OK, so it’s a Linux variant altered and released by Google. Is that specific enough for those wanting to be pedantic?
Google is still VERY involved, correct? You are trying to avoid Google, correct?
You CANNOT avoid Google unless you go with an obscure OS, or Apple. Those are your choices.
Smile ok, but Apple is as bad as Google.
I want to communicate privately without big tech brother being able to read or store my communications. Like mailing a snail mail letter or talking on phone line that isn’t bugged.
That's not really accurate. Google uses Linux as a base, makes changes and release it as Android. Because of the terms of the Linux license, they have to make public all their source code for the extras stuff. Others can then take the Android source, strip/comment/ifdef out the special Google spy stuff and recompile. It really doesn't matter at that point if Google was involved in development.