[apk-d]

Are there any recommendations how one can limit the amount of information Google is collecting on them, preferably without completely giving up on Android and Google services (such as maps)? I'm already considered a hermit by friends for not having a Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn account, but to me it constantly feels like I haven't gone far enough. This shit is downright dystopian, and I'm outraged by the general lack of outrage.

[Youden]

So long as Google Play Services is installed, there's only so much you can do to limit it. It's essentially equivalent to giving Google root access to your phone.

The best thing you can do is cut off Google completely. Install AOSP, LineageOS or a similar ROM and don't install Play Services. Get apps from FDroid or where necessary something like Aurora Store (an open-source Play Store implementation). Don't use apps that depend on Google. There are alternative apps for maps that are pretty great, mostly OSM based (e.g. OSMAnd and the Maps.me-based "Maps" app in FDroid).

However that's not always something you can do. Some apps just won't work without some kind of connection to Google. For those, there's MicroG, an open-source implementation of Play Services that gives you a whole lot more control and even allows you to use different location backends like those provided by Mozilla or Apple.

[glial]

If you haven't read it already, I highly recommend "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism" by Shoshana Zuboff. It's not exactly a 'how to' manual for privacy, but it is helpful for understanding the scale of the problem.