There was a study showing that 85% of Android apps send data to Facebook, even if you don't have a Facebook account. They are creating a shadow profile on you regardless of what precautions you are taking. The dummy account is doing absolutely zero for you except for slightly reducing cross-tracking. And using a custom ROM isn't preventing the majority of your apps from tracking your data and sending it off to big tech.
Well yeah, but remember you pick your apps. I can use custom rom, no gapps and telegram.
I just don't go that route because I work with clients via whatsapp and facebook business, but as I said, I can compartment that into a separate terminal/equipment, work phone has no personal account, it's turned off on weekends, has nothing personal on it. I think it works.
Also, Waze is owned by Google, and regardless if you use a dummy account, their algorithms can determine exactly who you are. You're not hiding from anyone. You can reduce your online presence (I would recommend iPhone over Android for this, but they are guilty as well, just less guilty), but you can't get rid of it unless you remove all technology from your life and go live in an Amish village.
I know, but I honestly don't think they know exactly who I am, at most they "think" we either might be same person or live in the same house.
I swear by the no GPS, no social networks and no data when out an about rule for the data collecting algorithm to be confused and unable to pull out anything that coherent.
There is no such thing as a safe main OS, except maybe Linux. macOS is pretty good as well, but their VPN leakage issues that have gone on for years is a major problem.
I agree with that. Which often only makes some changes that trample functionality made in the name of security even more stupid.
And that is just an awful lot of things to deal with on top of not being able to do what most phones can do. The trade off isn't worth it, IMO. Maybe if you needed it for top level security reasons for a job or something. But that is quite extreme.
You can always use it as a known risk and minimize it from there. As you said, trade-off isn't worth it in some cases, providing your phone data is not sensitive enough.
Tracking can be minimized if you're clever, the rest doesn't matter.
Regardless and going back to the original topic, I kinda accept that that's their business model seeing I didn't pay for the OS on my phone. With Windows you pay for the software and get less but still plenty of tracking, so it's worse in Windows case that it happens by the software seller.