Online privacy vs. online security and what that really means for you and your smart device

What’s the point of a secure smartphone if your personal data still ends up in the wrong hands?
In today’s tech world, “online security” is often mistaken for “online privacy.” They aren’t the same – and this difference matters more than ever. Here’s what it means for you and your personal data – and how /e/OS approaches it.

Digital security protects your smart device from attacks.
Digital privacy protects your personal data from being collected or misused.

A recent case in the US makes this clear: The OPM/DOGE lawsuit. DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) is a US government agency created to modernize federal IT systems – with a strong focus on digital security.
Yet in this case, DOGE unlawfully shared the personal data of millions of government employees, violating privacy laws despite having a secure infrastructure.

This shows an important point: even a system with strong technical security can still cause major privacy breaches.

But what does this mean for you – if you aren’t a US government employee?
Well – you probably have a smartphone (or several smart devices), most likely connected to one of the big tech brands. While mainstream providers like iOS, MacOS, Google’s Android and Windows provide adequate security for everyday use, their business models rely on a massive data collection and surveillance. For most users, their privacy protections simply aren’t enough.

How much personal data does my smartphone collect?

The extent of it is beyond what most users can imagine. And this data collection goes on in the background, even when they’re not actively using their smart devices.

According to research by Digital Context Next, a Google Android device can send personal data back up to 90 times per hour when in use, and still around 40 times per hour when idle.

Apple is known for its stricter privacy culture. However, Apple smart devices still send personal data back around 51 times per hour when active – and about 0.7 times per hour even when inactive.

When using big tech services, we may think we’re getting them for free – but in reality, we’re paying with our personal data that are used by them to sell expensive targeted ads. That includes our location history, search habits, and even details of our private communications.

The result? We are constantly tracked, profiled, and exposed to targeted manipulation – often without even knowing it.

/e/OS is focused on digital privacy. Why does that matter?

Your data is YOUR data.

At least – that’s what we believe it should be. And you should too.
Not something that gets shared with third parties who profit from it and flood your inbox with spam you never asked for.

Our mission is simple: to put you, the user – not corporations – in control.
We aim to give you real choice and full transparency about what happens to your personal data.
We want to build technology that respects user privacy – and make it accessible to everyone.

Of course, our smart devices also need to be secure. This is why, in parallel with /e/OS updates, we provide at least the same update duration as Android. In some cases, we’ve gone even further – for example, offering extended support for devices like the Samsung Galaxy S9. While Samsung stopped delivering updates since March 2022, /e/OS is still supporting the device and updating it with latest security updates.

While security is fundamental, our mission is privacy by design. We don’t just add it as a feature, but we build it into the core of every device. As one of our users put it in the forum:

“What has better security – your home or a prison? And what has better privacy – your home or a prison?”

Online privacy as a mission – how is it put into practice?

We put our mission into action by giving you real choice.

By default, /e/OS does not send any personal data to Google; instead, all necessary Google services are anonymized. /e/OS includes the most essential apps, offering privacy-respecting alternatives wherever possible.

In addition, our App Lounge allows you to choose between popular apps commonly found on the Play Store or open-source apps provided by F-Droid. This reflects our commitment to provide the freedom of choice: if you wish to use a mainstream app, you can.

To support that freedom, our Advanced Privacy feature keeps you informed by providing detailed insights into each app’s potential privacy risks and the number of trackers it contains.

With the /e/OS 3.0 update, you now receive a weekly Advanced Privacy report to help you stay informed – and to share with your friends and family.

Our business model is simple: we do not rely on your personal data.
We don’t scan your personal data, we don’t log your app usage, we don’t sell your personal data, and we don’t use targeted ads in our online services.

Murena Workspace – a fully integrated online suite for email, calendar, contacts, tasks, notes, and cloud storage – also respects your digital privacy.
It’s one of the few truly complete and seamless online workspace options that doesn’t scan your personal data – and it works perfectly with Murena smartphones.

Finally, we believe in transparency and trust.
That is why Murena is built on open-source software – our code is public, auditable, and open to anyone who wants to inspect or contribute.
We want you to know exactly what runs on your smart device – no hidden processes, no unwanted tracking.

Conclusion: Digital security protects your device. Digital privacy protects your personal data. /e/OS is about giving you both – with online privacy first.