Even if one were to ignore Google’s data collection, any non-vanilla android installation would have been butchered by the vendor (Samsung, Motorola, etc) to the point any expectation of security (and in turn privacy) is lost to the least secure app pre-installed.
I had ESFileExplorer installed on a Nexus 7 tablet I barely used. One day I start it to find the charging has switched to “smart charging” where this software shows a banner ad on the home/charging screen. There is no end to the madness of what each app can do or even allowed to ask for.
I often use Motorola devices as I find they are one of the OEMs which applies the fewest customizations to the OS. However Samsung is definitely a problem when it comes to that.
I am not sure what happened in your case with ES or how that would be possible. It sounds like maybe the app just pushed you an advertisement as a notification. Notifications can be disabled on a per-app basis but I think it is pretty reasonable that they are enabled by default.
Apparently it is not new change [1]. I just happened to notice it now since I rarely used it before. Now the tablet functions as a handy Zoom whiteboard [2] drawing tablet. Good thing I didn't throw it out.
I often use Motorola devices as I find they are one of the OEMs which applies the fewest customizations to the OS.
They got worse, also with updates since they were acquired Lenovo. Last time that I surveyed the Android landscape (~2 years ago), Nokia was the place to go for a pristine Android experience with quick updates.
I was running Lineage on the tablet and I am usually very careful about what I allow. I have no idea how it got set to take over main screen at charging time.
Btw, all these distributions (Lineage and Cynogenmod before that) don't benefit from automated updates. So that is another headache to remember to manually reflash/upgrade.
No, and I consider that a feature :) I have Zuk Z2, which incidentally is still the only phone in the world that matches my small list of requisites: reasonably modern, not huge, has Lineage support.
I didn't check properly before I bought a Moto G5... the only Lineage image there is crashes its sound server whenever you connect a Bluetooth headset. I'm trying to get the dev to share their build steps so I can look into what is happening there, but they're not responding :(
I had ESFileExplorer installed on a Nexus 7 tablet I barely used. One day I start it to find the charging has switched to “smart charging” where this software shows a banner ad on the home/charging screen. There is no end to the madness of what each app can do or even allowed to ask for.