Thursday, September 4, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

How to de-Google your phone

Your phone’s a tracking device. It's time to break free!

Published 5 April 2025
– By Naomi Brockwell
5 minute read

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: our smartphones are incredible tools—but they’re also spyware magnets. Our smartphones constantly track us through apps, built-in radios, sensors, and the operating systems themselves. We carry these devices everywhere, giving them access to our location, cameras, microphones, and personal conversations. If privacy matters to you, it’s essential to plug these leaks.

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to ditch your smartphone to protect yourself. One of the biggest impacts I’ve made to transform my privacy is installing GrapheneOS on my phone.

What is GrapheneOS?

GrapheneOS is a mobile operating system designed specifically to protect your privacy and security. Unlike Android and iOS, it doesn’t share your data with Google or Apple. It’s currently the gold standard for privacy-conscious smartphone users.

7 steps to secure your phone with GrapheneOS

Step 1: Pick the right hardware

GrapheneOS is available exclusively on Pixel phones and tablets because Pixel meets Graphene’s strict security standards—especially the ability to relock the bootloader after installation. This prevents unauthorized OS modifications.

To choose the right Pixel, there are 2 websites I recommend:

Always pick a device that will get security updates for as long as possible.


Step 2: Purchase smart

Be extremely careful not to purchase a “variant device”, a modified Pixel typically tied to carrier contracts. These devices often have their bootloaders permanently locked—meaning you can’t unlock the bootloader to install GrapheneOS. Even if the carrier plan expires or the phone is later listed as “unlocked,” this restriction usually remains permanent.

To avoid issues:

  • Don’t buy Pixels bundled with carrier plans.
  • If buying refurbished or second-hand, explicitly confirm with the seller that the “OEM unlock” feature is enabled. (Note: “Carrier unlocked” and “OEM unlocked” are not the same thing.)

A locked bootloader makes installing GrapheneOS impossible, so verifying this before purchase is critical.

The most private way to buy your Pixel phone is in-store, using cash. Electronics retailers like Best Buy in the U.S. usually carry Pixel phones. Cash helps you maintain anonymity, since credit card purchases link your personal information directly to your device’s unique identifiers.


Step 3: Installing GrapheneOS

The installation may look daunting, but I’ve done it dozens of times—it’s quick, straightforward, and has an amazing web interface that makes it super simple:

grapheneos.org/install/web

We have a step-by-step tutorial you can follow along in our latest video:

How To DE-GOOGLE Your Phone!

The whole process usually takes under 20 minutes.


Step 4: Set up your phone

Here are some things I do when setting up my phone. These are just my preferences, so if you have a different setup, let others know in the comments!

  • In “Exploit Protections,” set your device to auto-reboot after 12 hours if not unlocked. This clears RAM (short-term memory), protecting encryption keys from theft.
  • Leave USB-C settings on “charging only when locked” to prevent unauthorized data access via USB.
  • Enable automatic shutdown of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth after 5 minutes of inactivity. This reduces location tracking.

Step 5: Install app stores

You don’t have to rely on the Google Play Store to get apps on your phone. Here are four alternative app stores I use:

  1. GrapheneOS built-in app store
  • Comes pre-installed on your Graphene device (just search “App Store”).
  • Includes essential default apps and optional sandboxed Google Play Services, if needed.
  1. Accrescent
  • Comes from the GrapheneOS community and offers privacy-focused apps.
  • Install via the built-in GrapheneOS app store.
  1. F-Droid
  • Provides free, open-source apps built directly from publicly available source code.
  • Installing apps through F-Droid simplifies managing updates compared to manually downloading individual APK files (but be aware that updates may be released more slowly through F-Droid due to its review and build process).
  • Install F-Droid directly from f-droid.org.
  1. Aurora Store
  • A privacy-friendly front-end for the Google Play Store, allowing you to download apps without linking them to a Google account.
  • Install Aurora via the F-Droid store.

Privacy Tip: Keep your installed apps to a minimum—the fewer apps, the smaller your digital footprint and the fewer vulnerabilities you’ll face.


Step 6: Use profiles to secure your apps

Apps installed within the same profile can detect each other and potentially communicate without you realizing. To prevent this, GrapheneOS lets you separate your apps into secondary profiles, each isolated from one another.

Why use secondary profiles?

  • Individual Security: Each profile has its own PIN and encryption key, significantly enhancing security.
  • Clearing Sensitive Data: Profiles can automatically reboot when you exit, wiping RAM and protecting sensitive data, like your 2FA or financial apps, from unauthorized access.

However, managing multiple profiles can add complexity, especially if you’re new to Graphene. Starting with a single profile is simpler, and many users prefer this initially.

How I set up my profiles:

  • Owner Profile: Minimal essentials (browser, VPN, app stores).
  • Daily Driver: Everyday apps (Signal, email, maps).
  • Sensitive Apps: Apps I keep offline unless needed (2FA, financial apps).
  • Invasive Apps: Less-private or rarely-used apps (Spotify, social media).
  • Google Play Services: Apps requiring Google’s services.
  • Sandbox Profile: Testing or higher-risk apps.

I recommend beginning with a single profile and gradually adding others as you find new use cases.

Setting up a secondary profile:

  • Go to Settings > System Users, and tap Add user.
  • For sensitive profiles, toggle off “Run in background” to enhance security.

Step 7: What about Google Play services?

You might be wondering: this article is called “DE-GOOGLE your phone”, so why even consider adding Google services back in?

Unfortunately, some popular apps won’t function unless Google Play Services is installed. Usually, Google Play Services is incredibly invasive, collecting large amounts of data with elevated system-level permissions. But here’s where GrapheneOS shines: it offers Sandboxed Google Play Services, which treats Google Play like any other app—restricted and isolated, without special privileges or deep system access.

If you must use apps that rely on Google Play, you can install this sandboxed version without compromising the privacy and security of your entire phone. For even more control, isolate Google Play Services within a secondary profile to prevent it from interacting with or detecting other apps across profiles.

This way, you get the functionality you need without letting Google take over your device.

Taking control of your digital privacy

Hopefully, this gives you a thorough idea of what your new GrapheneOS phone can do. Privacy doesn’t mean losing smartphone convenience; it means regaining control over your digital life.

GrapheneOS feels familiar to Android users, but without bloatware and surveillance. It’s proof that enjoying technology doesn’t require sacrificing privacy—it’s about making informed choices and using tools that protect rather than exploit you.

We have many more privacy resources available. Explore our playlist covering privacy-friendly apps, alternatives, and practical privacy strategies

Your smartphone doesn’t have to be a surveillance tool. With GrapheneOS, you’ve already taken a huge step toward protecting your data.

Naomi Brockwell is a privacy advocacy and professional speaker, MC, interviewer, producer, podcaster, specialising in blockchain, cryptocurrency and economics. She runs the NBTV channel on Rumble.

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IP addresses are used in Sweden to track unemployed people

Published 1 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The Swedish Public Employment Service has already identified approximately 4,000 people who appear to have logged in from a country other than Sweden.
2 minute read

The Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) has begun tracking the IP addresses of unemployed individuals to verify that they are actually located in Sweden. Approximately 4,000 people who logged in from foreign IP numbers now risk losing their benefits.

To be eligible for unemployment insurance (A-kassa) and other forms of compensation linked to being unemployed, certain requirements must be met. One of these requirements is that individuals must be located in Sweden, in order to be available in case a job opportunity arises.

When job seekers log into the Swedish Public Employment Service’s website, their IP address is now checked. If a person logs in from a foreign IP number, this suggests that they are located in another country.

The Swedish Public Employment Service has been tracking job seekers since the end of June, and the agency has already identified approximately 4,000 people who appear to have logged in from a country other than Sweden.

It’s a way to counteract the risk of incorrect payments. We’re talking about people who are abroad even though they should be in Sweden looking for work or participating in labor market policy programs, says Andreas Malmgren, operations controller at the Swedish Public Employment Service, to the Bonnier publication DN.

None of these individuals have been contacted yet, but the agency plans to make contact during September. These people risk having their benefits withdrawn.

Furthermore, the agency has also established a special tool to check whether job seekers are using VPN services, so that no one ends up among those flagged by mistake.

Wifi signals can identify people with 95 percent accuracy

Mass surveillance

Published 21 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
2 minute read

Italian researchers have developed a technique that can track and identify individuals by analyzing how wifi signals reflect off human bodies. The method works even when people change clothes and can be used for surveillance.

Researchers at La Sapienza University in Rome have developed a new method for identifying and tracking people using wifi signals. The technique, which the researchers call “WhoFi”, can recognize people with an accuracy rate of up to 95 percent, reports Sweclockers.

The method is based on the fact that wifi signals reflect and refract in different ways when they hit human bodies. By analyzing these reflection patterns using machine learning and artificial neural networks, researchers can create unique “fingerprints” for each individual.

Works despite clothing changes

Experiments show that these digital fingerprints are stable enough to identify people even when they change clothes or carry backpacks. The average recognition rate is 88 percent, which researchers say is comparable to other automatic identification methods.

The research results were published in mid-July and describe how the technology could be used in surveillance contexts. According to the researchers, WhoFi can solve the problem of re-identifying people who were first observed via a surveillance camera in one location and then need to be found in footage from cameras in other locations.

Can be used for surveillance

The technology opens up new possibilities in security surveillance, but simultaneously raises questions about privacy and personal security. The fact that wifi networks, which are ubiquitous in today’s society, can be used to track people without their knowledge represents a new dimension of digital surveillance.

The researchers present their discovery as a breakthrough in the field of automatic person identification, but do not address the ethical implications that the technology may have for individuals’ privacy.

Danish students build drone that flies and swims

Published 18 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
2 minute read

Four students at Aalborg University in Denmark have developed a revolutionary drone that seamlessly transitions between air and water. The prototype uses innovative rotor technology that automatically adapts to different environments.

Four students at Aalborg University in Denmark have created something that sounds like science fiction – a drone that can literally fly down into water, swim around and then jump back up into the air to continue flying, reports Tom’s Hardware.

Students Andrei Copaci, Pawel Kowalczyk, Krzysztof Sierocki and Mikolaj Dzwigalo have developed a prototype as their thesis project that demonstrates how future amphibious drones could function. The project has attracted attention from technology media after a demonstration video showed the drone flying over a pool, crashing down into the water, navigating underwater and then taking off into the air again.

Intelligent rotor technology solves the challenge

The secret behind the impressive performance lies in what the team calls a “variable rotor system”. The individual rotor blades can automatically adjust their pitch angle depending on whether the drone is in air or water.

When the drone flies through the air, the rotor blades work at a higher angle for optimal lift capacity. Underwater, the blade pitch is lowered to reduce resistance and improve efficiency during navigation. The system can also reverse thrust to increase maneuverability when the drone moves through tight passages underwater.

Most components in the prototype have been manufactured by the students themselves using 3D printers, since equivalent parts were not available on the market.

Although the project is still in an early concept stage and exists only as a single prototype, it demonstrates the possibilities for future amphibious vehicles. The technology could have applications in everything from rescue operations to environmental monitoring where vehicles need to move both above and below the water surface.

What I learnt at DEFCON

Why hacker culture is essential if we want to win the privacy war.

Published 16 August 2025
– By Naomi Brockwell
6 minute read

DEFCON is the world’s largest hacker conference. Every year, tens of thousands of people gather in Las Vegas to share research, run workshops, compete in capture-the-flag tournaments, and break things for sport. It’s a subculture. A testing ground. A place where some of the best minds in security and privacy come together not just to learn, but to uncover what’s being hidden from the rest of us. It’s where curiosity runs wild.

But to really get DEFCON, you have to understand the people.

What is a hacker?

I love hacker conferences because of the people. Hackers are notoriously seen as dangerous. The stereotype is that they wear black hoodies and Guy Fawkes masks.

But that’s not why they’re dangerous: They’re dangerous because they ask questions and have relentless curiosity.

Hackers have a deep-seated drive to learn how things work, not just at the surface, but down to their core.

They aren’t content with simply using tech. They want to open it up, examine it, and see the hidden gears turning underneath.

A hacker sees a device and doesn’t just ask, “What does it do?”
They ask, “What else could it do?”
“What isn’t it telling me?”
“What’s under the hood, and why does no one want me to look?”

They’re curious enough to pull back curtains others want to remain closed.

They reject blind compliance and test boundaries.
When society says “Do this,” hackers ask “Why?”

They don’t need a rulebook or external approval.
They trust their own instincts and intelligence.
They’re guided by internal principles, not external prescriptions.
They’re not satisfied with the official version. They challenge it.

Because of this, hackers are often at the fringes of society. They’re comfortable with being misunderstood or even vilified. Hackers are unafraid to reveal truths that powerful entities want buried.

But that position outside the mainstream gives them perspective: They see what others miss.

Today, the word “hack” is everywhere:
Hack your productivity.
Hack your workout.
Hack your life.

What it really means is:
Don’t accept the defaults.
Look under the surface.
Find a better way.

That’s what makes hacker culture powerful.
It produces people who will open the box even when they’re told not to.
People who don’t wait for permission to investigate how the tools we use every day are compromising us.

That insistence on curiosity, noncompliance, and pushing past the surface to see what’s buried underneath is exactly what we need in a world built on hidden systems of control.

We should all aspire to be hackers, especially when it comes to confronting power and surveillance.

Everything is computer

Basically every part of our lives runs on computers now.
Your phone. Your car. Your thermostat. Your TV. Your kid’s toys.
And much of this tech has been quietly and invisibly hijacked for surveillance.

Companies and governments both want your data. And neither want you asking how these data collection systems work.

We’re inside a deeply connected world, built on an opaque infrastructure that is extracting behavioral data at scale.

You have a right to know what’s happening inside the tech you use every day.
Peeking behind the curtain is not a crime. It’s a public service.

In today’s world, the hacker mindset is not just useful. It’s necessary.

Hacker culture in a surveillance world

People who ask questions are a nightmare for those who want to keep you in the dark.
They know how to dig.
They don’t take surveillance claims at face value.
They know how to verify what data is actually being collected.
They don’t trust boilerplate privacy policies or vague legalese.
They reverse-engineer SDKs.
They monitor network traffic.
They intercept outgoing requests and inspect payloads.

And they don’t ask for permission.

That’s what makes hacker culture so important. If we want any hope of reclaiming privacy, we need people with the skills and the willingness to pull apart the systems we’re told not to question.

On top of that, governments and corporations both routinely use outdated and overbroad legislation like the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) to prosecute public-interest researchers who investigate tech. Not because those researchers cause harm, but because they reveal things that others want kept hidden.

Laws like this pressure people towards compliance, and make them afraid to ask questions. The result is that curiosity feels like a liability, and it becomes harder for the average person to understand how the digital systems around us actually work.

That’s why the hacker mindset matters so much: Because no matter how hard the system pushes back, they keep asking questions.

The researchers I met at DEFCON

This year at DEFCON, I met researchers who are doing exactly that.

People uncovering surveillance code embedded in children’s toys.
People doing analysis on facial recognition SDKs.
People testing whether your photo is really deleted after “verification”.
People capturing packets who discovered that the “local only” systems you’re using aren’t local at all, and are sending your data to third parties.
People analyzing “ephemeral” IDs, and finding that your data was being stored and linked back to real identities.

You’ll be hearing from some of them on our channel in the coming months.
Their work is extraordinary, and helping all of us move towards a world of informed consent instead of blind compliance. Without this kind of research, the average person has no way to know what’s happening behind the scenes. We can’t make good decisions about the tech we use if we don’t know what it’s doing.

Make privacy cool again

Making privacy appealing is not just about education.
It’s about making it cool.

Hacker culture has always been at the forefront of turning fringe ideas into mainstream trends. Films like Hackers and The Matrix made hackers a status symbol. Movements like The Crypto Wars (when the government fought Phil Zimmermann over PGP), and the Clipper Chip fights (when they tried to standardize surveillance backdoors across hardware) made cypherpunks and privacy activists aspirational.

Hackers take the things mainstream culture mocks or fears, and make them edgy and cool.

That’s what we need here. We need a cultural transformation and to push back against the shameful language that demands we justify our desire for privacy.

You shouldn’t have to explain why you don’t want to be watched.
You shouldn’t have to defend your decision to protect your communications.

Make privacy a badge of honor.
Make privacy tools a status symbol.
Make the act of encrypting, self-hosting, and masking your identity a signal that says you’re independent, intelligent, and not easily manipulated.

Show that the people who care about privacy are the same people who invent the future.

Most people don’t like being trailblazers, because it’s scary. But if you’re reading this, you’re one of the early adopters, which means you’re already one of the fearless ones.

When you take a stand visibly, you create a quorum and make it safer for others to join in. That’s how movements grow, and we go from being weirdos in the corner to becoming the majority.

If privacy is stigmatized, reclaiming it will take bold, fearless, visible action.
The hacker community is perfectly positioned to lead that charge, and to make it safe for the rest of the world to follow.

When you show up and say, “I care about this,” you give others permission to care too.

Privacy may be on the fringe right now, but that’s where all great movements begin.

Final Thoughts

What I learnt at DEFCON is that curiosity is powerful.
Refusal to comply is powerful.
The simple act of asking questions can be revolutionary.

There are systems all around us extracting data and consolidating control, and most people don’t know how to fight that, and are too scared to try.

Hacker culture is the secret sauce.

Let’s apply this drive to the systems of surveillance.
Let’s investigate the tools we’ve been told to trust.
Let’s explain what’s actually happening.
Let’s give people the knowledge they need to make better choices.

Let’s build a world where curiosity isn’t criminalized but celebrated.

DEFCON reminded me that we don’t need to wait for permission to start doing that.

We can just do things.

So let’s start now.

 

Yours in privacy,
Naomi

Naomi Brockwell is a privacy advocacy and professional speaker, MC, interviewer, producer, podcaster, specialising in blockchain, cryptocurrency and economics. She runs the NBTV channel on Rumble.

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