Meet eelo — the mobile operating system based on Android to create privacy-enabled smartphones — a gift from the open-source community. The Linux enthusiast and Mandrake Linux developer, Gaël Duval is behind the creation of this new Google-free, privacy-lock OS.
Actually, eelo is not a completely new operating system as it was forked from LineageOS which is open source and can run mainstream Android applications. The eelo project focuses on better data privacy and protection so the operating system ditched all Google services and associated its own web-services, including email, cloud storage, and online office tools.
According to Duval, using Google’s Android compromise our privacy and data as they are tracking us by capturing a lot of information about what we do and we like to sell advertising. As he doesn’t want to become a product of Google like others forced him to develop a better open-source alternative for Android without Google footprints.
Currently, eelo is running as a beta, and the real challenge so far has been to remove Google Play Store, Google Play Services and other Google apps. He adds that eelo will rely on privacy-enabled DuckDuckGo and Qwant for search. But in future users will able to pick their own search engine.
With eelo Duval aims to reconquer our privacy and data with attractive-designed “privacy-enabled” smartphone ROMs and smartphones for the average user, with associated web-services. He wants eelo to be consistent and comfortable to use, like iOS or MacOS are — “I want something I could recommend to my parents or my children” – Duval says.
According to Duval, eelo will be a non-profit project, a project “in the public interest” but will sell preloaded eelo smartphones, and provide premium services for corporates though profit won’t be eelo’s primary focus. Duval is welcoming everyone support by currently running a Kickstarter page to raise money for eelo project.
