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App Nora - Is it safe and private? (lemmy.ml)
submitted 9 months ago by to c/privacy@lemmy.ml
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What do you think of the Nora Android app and desktop browser optimized for social networking services? Does anyone use it? Is it safe and private?

Github link: https://github.com/nonbili/Nora

F-droid link: https://f-droid.org/packages/jp.nonbili.nora

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[–] 27 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

No. The app itself is private according to Exodus (0 trackers and only 7 permissions) but you will have no privacy on the any of these sites.

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    [–] 6 points 9 months ago (2 children)

    What are the optimizations? I seem to be getting a worse experience vs. using it in the device browser since there's no adblocking

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    • [–] 4 points 9 months ago

    Just use your browser of choice.

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    [–] 4 points 9 months ago

    This is a web wrapper for several proprietary social apps. It is effectively a browser locked into a pre-approved set of URLs. Just use a real browser.

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    [–] 8 points 9 months ago (3 children)

    Icky corporate social media.

    If you must use them, get Qubes running on a cheap laptop and dedicate a Whonix VM to each "service". They won't know where you are or what sites you visit. Stay off of the "feed". Even then, assume they are acting against your interests.

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  • [–] 10 points 9 months ago (2 children)

    That is quite unnecessarily extreme for any threat model. Even if we ignore your bringing of a thermonuclear bomb to this metaphorical fist fight, most social media sites block Tor and require a lot of PII to even begin consuming content, so you'd probably be better off practicing self control and avoiding those sites entirely.

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  • [–] 5 points 9 months ago (1 child)

    I agree about avoiding the sites entirely. That is the best approach.

    I disagree about running Qubes and Whonix. It's actually so easy - there's no reason not to try it.

    (Unless you're in a country where using Tor is penalized.)

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  • [–] 4 points 9 months ago

    I don't mean to say that running / installing Qubes or Whonix is difficult per se, as a matter of fact I use both on my main machine, rather it's not very intuitive to set up as, and likely far beyond the threatmodel of, someone brand new to privacy.

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