I’m assuming that Purism’s warrant canary covers AweSIM user data too? AweSIM is sounding like a better and better option…
2 Likes
Yes it would be covered under the Services canary:
However note that warrant canaries are designed to cover secret gag orders, NSL, implanted backdoors etc. and wouldn’t necessarily cover a regular, lawful request for information (like if law enforcement asked us for the contact information associated with a particular phone number). In our case there is very little to disclose other than the contact information associated with a particular number.
4 Likes
Just to clarify, is AweSIM available for non-Librem 5 phones? If so, I guess the Pre-Configured & Ready To Go statement on the AweSIM page made me think it was only for Librem 5 phones.
I believe so. I’d do it myself but… that pricetag…
1 Like
Well, I’m self-employed, so just another #BusinessExpense 
FWIW, I eventually plan to get a Librem 5 USA but while waiting for the supply chain issues to resolve, I choose a De-Googled phone instead, but I’d rather give Purism my business instead of one of the other MVNOS.
2 Likes
Kyle, you should actually take this opportunity to request a copy of all the data that Google has on you, citing the CCPA; then you could write a post about all the shocking details.
I’m sure they won’t reveal how they used your data, of course.
EDIT: Check out what ROKU had on me:
3 Likes
This is absolutely the most informative and inspirational posting you have done. Your persistent explanations motivated me to commit to a Purism Librem 14 and now I understand how the Librem 5 works for me. I never understood the AweSIM service, but I’m more in the $20/mo range than $100/mo. If you ever create a limited tier, then I’m all in with Librem 5 and AweSIM service. I would pay up to $40/mo for a limited data plan.
I have tried to ditch Google Maps without success and my experiment years ago with a standalone GPS device was a disaster, so I am very curious what GPS device you chose. I wonder if there could ever be an OpenStreetMaps alternative to Google Maps. I wish there could be, but a workable standalone device is a decent substitute.
Thank you so much. I very much want a de-Googled phone and now I finally see how a Librem 5 with a cheaper AweSIM service would work for me. I’m going to hold off on an alternative and see if you offer a cheaper AweSIM service in the next year or so.
6 Likes
Dear Kyle_Rankin
What is the GPS Device do you use?
What could you recommend, when it come to getting a GPS device and download maps to use offline?
Great post. Thanks for taking the time to post it.
I would also like to know the GPS device uf you could let us know.
Re the SatNav, I just found this useful info:
https://ssb22.user.srcf.net/elec/nav.html
(Devices that can be managed over WiFi, no proprietary OS required; someone’s personal blog)
https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/TomTom
(OSM wiki about GPS devices; TomTom, for example, but you can search for Garmin, or others)
I’m still using an old offline TomTom Go that hasn’t been updated since I sh**canned Windows in 2012, by the way. 
(Yes, that has caused me some navigation problems.)
Thank you Kyle, it’s interesting to hear other’s struggles on accomplishing this. Good to see you were able to accomplish it!
The big one I run into issues with is gstatic as a lot of sites use it to validate you’re human.
1 Like
Does AweSIM differ in price per line if you get multiple lines, or is it a flat $99 per line?
@Kyle_Rankin There might be one non-conscious point left, that many people don’t think of:
DNS.
A lot of people aren’t aware, that
- their home network-router uses 8.8.8.8 as DNS-Server
- their Phone-Provider intransparently uses 8.8.8.8 for DNS-purposes
My advice for that regard: Setup a Pi-Hole (Pi & 4+GB uSD) in combination with Unbound as Reverse-DNS-Resolver.
That combination will:
- remove almost all ads
- remove almost all tracking
- speed up your network (blocked request won’t leave your LAN)
- hides your DNS-requests (nobody gets all data completely)
- optionally provide DHCP
If you also wan’t to protect your mobilephone, than the Pi can also act as a VPN-Server (eg. Wireguard, …).
https://docs.pi-hole.net/main/basic-install/
https://docs.pi-hole.net/guides/dns/unbound/
https://www.privacy-handbuch.de/handbuch_93c.htm
5 Likes
Good point, I have a similar setup.
The only thing I can’t get rid of is YouTube. There are options like invidious to circumvent tracking but at the end of the day you are still using their service.
Or alternatives like PeerTube, LBRY etc. But I don’t see any of those being close to YouTube in content. Which is the only selling point for consumers.
As a content provider you want to make money so you go where the audience is (and where you can monetize your videos). Thus, I am not seeing any chance to break the circle.
Does it help to use something like FreeTube?
During the last years some more privacy- & non-censorship-oriented services popped up like rumble, odyssee?, gettr, …
Diversity is a good thing. Especially if you open-mindedly watch the amount of censorship during the last months. Funny sidenote: Those new ones gained a lot of traction due to the censorship of others.
2 Likes
and also replaced the default search engine in my browsers with it so if I typed a search query absentmindedly in the URL bar, it also wouldn’t hit Google
This bugs me too but really I would like to disable this implicit searching functionality completely. It is security / privacy fail that you can accidentally send confidential information to any search provider. I choose to have a separate search bar, so the address bar should be for addresses only.
In Firefox I have not found a way to disable this implicit searching. Possibly implementing (and then installing and choosing) a new search provider that either always fails or at least accesses a web site controlled by me that just returns an error would do the job - but that is beyond my knowledge to do.
Possibly choosing a search provider that I never use (e.g. bing) and then poisoning the domain would work.
But these are workarounds for something that should be simple!
Yes, you can use AweSIM on any unlocked phone in the US that supports the ATT network.
1 Like
I use Garmin devices. They run completely offline and my newest one also gets traffic updates over FM radio.
The nicest one was a gift and is nice and fast. I’ve also had luck finding cheaper, older (and slower) ones in local thrift stores. All of the ones produced over the past number of years get lifetime maps, unfortunately you have to use a Windows application to get the latest versions (there has been some level of success in running this in Wine but your results may vary). However, you can also download and load Open Street Maps alternative maps.
2 Likes