You can sideload signal and it works without google cloud messaging. I use signal every day. It works fine.
> Firefox
You can sideload Firefox or use Fennec from fdroid, a firefox rebuild without proprietary software.
Yep that probably won't work. Most proprietary android applications use google play framework. This will only get worse. "Android" is less and less free with every release. Google keeps adding functionality to the proprietary libraries on top of the free base.
> VLC
It used to be in fdroid but is a nightmare to build so it was removed.
> No one can seriously expect a normal user to do without Google Play Services
Probably. I was just sharing my personal experience.
> very little influence on the surveillance state
Ha! Most HN readers are enthusiastically building the surveillance state.