Owner Owner
Original Poster
Apr 28, 2019

Google Play Services rebooting my phone at midnight to push an update

My phone (Blu Life One X3, Nougat 7.0.04.13) is rooted, TWRP as bootloader, Magisk as root. I've been perusing the file system and changing settings to limit Google's ability to Google-stalk me, and to further improve battery life by turning off scheduled jobs... the fact that Google's keeping tabs on nearly everything the user does, the fact that Google has crept into every corner of what should be FOSS is creepy beyond measure... especially now that they've done away with their "Don't Be Evil" motto from their Code Of Conduct. I simply no longer trust them. Nor should anyone.

All syncing is turned off and disabled, most of the Google pre-installed apps have been removed from the phone. Only the following remain:
Google Services Framework
Google Play Store
Google Play Services
Google Partner Setup
Google Account Manager
Contacts
Google Phone (merely because I can't find contacts and dialer that properly hook into Android... I will eventually)

And what remains sits behind an iptables firewall on the phone, allowed to connect only when I want them to.

Removed:
Google Chrome (internet activity tracking)
Google Tag Manager (tag & pixel tracking)
Google Play Music (lifestyle demography)
Google Play Movies & TV (lifestyle demography)
Google Maps (location tracking)
Google - Quick Search Box (search tracking)
Google YouTube (lifestyle demography)
Google TalkBack / Android Accessibility Suite
Google Drive (lifestyle demography)
Google Duo (audiovisual demography)
Google Contacts Sync (association demography)
Google Backup Transport
Google Market Feedback Agent
Google Calculator
Google Calendar (lifestyle demography)
Google Gmail (lifestyle and association demography)
Google Text-To-Speech
Google Japanese Input
Google SMS - Messages (SMS tracking)
Google Photos (lifestyle demography)
Google Carrier Services
OK Google voice assistant (audio monitoring)
Work Profile Setup
GBoard Google Keyboard (keylogger tracking)

ASIDE:
----------
Yes, GBoard logs keystrokes... Google's own privacy statement about the keyboard reads: "Gboard will remember words you type to help you with spelling or to predict searches you might be interested in."

Maybe you trust that "spelling or to predict searches" is all Google is using their keylogger keyboard for, but I don't.
----------

As you can see, the surgery was extensive. The phone worked beautifully, doing all I wanted it to do and with a battery that could last for days before requiring a charge.

Well, my tinkering must have set off some alarm bells at Google (despite passing SafetyNet check and the device being Play Protect certified), so Google attempted to push a system update to me (BLU_L0150WW_V7.0.04.14_GENERIC) with promises of a 'better and updated' system.

Then they took to rebooting my phone at midnight every night into fastboot mode (which this phone no longer has... it's got TWRP Recovery Mode). Because there is no fastboot, the update can't install, so it just sits there at the TWRP main screen until I reboot it.

I can find no means of turning this behavior off. I've disabled notifications of the update, yet the reboots continue nightly, right at midnight.

This is tantamount to a mechanic letting the air out of someone's car tires every night because that someone doesn't use that mechanic's garage.

Google has no right to operate my phone in any way, shape or form without my express knowledge and consent. And I don't consent to them rebooting my phone at midnight every night.

This is a personal property rights issue, and I'm sure others are experiencing the same... meaning we're edging into class-action territory here.

So... how do I disable the witching-hour reboots that Google's doing?
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Last edited Apr 29, 2019
All Replies (7)
Owner Owner
Original Poster
Apr 29, 2019
Did I mention that OTA updates and Google Play Store automatic updates are turned off? Yeah, there's that, too... so how and why is Google pushing an OTA update with OTA updates turned off?

I'm perusing the update_s.zip file now... if I find that the majority of the changes consist of merely restoring Google's permissions to data-mine the phone for their own profit, the CA AG is going to have a field day.
Owner Owner
Original Poster
Apr 29, 2019
Well, imagine that... GoogleOtaBinder bypasses the 'Settings' > 'Developer Options' > 'Automatic system updates' being disabled. Now why would Google do that, I wonder? Mightn't it be to ensure that any time their Google-stalking permissions are revoked, they can surreptitiously push a 'new' ROM which resets Google's permissions so they can continue to collect personal data via the phone?

Google must realize their attempting to install unwanted software, and performing unsolicited, unannounced and unwanted operations on a phone (while bypassing the owner-set settings which disable those operations) is a blatant violation of CA Penal Code 502(c).

CA AG updated, EFF informed.
Owner Owner
Original Poster
Apr 30, 2019
And Google dynamically writes the registration of GoogleOtaBinder into /service_contexts at boot, making it more difficult to stop the described behavior.

Why do you not provide a user-interface accessible means of turning off Google OTA updates, Google? Might it be because that makes it easier for you to push system updates which restore your apps (and permissions to those apps) such that you can continue to gather personal data via the phone?

Where are you writing to /service_contexts from during boot, Google? I'll find it eventually, and quash your OTA 'feature'.

Until then, I'm renaming /system/etc/security/otacerts.zip so GoogleOtaBinder cannot communicate with the OTA update server.
Owner Owner
Original Poster
Apr 30, 2019
There remains the nagging questions:

- Why does Google's OTA system updater disregard user settings which disable automatic system updates?

- Why does Google reboot the phone unannounced?

- Why does Google reboot the phone unannounced, at midnight, when the phone is least likely to be monitored?

- Why does Google dynamically write GoogleOtaBinder into /service_contexts at boot, rather than hard-coding it in so it can easily be commented out, thereby disabling Google OTA updates?

- Why doesn't Google provide a user-interface-accessible means of turning off Google OTA updates?

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Owner Owner
Original Poster
Apr 30, 2019
Hank Bates and Michael Sobol  should be very interested in this fully-documented information, no?

Don't turtle on me, Google. :D
User 18251851629183028878
Jun 5, 2019
Your definitely on to something I wasn't able to keep the data I wanted but you should check out a Google feedback window and click the system link in there
Last edited Jun 20, 2019
Google user
Jun 20, 2019
I have had the same exact type things happening to me for the last two years I've been through multiple phones I really would like to be able to get in contact with you some kind of way as soon as I think of one that I'm allowed to post without them tearing it down due to policy I would love to we should talk. ⚜️   BeeRillie 🐦@ 😉
Last edited Jun 20, 2019
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