Coercive family situations and Stock Android

Questions
1

I live in a controlling family situation, and recently received my first phone. I installed GrapheneOS on it, intending to secure comms with trusted contacts because I have GOS experience on someone else’s phone.

However, not unlocking the phone for my family whenever they ask has caused unexpected blowback. It turns out they expect to install invasive monitoring software on my phone as well as me unlocking it for them whenever they ask, and while I think I can shift their expectations over time, I may not be able to so soon.

I may reluctantly reflash the stock android OS to evade scrutiny. There are some things I should be prepared for if I do.

  1. What information should I prepare for Google to know about me, especially if I go ahead with private/more sensitive comms in a separate profile?

  2. What can Pixel Android see of my encrypted comms with trusted contacts?

  3. While reflashing, will Google pick up on the fact of my Custom ROM installation attempt and have a chance to infect, intercept or make special note of future GOS installs? Could this affect the ‘cleanliness’ of future GOS installs?

  4. If Family link installed in a secondary profile on stock, does it report the existence of other profiles? Does it report profile switches?

  5. If Family link is installed in a secondary profile of GOS, does it report the underlying OS?

  6. Is there any ‘wear-and-tear’, bugginess or insecurity that could result from reflashing OS’s on this phone twice or more?

  7. In what ways might me using stock OS compromise the privacy/security of my friends and trusted contacts who use GOS? For example, if Google records the screen (Gemini) or otherwise compromises encrypted messengers, it would render my trusted contacts’s own privacy protections meaningless, wouldn’t it?

  8. I may talk often with people irl about escape plans and stuff. Are there any sane measures I could take to neutralize the mic and camera of the stock OS phone?

2

First, I understand it’s difficult being in such a situation. Just wanted to say that.

I am mostly answering these technically and directly without considering your specific circumstances because I don’t know specifically what you’re dealing with, however.

Everything, hypothetically. Their software has full privileges on the device and is able to see everything. What they may or may not be collecting now I do not specifically know, but they can start or stop collecting any info they choose at any time. I think it is unlikely that they would scan RAM contents, so you may be able to hide some things by using apps with encrypted databases on disk (like Molly), but there is nothing technical actually stopping them from doing it either.

Again, everything.

No*

*it’s their hardware and firmware too, so actually they could do this by just lying about signature verification, but this would be an absurd attack for a company like Google to actually carry out, and probably would require them to have shipped you a modified device from the start, so in reality, again, no.

It may report that it’s in a secondary profile. I am not familiar with the app or what data it collects but I believe apps generally are currently able to, maybe non definitively, deduce that they are running in a secondary profile.

If the purpose of the app is to collect information on the device I would assume it would report the OS it is running on.

Not really. Flash storage has limited write cycles but you’re writing data to it all the time just by using your phone. It’s like getting an x ray, it’s not that bad unless you’re doing it constantly.

Yes, in respect to their communications with you.

No, but the OS will notify you when the mic and camera are in use. Google is not targeting you for super secret monitoring where they’ve disabled this because you talk to friends about running away from home.

Instead of doing something like running away as a minor, I recommend calling whatever equivalent of child protective services may be available where you live, if possible, assuming the situation involves some kind of legally defined abuse, which I will assume it does at least for purposes of giving this advice since I assume you don’t want to discuss specifics either way (and frankly you shouldn’t with any of us).

3

Here is the choice I face, laid out in more depth:

The two options I’m looking at right now are

1. Keeping GOS, but downloading stock OS Google apps to better keep up appearances.
BENEFIT:

  • I can have secure, un-selfcensored comms with my trusted emergency contacts right away.
  • If the relative tries to install Google Family Link and other invasive apps, they are unprivileged and can be thwarted in a number of ways (i.e. network cut off at key times.) Apparently Family Link doesn’t work properly on GOS.
  • Plus, I’ve installed a launcher to better hide system apps and mimic the stock layout even further.
  • Furthermore, I <3 my privacy, and frankly feel uncomfortable having stock Google on my phone.

RISK:

  • This is my first actual phone, and I cannot predict how hands-on the relative may be for the setup period.
  • If the relative finds any functionality to be strange enough and pokes until they find the underlying OS, it would likely result in the threat of confiscation and affect the autonomy they allow me in the future. It’s also showing my cards too early.
  • Being a known gossip, they might even spew the news to the local cabal of terrible parents in their anger. All this would be a very undesirable result.

2. Redownloading Stock OS for now and trying to confine the relative’s control to a secondary profile

BENEFIT:

If they poke, there’s nothing much to find, and we might avoid a world of blowback. Starting with the most innocuous setup instead of hiding things from the get-go might be a good way to build a foundation of trust.

Over time, I can monitor how they access this phone and what they notice and don’t notice, tailoring my plan accordingly.

I can slowly try to shift their expectations of constant access to this phone, and convince them to switch to using less invasive apps, so that when the time is optimal, the OS can be swapped out with a lower chance of anyone noticing. GOS has a higher chance of being explained away as degoogling, once I’ve owned the phone for a while.

Also, having stock android for a while could be a nice exercise in not using my phone much and monitoring my usage.

RISK:

  • If the owner profile is found, there is possibly no recourse. Google Family Link and other invasive apps would be privileged and cannot have network cut off.
  • Depending on their implementation, (blocking dev settings if in owner profile, seeing app usage,) it can cripple my chances of flashing GOS in the future or having secure comms with trusted emergency contacts.
  • If I attempt to escape and the relatives attain police cooperation, Stock OS will leak my operations left and right as well as retaining it indefinitely.
4

Your third option is to not use the phone, or say you don’t want it. It’s inconvenient, but you don’t have to worry about said software if there’s no device to install it on.

5

That is an option, but it is my first and only phone. I want to have secure lines to trusted emergency contacts in case the coercive family situation erupts or goes south, which has happened before. If your advice still applies even given what I’ve just told you, I’m open to hearing about it.

6

I’m sorry you’re in such a tough situation.

Is it possible that you can have two phones? Then you can use one as a decoy.

The software that they can install on a stock Pixel, such as Life360, can be incredibly invasive. They would not be able to read your Signal messages though. I don’t think there is any software that is like, Pegasus style, available through the Goolge Play Store.

Most importantly, I recommend getting in touch with any services you might have available in your area, that can assist you with getting out of your current situation.

7

Depends on the service your parents/guardian(s) are using. Some don’t forward the contents of your messages (unless they suspect you might harm yourself) whilst others offer on demand microphone access.

Your activities in apps like Signal or Telegram could be exposed if the app they’re using has an accessibility service, which means the service would be able to view the contents of your screen.

Moreover, parental controls app are typically set as device administrators (so you cannot uninstall them) and thus could lock you out of your phone, preventing you from communicating further with your trusted contacts.

If you can, borrow an old phone from a friend of yours and install Signal on it. Depending on your jurisdiction and financial capabilities, you could get a prepaid SIM without KYC or a data-only ESIM for your “burner” phone.

Edit: Forgot to mention that most old phones won’t have eSIM functionality

8

Sadly, I’ve tried. Maybe if I lived in a more progressive region, it would be different. I live in a conservative region that prioritizes the parent’s word. And the most overtly abusive parts have been hard to prove.

This has resulted in a lot of failures before. Most people recommending legal/social service avenues, while I am grateful to each, have themselves no firsthand experience with how inept, indifferent and sometimes hostile many of these systems are.

Still, I might try again. Once I’m done recovering from the last time I tried, lol.

(I kind of wish there was a PrivacyGuides equivalent for abuse victim safety planning, because I enjoy the level way people exchange discourse here. If anyone knows one, I’m all ears.)

9

In my opinion, primarily relying on the phone for this is ill-advised regardless. You should make the assumption that if things go south, there is a very real possibility you won’t be able to use your phone to contact anyone, regardless of what software is installed on it (suppose it is physically confiscated and/or destroyed). I don’t know what your threat model is, but consider what is a worse outcome:

  • Being unable to contact your friends at all
  • Contacting your friends through insecure platforms

My guess is it’s better to have contact at all. So I would focus on establishing contact that you could still use on, say, a public computer at a library. This would be something with an account; something like Matrix, Discord, or even just email.

I couldn’t tell you which OS would be better. In my experience, it doesn’t matter. If the software isn’t working the way they expect it to, there is a chance they will notice. There’s usually a way around these things, but it always involves risk and depends on how tech-savvy you and your adversaries are.

Evil maid attacks can go a long way. They’re also pretty risky. It all requires a certain amount of knowing the person you are up against.

10

Given your circumstances, I strongly encourage you to either use a separate phone or not use one at all. Your abuser(s) could discover your workarounds & coerce you into unlocking your device.

You could also use your local library’s computers if they have any.

Off-topic

What do you mean by “hostile” systems?

11

Very true, honestly.

On the other hand, I raise you that there is a just-as-real (possibly higher) possibility that in such a situation, my phone would be the only thing I have. I say this from things I’ve seen firsthand.

A phone also proves crucial in evidence gathering and documentation.

Given that, does your evaluation change?

(But now that you say it, I might consider setting up a matrix/discord/etc on top of the more instant means, not as a substitute.)

One of the reasons I had the gall to install GOS is definitely because of my adversary’s tech-unsavviness. Now that I’ve upset them, though, things are looking a lot more murky,

12

I personally would take on the risk of GOS in pursuit of building out my options. But only you can answer whether that risk is worth taking in your particular situation.

Also… please remember that Google and your adversaries are almost definitely different entities. I have many grievances with Google, but at the end of the day, they are still a public company. Google could probably read everything you do on your phone if they wanted, but they also probably limit themselves to a point that gets by without immense backlash. I don’t think, for example, you currently need to worry about Google trying to read your Signal messages. Just turn off notification content (inside Signal, there is a setting to hide message contents and optionally also the sender) and that will most likely suffice. Family link will almost certainly not be reading your messages (last I checked, it can’t even access plain old text messages). I’d be more worried about the location tracking of Family Link (which GOS probably helps mitigate) and how it reports app usage, which may raise suspicion if Signal shows up. Even if you hide Signal by changing the icon, I worry that it would show normally in the reported time and you could be coerced to produce the app and your messages.

If your adversaries aren’t particularly tech-savvy, I think a second profile could probably go undetected. My biggest concern would be Family Link not working at any point during the process raising suspicion (this goes for GOS too).

For all the outcry about “protecting the kids”, “parental control” software tends to be fairly poorly made. A lot of network monitoring software identifies devices by MAC address. You used to have to download sketchy software to change your MAC address; now randomized MAC addresses are a built-in feature of Android and Windows. I don’t think the software has caught up to that. Family link is on-device, which is trickier, but I’m certain there are ways.

13

You’d be surprised how many of these people self-admit to be abusive. Yet more will doubt or snark you by default, either because they are desensitized by the volume of victims they see or begrudge the unpalatable interactions they’ve had with them.

It’s a surprisingly well-known phenomenon, so I encourage you to search it up so that you don’t have to go off my word. Otherwise, think of high school bullies in nursing. Wife-beaters in the police. Or, if you may be familiar, the NSA.

Funnily enough, most regular, run of the mill little people are sympathetic. People in the position to influence outcomes, on the other hand, are the coldest.

The fact that people still assume the effectiveness of these systems is wildly frustrating to me, and grimly demonstrates how detached regular people are from the reality of abuse victims.

In the end, that knee-jerk instinct to point vulnerable people outwards ultimately serves as a social offloading of the responsibility to offer help, ourselves.

14

Also, if you play Roblox (don’t tell me if you do, I do not want to know), if it helps at all, you could use that as part of your defense if GOS becomes a problem. GOS is the only custom ROM Roblox supports (this is documented), so perhaps something along the lines of “I was sick of Gemini but wanted to be able to play with my friends still”?

15

Generally speaking you can anticipate them knowing what things you like, who you talk to, where you go, etc. If you want specifics, reading their privacy policy (or at least an overview) is a good start. You can request a copy of your data from Google to see (some? all?) the data they’ve collected on you. If you never had a Google account tied to an Android before I’m sure there are some articles going over more specifics of what people might find in their data request folders.

If you’re asking quite literally what Google could possibly see given their control over your OS, then in theory everything. But I’m not aware of Google proactively monitoring conversations on non-Google messengers, at least not with all the AI crap disabled. Definitely look at how to harden your phone’s privacy if you switch to stock Android.

Google owns your hardware and firmware regardless of what OS you install, they’ll generally always have the technical ability to do almost anything malicious to Pixel phones. As for this scenario in particular, there’s no evidence this is happening and I feel like such malicious hidden modifications could be illegal. If they didn’t want people installing GOS they’d probably just prevent bootloader unlocking outright.

I don’t see why that would be an issue. If you want 100% assurance on that, ask the GrapheneOS forums.

There are camera covers and mic blocks (devices you plug in which pretend to be a mic) but perhaps the best solution is to just put the phone somewhere it’d have trouble hearing you. Maybe wrap it up in a thick blanket and put it in another room.

Maybe you wouldn’t be given the benefit of the doubt but could you play it off as just being a tech nerd? I guess it depends how tech savvy and unforgiving these relatives are.

Sorry if I’m stating the obvious but if you’re a minor fleeing an abusive family I’d hope whatever you’re doing would not only be legal but supported by the government. I know some countries are careless with child abuse but if you’re not in one of those countries, the police should be on your side. Do your best to look for relevant resources that’ll help you in your situation.

16

LOL, that is sick. Putting it in my back pocket forever.

17

None of the provable parts were deemed severe enough. The rest were assumed false without sufficient proof. This has been my experience so far.

But I just want to say, you’re not wrong to bring this up to someone mentioning abuse. Abusive families like to tell their victims incessantly that no one will help, so it’s good to make sure people know.

(I mean, I guess they were right in my case.)

18

I share your and others’ belief that there is nothing inherently incriminating about GrapheneOS. It’s just good software, and that is actually the main reason why I want it.

It’s just that the thought of them getting up to speed on what GrapheneOS is, and adjusting their surveillance methods accordingly, is chilling to me.

That tactic is still what I plan to do as a last resort.

19

I’ve seen this, but with psychology undergrads instead. They feel empowered, start doing “mind tricks” on the people around them and whatnot. Thinking they’re the next Machiavelli or something.

20

I seem to be getting a few “confused” reaction emojis from respected regulars, so if you want, let me know what I’m saying wrong or should clarify!