Is your phone spying on you? It’s not just a feeling!

Let’s be clear — yes, your smartphone is spying on you! And it’s doing it all the time! No, it’s not normal… It’s completely intolerable!

Every single day, your phone leaks up to 12 megabytes of personal data — without your consent! That might not sound like much… until you realize it includes your location, your habits, your messages, your photos, your entire digital life. All tracked, packaged, and monetized behind your back!

This isn’t just surveillance. This is real-time, geolocated surveillance — industrial-scale tracking, baked into your phone! Even Big Brother wouldn’t have believed it possible… A world where people pay to be monitored 24/7, carrying a spy in their pocket like it’s no big deal!

And who’s behind it? Google, of course. Its apps, its services, its invisible background processes — all working together to feed the machine. Yeah, there are ways to fight back. LineageOS is one of them (and we talked about). But let’s be honest… unlocking bootloaders, flashing ROMs, terminal commands? That’s not for everyone.

And that’s exactly why Murena /e/ OS exists. No hacking. No tracking. No bullshit. Just a phone that works — and fully respects your privacy.

What is Murena /e/ OS?

Murena /e/ OS isn’t just another Android clone. It’s a complete reboot of what a mobile operating system should be — clean, respectful, and 100% deGoogled! Built on the solid foundation of LineageOS, it keeps the best parts: stability, speed, compatibility. But it strips out everything that shouldn’t be there — the tracking, the ads, the constant data leaks.

No telemetry. No hidden connections. No sneaky surveillance. And yet… it still works like any normal phone! Thanks to microG, you can run most apps that usually need Google — without giving your soul (or your data) to the tech giants.

And since everything unnecessary has been stripped out, the interface is faster, lighter, and cleaner. No bloat. No friction. Just a snappy, minimalist experience that lets your phone breathe again.

The preinstalled apps? Hand-picked for privacy, simplicity, and freedom. They’re open source, respectful, and light. And here’s something you won’t see on a Google Pixel or an iPhone — you can uninstall them. All of them. No tricks, no hidden locks, no corporate nanny telling you what you’re allowed to remove. If you don’t need an app, just delete it. That’s what user freedom actually looks like.

And I have to say — I feel a real connection to this project. Murena is a French company founded by Gaël Duval, the original creator of Mandrake Linux 🙂 And that matters to me. I used Mandrake for years back in the early 2000s — it was easily the most user-friendly and enjoyable Linux distro of its time. I have great memories of it. It made me want to learn more, try new things, dig deeper into Linux, and take back control of my computer.

So yeah, seeing Duval behind /e/ OS today? That hits home. Because once again, he’s proving something essential: you can build a serious, professional open source project — and actually make a living from it.
Yes, you can earn money. You can grow a business. You can do it all without bowing to Google, without playing the GAFAM game, and without tricking people into surveillance and manipulation.

That’s not just ethical tech — it’s tech that gives people back control. It’s about creating tools that users can fully own, tools that bring meaning and integrity back into the digital world.

Total app freedom, total privacy control

Murena /e/ OS doesn’t just replace the system — it reinvents the way you install and control apps. Thanks to App Lounge, you can search and install virtually any Android app — including open source apps, web apps, and even those from the Play Store. You don’t need a Google account. You don’t need to choose between privacy and usability. /e/ OS supports everything out of the box, and it even improves app compatibility, including support for SafetyNet in many cases. In short: your favorite apps still work, just without the spying.

But that’s not the end of the story — because privacy isn’t just about what you install. It’s about what those apps do after they’re on your phone.

That’s why Murena created Advanced Privacy, a powerful tool that gives you back control over what apps can really see and do. Many apps track you in the background — even when you’re not using them. They collect your IP address, monitor your behavior, and try to pinpoint your location. Advanced Privacy lets you block those trackers, mask your IP, and fake your location, all from a simple settings panel or a home screen widget. It’s built right into /e/ OS — no need to install anything else. Just turn it on, and take back your digital space.

Privacy in the cloud? Yes, really!

Murena doesn’t just stop at your phone. It also gives you access to a full-featured personal cloud — but relax, it’s totally optional. If you don’t want it, fine. Your phone still works like a charm.

But if you do activate it, you get a clean, practical web interface to manage your contacts, calendars, notes, emails, photos, and documents — right from your laptop or desktop. Just like with Google or Apple… except this time, no one’s watching.

Everything is hosted in Europe, under European law, with GDPR protection by default. No US surveillance laws. No backdoors. No fine print selling you out. Your data stays in the EU, where privacy is still something that actually means something.

And if you’ve got sensitive files? You get a fully encrypted Vault — only you hold the key. Murena Cloud is a service that works for you, not against you. No AI, no tracking, no targeted ads. Just space that’s actually yours.

The dream combo: Murena + Fairphone

Most smartphones today are soaked in blood! That’s not an image. That’s a fact. The war in the Congo, driven by the global race for rare metals like coltan and cobalt, has caused over six million deaths. Six million! Entire villages wiped out. Children forced to dig for minerals in unregulated, mafia-run mines. Armed groups fighting for control of supply routes. And all of it — all of it — to feed the tech industry’s demand for faster chips and thinner screens.

Meanwhile, entire ecosystems are being destroyed. Toxic waste poured into rivers. Forests razed for open-pit mines. All so that a phone can be thinner, shinier, and obsolete a year later. Fairphone breaks that cycle.

It doesn’t pretend to be perfect. But it does everything differently. The sourcing is transparent. The materials are recycled when possible, and where it’s not, they come from monitored, non-conflict zones. The factory workers are paid and protected. And the phone? Designed to last. Designed to be fixed.

You don’t need to be a hacker or a DIY genius. You can replace the battery, the screen, the camera — in minutes, with basic tools. And if you get stuck? There are step-by-step tutorials. A community. Real people who help you, not some chatbot telling you to buy a new device.

And when you pair that phone with Murena /e/ OS, you complete the vision. No Google. No Apple. No spyware. Just an OS that’s ready to use, that respects your privacy, and that gives you back control.

It supports 5G. It handles contactless payments. It runs the apps you need. And it costs over 50% less than a mainstream flagship phone.

This isn’t about being “eco-conscious” or “making a statement”. This is about refusing to be complicit. Refusing to fund war, pollution, exploitation, and surveillance. It’s about making a different choice — because it’s finally possible.

And just to be clear — we’re not affiliated with Murena or Fairphone in any way. We don’t get paid to say this. We’re not here to push products. But when a tech alternative is this solid, this ethical, and this aligned with what we believe in… we’re not going to keep it to ourselves.

So yeah, here’s the link: 👉 murena.com

You’ll find Fairphones in their shop — already loaded with /e/ OS, ready to go. They also offer other brands, but if your priority is ethical sourcing, repairability, and long-term durability, Fairphone is the one we recommend without hesitation.

There are different models, colors, and accessories available. Take a look, make your choice — and that’s it.

If you need a new phone, this is one place where you can actually find something ethical. But if your current phone still works — even better. Don’t ditch it. Keep it running as long as you can, it’s the best thing you can do for the environment. And in the meantime, don’t just sit back. If your device supports it, install an alternative like LineageOS or GrapheneOS. You’ll take back control of your privacy without buying anything new. And when it’s finally time to upgrade — you’ll know exactly where to go 😉

It’s not too late to change direction

Too many people still believe the world is heading in the wrong direction — and that there’s nothing we can do about it. Well… that’s simply not true! There is no fatality. And NovaFuture is here to prove it. For every toxic system, there’s an alternative. As citizens, we have real power — locally, individually, collectively. And as consumers, we can also become informed buyers, choosing tools and devices that respect both people and the planet.

Yes, when it comes to hardware, there’s a price to pay. But let’s be honest — are we talking about paying three or four times more than for a mainstream phone? Not at all. We’re well within the usual price range for a durable, ethical product.

And on the software side? No excuses. For every proprietary app or service that tracks, manipulates, or exploits you, there are one or more open source alternatives that do the job — often better, always with respect. At NovaFuture, we’ll keep repeating it: open source is efficient, open source is affordable, open source is powerful.

If the GAFAMs and billionaire tech barons are getting rich off your data, and your digital life — stop complaining. They do it because you let them. The only way to change that is to understand the philosophy — and spread it. Open the eyes of your friends. Your family. Your networks.

And if you want to talk about Murena OS, share your experience with a Fairphone, LineageOS, /e/ OS, or even GrapheneOS (which we’ll cover soon) — come join us on the NovaFuture forum dedicated to open source. You’re more than welcome.

If you enjoyed this post and want to see more content like this on equally important and exciting topics, you can help me stay awake (and focused) by offering me a coffee — or several — via Buy Me a Coffee. It’s a small gesture, but it really helps support the time I spend writing and, more importantly, it contributes to covering the costs of running the NovaFuture platform. Thanks!