Mastodawn

grilled_chesse_eater

Meta Services, Sorry WHAT!?

https://lemmy.world/post/1195134

Meta Services, Sorry WHAT!? - Lemmy.world

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://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/meta-services-an-android-app-or-not/] https://fixyourandroid.com/about/facebook-app-manager/ [https://fixyourandroid.com/about/facebook-app-manager/] https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS20FE/comments/ttmx4t/meta_services/ [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.

Trojan Ham Jul 8, 2023

I find using a combination of AdAway and AFWall+ on android to be effective in blocking a lot of stuff. I run as root.

fisco™🇬🇧🇺🇦Jul 8, 2023

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…👍🏼

CranberryJam Jul 8, 2023

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.

Kururin Jul 8, 2023

Why am I not surprised

DeaLikesTrains Jul 8, 2023

Thanks for the info. Didn’t notice that this shit installed itself on my phone.

GreyFalcon Jul 8, 2023

thanks for the heads up.

MDKAOD Jul 8, 2023

Not installed on Pixel 5a (with Facebook app) or 6a

Hyperreality Jul 8, 2023

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.

ANT catalog - Wikipedia

Candybar121 Jul 8, 2023

Your privacy is only dead if you let it be. Like others have said you can ungoogle an Android phone with custom OS, or worst case go back to a non smart phone. But it’s not dead. The 4th and 14th amendment legally should cover everyone from this type of spying.

Subverb Jul 8, 2023

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.

Candybar121 Jul 8, 2023

That’s okay though as long as that small percentage stands up and does something. Because it only takes 1 person to start a lawsuit about privacy, than everybody benefits if they win!

SpezCanLigmaBalls Jul 8, 2023

Not only that but it creates a sentiment and more people could be like hmmm… how do I do what I can to protect myself

NaibofTabr Jul 8, 2023

No, we don’t have to accept that privacy is dead. We need to learn to control the technology around us.

This podcast covers this topic in depth with a lot of practical instruction for what you can do to manage your privacy and security: The Privacy, Security, and OSINT Show

The Privacy, Security, & OSINT Show

Entheon Jul 8, 2023

I have had my current device since 2020 but somehow those were installed. Might’ve missed them. I don’t use anything meta.

Thanks for pointing this out.

mArc Jul 8, 2023

For those that aren’t aware, Universal Android Debloater is a great tool to uninstall/disable bloatware.

It lists out all potential bloatware found on your device and you could disable them with a mouse click. I always use it to debloat my new devices.

GitHub - 0x192/universal-android-debloater: Cross-platform GUI written in Rust using ADB to debloat non-rooted android devices. Improve your privacy, the security and battery life of your device.

Cross-platform GUI written in Rust using ADB to debloat non-rooted android devices. Improve your privacy, the security and battery life of your device. - 0x192/universal-android-debloater

GitHub

Virkkunen Jul 8, 2023

The problem with this app is that it's very liberal on its definition of bloatware. Specially on Samsung devices, it considers bloatware and marks for disable/uninstall many critical apps, including the dialer

mArc Jul 8, 2023

Quite true that it recommends removing a lot of the apps, but we could always select and remove those we are sure we wouldn’t need.

I personally don’t and also wouldn’t recommend selecting all of the apps on the recommended list and removing them all.

The author provides comments on most if not all of the apps stating it’s use and whether it’s safe to remove, and it’s the very reason why I like the app.

DishonestBirb Jul 8, 2023

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).

giant_smeeg Jul 8, 2023

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

Candybar121 Jul 8, 2023

Found on my OnePlus 8. Never buying OnePlus again.

ultranaut Jul 8, 2023

I have a OnePlus 7pro and it’s not installed.

people_are_cute Jul 8, 2023

I’m on a Nord CE 3 Lite which is the cheapest OnePlus and even I don’t have it.

Zeth0s Jul 8, 2023

I have a pixel, no Facebook apps installed

Hazen Jul 8, 2023

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…

Zeth0s Jul 8, 2023

I stopped buying samsung because of all the garbage it preinstalls

DarkThoughts Jul 8, 2023

(I’ve never used one without it)

I'm so glad I went with a Pixel 4a. Main factors were the smaller size, but I also chose it over the cheaper Samsung alternative because of the OS. Stock Android is just nice, because then you only have to worry about the Google bullshit and not also all the other bullshit on top of that.

BornVolcano Jul 8, 2023

Razer 2 and I don’t have it

LollerCorleone Jul 8, 2023

Does anyone have info on what it does that main Meta apps already can't?

Brisolo32 Jul 8, 2023

Samsung M12, Not on it

LeHappStick Jul 8, 2023

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 Jul 8, 2023

adb stands for "Android Debug Bridge" and it's an Android tool, not specific to Xiaomi.

LeHappStick Jul 9, 2023

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

Raildrake Jul 8, 2023

Thanks for the heads up, fuck this bloat/spyware shit.

Vexz Jul 8, 2023

Does this count only for NA or EU too? I can't believe it gets installed automatically without the user's consent.

AutumnSpark1226 Jul 8, 2023

I’ve seen it on several phones in the EU, but I don’t know about NA.

eggnog Jul 8, 2023

it’s in NA too, disabled that shit ages ago

baked_tea Jul 8, 2023

I’m in EU and have a phone from (not mine) carrier plan, it was installed on it

pacjo Jul 8, 2023

One more reason to use a custom ROM. Death to the bloat!

czech Jul 8, 2023

I didnt find anything on my pixel 4a thankfully.

darcy Jul 8, 2023

consider grapheneos. i use it and its been great

SolidGrue Jul 8, 2023

Uproot from LineageOS land!

darcy Jul 9, 2023

based :) how r u liking it? i considered it but didnt want the risk of bricking my phone

SolidGrue Jul 9, 2023

I like it because it stays out of my way, for the most part. I’ve been a modder sinve the Cyanogen days, and the windows.phones before that. I like lineage because it’s just a stock android experience with decent permissions management and support for phones I like to buy.

Gettng GPay and bank apps working can be a bit of a To Do, but there’s a lot of support over at XDA for that when you run into weirdness. 5 stars, will flash again

darcy Jul 9, 2023

yeah the hardware support is a big difference to graphene.

null Jul 9, 2023

If they’re using a phone with Meta services pre-installed, it won’t support GrapheneOS

darcy Jul 9, 2023

true (i think). i bought a pixel to use grapheneos

Steeve Jul 8, 2023

Some phones used to come with Facebook pre-installed, it’s probably from that. Don’t get a Samsung lol

oryx Jul 8, 2023

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.

schizoidman Jul 8, 2023

Unless you don’t consider google software bloat.

oryx Jul 9, 2023

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

dfc09 Jul 9, 2023

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.

Zyansheep Jul 9, 2023

With pixel you can install grapheneos and have no bloat! (or optionally sandboxed bloat)

HRDS_654 Jul 9, 2023

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.

Indépendantiste Jul 9, 2023

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 as a “payment”. 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.

ilickfrogs Jul 9, 2023

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 Jul 9, 2023

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.

people_are_cute Jul 8, 2023

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.

Archy Jul 9, 2023

Is that an RSS reader for Meta products?

I Cast Fist Jul 9, 2023

Yes, but you’re the source of their feed

valpackett Jul 9, 2023

Why can’t I find any articles about decompiling and researching this one? :(