Best of Privacy — February 2026

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   Video

   Veronica Explains·13w

   GrapheneOS can help you retake your privacy, right now.

   A personal account of nearly three years using GrapheneOS as a daily driver on Pixel devices, covering why it's a compelling privacy-focused Android alternative. GrapheneOS strips out Google Play Services by default, leaving a minimal 14-app experience that can be selectively expanded. Sandboxed Google Play is available for those who need banking or travel apps, while a fully de-Googled setup is viable for users willing to use alternatives like Signal, F-Droid, and Obtainium. Key trade-offs include no tap-to-pay support, reduced push notification reliability without Google Play, and some GPS app limitations. Standout features include a duress PIN, PIN scrambling, storage scopes, and dramatically improved battery life. The author also candidly criticizes the GrapheneOS team's combative social media behavior while still endorsing the project as the best privacy option on Android.

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   Article

   Hacker News·12w

   Leaving Google has actively improved my life

   A personal account of leaving Google's ecosystem after years of declining search quality and the introduction of AI features in Gmail. The author switched to Proton for email and Brave/DuckDuckGo for search, finding both to be superior alternatives. Key arguments include: Gmail's algorithmic sorting is unwanted, Google Search keeps users on Google rather than the open web, Google's dominance is maintained through dark patterns and a $20B deal with Apple rather than genuine user preference, and the 'free services' model is a trade-off for privacy and data. YouTube remains the one unavoidable Google product due to network effects.

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   Video

   TechLinked·14w

   Ha Ha We Don't Buy Things Anymore

   PlayStation now offers console leasing in the UK through PlayStation Flex, with no clear buyout path. Ring cancelled its partnership with Flock Safety after backlash over mass surveillance concerns. China successfully tested its moon mission hardware while Bezos and Musk continue their space race rivalry. SpaceX argued it should be regulated as a railroad to avoid labor laws. Spotify's CEO claims developers haven't written code since December thanks to AI. Meta is working on facial recognition for smart glasses again. Apple added Android transfer tools to iOS, and a new laundry-folding robot costs $10,000 upfront.

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