Taking Back Control: Why AOSP Matters for Your Digital Freedom

I've been tinkering with Android devices for nearly a decade and actively involved as both a user and advocate within the custom ROM community for over five years. During this journey, I have witnessed firsthand how important the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is - not just as software, but as a foundational element for digital freedom, especially in today's world, where our smartphones have become extensions of our lives, holding personal and sensitive information like banking details, medical records, and intimate communications.

My talk aims to walk you through a relatable yet slightly technical exploration of AOSP: from its historical roots when Google acquired Android amidst competition with Apple, to its recent history, including AOSP and India’s failed attempts at creating an operating system (mostly renamed forks).

I'll share my experiences and insights, demonstrating why the freedom to install custom ROMs like LineageOS, EvolutionX, and others is crucial, especially since India is a price-sensitive market. Most OEMs, to cut down costs, focus more on adding system-level bloatware and spyware applications. This data is collected unknowingly and without your consent, and there have been numerous reports of your data being sold to aggregators. Additionally, updates, including security patches, are often missed on these devices. Google periodically mandates minimum Android versions for apps being published, making your device obsolete despite having computational power 10,000 times greater than what was needed to land on the moon.

I'll also discuss the planned obsolescence by brands and the loss of your ability to truly own your smartphone; highlighted famously by the case of iPhones /OnePlus Phones slowing down and many other phones today.

Moreover, we will talk about how OEMs are clearly violating the GPLv2 license and how you can help or fight against it.

We'll dive into some fundamental concepts:

• What exactly is AOSP, and why does it matter?

• The benefits of custom ROMs, including privacy enhancements, system-wide ad blocking, repurposing older devices to extend their life, reducing e-waste, and fighting planned obsolescence.

• How OEM practices, such as withholding kernel source code and device trees (a violation of the GPLv2 license), severely limit user freedom and community innovation.

• Practical tips on selecting phones that are tinkering and custom ROM friendly, including brands that respect open-source licensing.

Everyone actively participates in Linux development and promotes it ~ I use Arch, btw. But we hardly have people doing it for phones, which I feel are even more personal. Think about it: how many of the attendees will leave this conference using an app like Uber or Namma Yatri? Smartphones are an integral extension of our lives, yet we easily give out our app usage data to companies like Samsung, BBK Electronics, and Google OEMs without much thought.

I'll also address recent troubling developments in the AOSP ecosystem, highlighting concerns such as Google's apparent intentions to slow down public updates until major Android versions, and how device attestation methods increasingly limit what we can do on our own hardware.

Importantly, this talk will underscore the significance of AOSP in the broader FOSS community, especially relevant to Indian users who often rely on smartphones as their primary and sometimes only…computing devices. I'll illustrate how custom ROMs allow users to reclaim digital autonomy, privacy, and security, aspects increasingly critical as we navigate the digital future.

I aim not just to inform but also inspire attendees to actively engage in the AOSP community, emphasizing the importance of demanding transparency from phone manufacturers and reclaiming control of our digital lives.

Note to Moderators: More details of the talk can be shared upon request; the final presentation, along with finding sources, is ongoing and might take some time. Feel free to reach out.

• Clear understanding of AOSP and its importance for digital freedom.

• Awareness of OEM violations regarding kernel source and device tree availability.

• Practical guidance on selecting and installing custom ROMs safely.

• Enhanced awareness of privacy, security, and environmental benefits from using custom ROMs.

The Tone and Delivery can be changed as per request, but the theme would be overarching FOSS and AOSP.