technocritICEBlock climbs to the top of the App Store charts after officials slam it
DataproletThe devs don’t really seem to have a clue about smartphone.
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GrapheneOS (@grapheneos.org)
ICEBlock is incredibly false privacy claims for marketing. They falsely claim it provides complete anonymity when it doesn't. They're ignoring both data kept by Apple and data available to the server but not stored. They're also spreading misinformation about Android: www.iceblock.app/android
…iOS forces uses Apple services including getting apps through Apple…
Can’t speak to the rest of the claims, but Android practically does too. If one has to sideload an app, you’ve lost 99% of users, if not more.
It makes me think they’re not talking about the stock systems OEMs ship.
Relevant XKCD: xkcd.com/2501/
ZakIt makes me suspect they’re not talking about the stock systems OEMs ship.
The developers of GrapheneOS, an independent, security-oriented Android distribution are probably not only talking about stock OEM Android. What they’re saying is true about stock OEM android though.
That’s a separate issue from whether users are forced to get all their software from a specific source, which is also separate from whether users will actually use other sources when given the option.
On Android, developers can offer users a way to install an app that isn’t easily traced to their identity and on iOS they can’t. Furthermore, an Android app can be both on the Play store and available from other sources; there’s no exclusivity.
You got that “tracked to their identity” opposite around.
The reason why there is no Android App is, if the phone gets “found” the data about the user/owner is an open book.
This is not one of the claims made by the ICEBlock developers; their claims are only to do with notifications.
If you want to claim that a locked Android device is substantially easier for law enforcement to break in to than a locked iPhone, please cite up-to-date (from 2025) sources.