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Do you need to download an anti-virus for Android? (lemmy.world)

submitted 7 months ago by Yamainwitch@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

33 comments fedilink hide all child comments

So my workplace is mostly iPhone users and someone asked me what kind of antivirus software I used on my Android, and I said "none" and he flipped out about how unsafe it was. Other people chimed in saying how all androids need antivirus apps and I've never heard of such a thing. I do have ad-blockers and a VPN but never downloaded an antivirus. Should I? If so, what would you recommend? Thanks lemmings, love you.

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[–] TheGalacticVoid@lemm.ee 7 points 7 months ago

I'm gonna say no, but not for the same reasons as other commenters.

Android isn't as safe as iOS in that you're way more likely to get an app that harvests your data on the Play Store. That being said, there's almost no chance of you getting a device-breaking bug or app on Android vs. on iOS.

Now, if you're worried about data collection, whether you have an antivirus is the least of your concerns. You need to evaluate every single service that you currently use or pay for and see how they use your data. Google and Meta harvest all of it. Your telecom provider harvests a ton of it. The big retail chains you shop at, your banks, your credit/debit card payment processor, your ISP, etc. all collect data that they then sell to data brokers. Any data that is sent to data brokers can be bought by basically anyone who wants it. Even if all of your data is nuked from these brokers, data breaches at various companies or government agencies can and do happen. Even if those breaches never happen, some of your info is kept in the public record and can't be erased.

So, if you want to do anything to protect yourself, don't get an antivirus. Instead, just try to scrub your personal info off the internet the best you can.