associated with horrific causes, plus provide tech support, and people will be all over it. Does such a thing exist? In 2026, the field looks pretty slim.

    To be very clear: I am NOT soliciting advice on tech alternatives in this thread. If you want to talk about them, start your own thread, and do not quote me.

    Nobody wants or needs smugness or condescension, we're all trying to survive a world on fire while our tools blow up or endanger us every day. So yeah, keep the "Just do this [thing premised on affluence, leisure time, or a lifetime of accumulated tech skills] -- it's easy!" to yourself or I will block you. 2/2

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  • Gemini6Icegemini6ice@hachyderm.io
    Nov 10, 2026, 4:39 PM

    @AdaraAstin the same goes for common desktop applications or clients too. 🙌 Most stuff is horribly lacking in user-friendly how-tos, providing obtuse docs that are predicated on esoteric tech knowledge, if the docs even EXIST.

    “Why are you using Microsoft Foo? Just use Garbledygomp Cruftware (but be sure to use the Dibblestomp fork!) Of course you know how to use a package manager and command line compiler.”

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  • anon💫anon81@vivaldi.net
    Nov 10, 2026, 3:04 AM

    @AdaraAstin
    It's not only in Pixel phones, I have a Samsung and my telephone was add to all my accounts too. My partner has a Xiaomi and also happened. I think it's a hidden feature in all androids devices now

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  • LukefromDCLukefromDC@kolektiva.social
    Nov 10, 2026, 6:46 AM

    @temmie19 @AdaraAstin @anon81 They can be, either by a 24 hour wait and an "advanced workflow" or over ADB. A factory reset followed by degoogling the pbone will also work.

    On Pixels, you can shitcan the stock OS if and only if the phone was never locked by any carrier at any time. I never buy locked phones.

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  • sagewhiskersmorgana_catbus@blorbo.social
    Nov 10, 2026, 3:10 AM

    @AdaraAstin Hey! Could you elaborate a little more on the "findable" part, if you know more? I see in the link it mentions "Better sharing on Google" but I can't seem to find any information on this elsewhere. It seems to vaguely imply that the function *may* be internal sharing facilitation, not visible to other users, but not even Google's own support pages are coming up with more info when I look. Just nothing :(

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  • LukefromDCLukefromDC@kolektiva.social
    Nov 10, 2026, 6:51 AM

    @morgana_catbus @AdaraAstin I did some reading in the article, and I suspect that if you want Google never to know your phone number, you need to de-Google the phone or install an alternative OS prior to ever putting the SIM in it or provisioning an E-SIM.

    It probably works to not make a Google account or link the phone to one at setup, but we don't know if Google Play Services still silently sends the number to Google in the absence of an account.

    If this is ever run even once and you have a contract phone, this will link everything you do on it at a level good enough to use against you IN COURT.

    I have three layers of defense against this myself:
    1: No Google account ever
    2: No Google Play Services
    3: No contract phone, no credit cards for phone, SIM, or airtime and no name or address ever given to the carrier.

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  • Elias Mårtensonloke@functional.cafe
    Nov 10, 2026, 4:27 AM

    @AdaraAstin thanks. I also found a few other places where I had been opted in to sharing information, even though I am sure I went through all these screens not long ago.

    I wouldn't have thought of checking this if it wasn't for your tip. Thanks a lot.

    I keep asking myself why on earth this is legal.

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  • d.riftd_rift@beige.party
    Nov 10, 2026, 5:13 AM

    @AdaraAstin Be sure to check your google account and delete associated phone numbers from it after you've disabled all the features. This is also worth occasionally checking because I've seen a google account set to not absorb numbers do so before but there might have been third parties involved in that instance.

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  • Dr Ro SmithRhube@wandering.shop
    Nov 10, 2026, 6:29 AM

    @AdaraAstin Jesus, it (or something similar) is on my Samsung Galaxy phone too: Google Services>Phone number sharing. Thanks for the heads up!

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  • LukefromDCLukefromDC@kolektiva.social
    Nov 10, 2026, 6:44 AM

    @AdaraAstin Yet again we have a situation where setting up the phone without a Google account (and without Play store access as a result) prevents a major privacy breach.

    Google is just plain too dangerous a company to let into your life if you are a sex worker, a whistleblower, or an activist and also do anything where this information cannot be allowed to leak.

    I for one consider both Google and Facebook to be two of the most malicious Internet servers on the planet, basically doxxing and malware sites with official permission to exist. Neither is allowed in my life and I have reason to believe this may have protected me from major problems more than once. There are no Google settings on my phone as there is no Google Play Services.

    If you don't have a Google account at all, no future update can turn this sort of linkage on. If you also disable Google Play Services and remove all Gapps, Google has no way to pull you back into the surveillance capitalism fold with a malicious update.

    Thankfully, an existing phone can be logged out of Google and the account then closed over a web browser preferably other than chrome but for this job probably any will do. You'll have to get your apps from outside the Play Store of course, and forget thing like in-app payments.

    Malicious updates have been served by both Google and Facebook over the years. At one point, Facebook turned on an antifeature that uploaded all your contacts to Meta servers if you used the FB app and were logged in. Now we have a similar action by Google, coming on the heels of trying to silently push an app whose sole purpose is to make sideloading more difficult to existing phones via a Google Play update.

    Let's not forget that during Trump's first term, Google Maps got caught saving logs of approximate location to Google servers even if you had location history explicitly turned off. Google at least moved all location history shit to user phones and off their servers after the combination of the J6 geofence warrants and the Dobbs SCOTUS decision to allow states to ban abortion.

    With talk that subpeonas to Google for abortion travel data were coming, Google threw in the towel as this was too spicy even for them. When a Fascist Texas prosecutor wanted to investigate a suspected out of state abortion, they tried to get the same info from Flock instead.

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  • Ruby Jonesrubyjones@wandering.shop
    Nov 10, 2026, 6:59 AM

    @AdaraAstin I've shared this as screenshots on Tumblr (without linking back to you) hope that's OK! Your explanation seems clear and I didn't have the spoons to write up my own.

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  • mossmanmossman@vivaldi.net
    Nov 10, 2026, 8:18 AM

    @AdaraAstin I f***ing knew it! God damn you Google. This shit again! Again! I am *SO* degoogling the next phone I get...

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  • dazinismdazinism@social.coop
    Nov 10, 2026, 8:25 AM

    @AdaraAstin

    Disabling Google Play Services and Google Play Store on a phone does create some problems as, for some years now, Google does send important security fixes to Android devices via Play Store.

    On Pixels you can install GrapheneOS which has amazing security and privacy and doesnt have any Google services. If you need them you can install Play Services and Play Store on GrapheneOS. They run without the elevated privileges they have elsewhere. They are just like any other app. They cant read your phone number unless you grant them the Phone or SMS permissions.

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  • Resunaresuna@ohai.social
    Nov 10, 2026, 8:55 AM

    @AdaraAstin

    Also, go into your Google profile settings and turn off sharing (set to "only me") anything that you don't want to show up in your profile(s). I would personally suggest turning just about everything off, just on general principles.

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  • fairfarrenfairfarren@mstdn.plus
    Nov 10, 2026, 9:08 AM

    @AdaraAstin
    Thanks for the heads up. Looking for Google alternatives is actually how I found the Fediverse and discovered FOSS. I'm not even logged into a Google account on my phone, even though it's an Android.

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  • happyborghappyborg@indieweb.social
    Nov 10, 2026, 9:52 AM

    @AdaraAstin@angryshark.eu I can't find these settings, pixel 9a. Opening settings doesn't show what you describe and searching didn't help. I'm sure you don't mean Play Services, but that does show account stuff at the top so I looked there and can't find it either.

    EDIT: NBD for me as for some reason I never used my Gmail account for anything else 🤔

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  • Pete Orrallpeteorrall@bsd.cafe
    Nov 10, 2026, 11:05 AM

    @AdaraAstin Can you recommend any alternatives for Google Voice? I've been wanting to get off it for years but haven't found a (free) replacement.

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  • Charles A-MCentretowner@urbanists.social
    Nov 10, 2026, 1:27 PM

    @AdaraAstin wow, thanks for sharing this. We don't issue cell phones to our employees and some people put their work email on their personal phones for convenience. I'll certainly be reviewing this and compiling advice to send my colleagues!

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