Working on integrating Exodus Privacy data directly into LibreFind. Right now the app suggests FOSS alternatives, but soon it will also show you exactly which ad/analytics trackers and dangerous permissions are embedded inside the proprietary apps you’re replacing.
Still wiring it up, but test builds will be up on Codeberg/GitHub soon.
https://codeberg.org/jksalcedo/librefind https://github.com/jksalcedo/librefind
#FOSS #Privacy #Android #LibreFind
I’ve just tried it, and although the idea is interesting it doesn’t seem to be working as intended.
I’m pretty sure all of these are FOSS, and thy were tagged as proprietary:
- AnkiDroid
- Moonlight
- KDE Connect
- KeePassDX
- Lichess
- MPV
And these are also FOSS but were flagged as ‘Unknown’:
- MGit
- NetworkTools
- Simple Audio Converter
- Termux
- Yet Another Call Blocker
And there are others I’m not entirely sure if theyre FOSS or hybrid, that were also flagged as proprietary.
Also not a fan of needing to subscribe to give feedback (like pointing out FOSS alternatives or false positives).
IMO “tracker detection” while well intentioned has the potential to backfire, because it can give the appearance of an endorsement of “good” proprietary apps if they don’t have any “trackers” or “dangerous permissions”
The goal of the free software movement for the last ~40 years has been to switch from proprietary to free in order to gain the four freedoms. Trackers and permissions are orthogonal to all that
I think showing tracker info is still a good, insightful thing. Sure, giving an impression one piece of software is better than another because it has less trackers is a bad thing. Users that care about functionality will vet apps on that regard, same with security and privacy conscious users. Some users just like the app to be pretty, and if they ignore everything else but make a decision based in tracker count, all the better in the long run.
It’ll need a massive library of apps, ever growing. It currently doesn’t know if itself is open source or not
