(C) BoingBoing
This story was originally published by BoingBoing and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Your Google Pixel might get you in trouble with Spanish police [1]

['Ellsworth Toohey']

Date: 2025-07-23

Owning a Google Pixel phone might get you stopped by police in Spain.

Law enforcement in Catalonia has begun eyeing Pixel users with suspicion, claiming these phones are becoming the device of choice for drug traffickers. But it's not the phone itself drawing police attention — it's GrapheneOS, a privacy-focused operating system that gives users more control over their personal data.

While regular Android phones allow Google to track your location, contacts, and app usage with little restriction, GrapheneOS can block apps from accessing the internet, limit which photos and contacts each app can view, and even wipe all data if you're forced to unlock your phone under duress. These features appeal to privacy-conscious citizens tired of Big Tech surveillance, but they've also caught the attention of law enforcement.

The targeting of Pixel users carries a thick layer of irony. Just four years ago, Catalonia itself was rocked by scandal when government-sponsored spyware called Pegasus was reportedly used to hack European Parliament members' phones. Now, local police are profiling citizens who take steps to protect themselves from similar surveillance.

"So, if I use GrapheneOS on my Pixel to keep my data away from Big Tech, potential hackers, or even eavesdropping governments, that alone should not put me in the same league as drug dealers," notes Calvin Wankhede in Android Authority. "But if it does, so be it."

Previously:

• Google to add Xbox One controller compatibility to Android

• I'm an Android loving iPhone user

• How I rooted my Amazon Android tablet

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://boingboing.net/2025/07/23/your-google-pixel-might-get-you-in-trouble-with-spanish-police.html

Published and (C) by BoingBoing
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/boingboing/

You are viewing proxied material from magical.fish. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.