GrapheneOSGrapheneOS started in 2014 and was originally named CopperheadOS. In late 2015, the Copperhead company was founded which was meant to support the project. Copperhead didn't create CopperheadOS and didn't own or control it. Copperhead made a failed takeover attempt on it in 2018.
GrapheneOS still has the original CopperheadOS repositories on GitHub. Copperhead seized a bunch of the project's infrastructure and accounts. They created a closed source fork of GrapheneOS called CopperheadOS after the split which was not the same CopperheadOS as the original.
Copperhead remained entirely dependent on GrapheneOS and had to keep forking our code for each major Android update. Despite depending on GrapheneOS, they waged a war against it trying to destroy the project and attempting to ruin the lives of our team, especially our founder.
Copperhead heavily pushed the false narrative that they created the project and that we created a fork in 2018 which absolutely isn't true. Their claims fell apart in their legal attacks on GrapheneOS and we wiped out their closed source fork by forbidding them using our code.
Copperhead heavily edited Wikipedia to push their false narrative. It's why there's a huge article on CopperheadOS presenting it as a separate product when it wasn't one and an inaccurate history in the GrapheneOS article. False narratives about our team are still there too.
Copperhead published a bunch of press releases and did interviews pushing their false narrative. Many companies including Twitter defaulted to taking the word of a tiny corporation falsely claiming credit for our work over us. We've yet to receive back our stolen Twitter account.
Copperhead made the attacks personal and targeted the founder of GrapheneOS with fabricated stories and vile personal attacks. Henry Fisher (Techlore) collaborated with Copperhead to make it into widespread harassment. Others opportunistically took advantage of the situation.
Nicolas Merrill took advantage of the situation. He hired a Copperhead employee involved in the takeover to create CalyxOS. CalyxOS heavily used our code and documentation. It was promoted by attacking us and portraying themselves as being above the situation with Copperhead.
Nicolas Merrill burned down Calyx and CalyxOS on his way out. Nick was secretly working on a for-profit company to replace Calyx. He used Calyx resources for his personal benefit and was pushed out. Louis Rossmann is one of 3 co-founders of the company:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2009536/000200953624000001/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml
No one should believe the false narratives peddled by these people. They've always been in it for personal benefit and have caused immense harm to actual efforts to improve privacy and security. We're willing to forgive people who were duped by their fabrications, just reach out.
We're offering forgiveness to people who have engaged in years of libel/harassment towards us if they take down their attacks, debunk it and help repair the harm caused to us. This offer even extends to Henry Fisher and Louis Rossmann. Alternatively, we can address it in court.
Stone@GrapheneOS I'm new to grapheneOS and I love your operating system. All you guys do a perfect job. Thank you for that. What I cannot understand is, why you take part of some discussion around your organization and your team. To my opinion, you don't need to do that. You are above this statements and don't need to come down on this stage. To my opinion, this is useless and you reduce your value taking part of useless discussion.
@stoneubi Should we do nothing about the extreme libel, bullying and harassment directed towards our team members? This is happening every day, throughout the day. It takes a huge toll on the project. We could remain silent about it but that's not going to stop or reduce it.
@GrapheneOS Maybe sounds strange, but yes, you shouldn't. Why? Because the OS you and your team created is unbreakable. So therefore some don't like this fact and therefore they tried to find other ways to leak into your OS. So they found out, that demotivating your team works and maybe leads to the fact, that GrapheneOS gets some damage. So please focus on the positive way. Millions of people use your OS. Right now at these times, we need your OS, you and your team more than every before 👌
HybridStaticAnimateIt sounds strange because its a horrible thing to say. GOS is not unbreakable but its technical capabilities being impressive dont change the harm that people have caused GOS. What demotivates them is the attacks against them and you are explicitly giving advice that allows this abuse to continue. Do you see the issue there?
Only ~400k people use GrapheneOS at this time, but that will grow, especially with the Motorola partnership. But number of users doesnt make the abuse hurt any less. Many need this OS, as you claim, so you should be far more upset with the abuse it receives and help counter it rather than suggesting apathy as an option.