Poisoned data is extremely easy to filter and will only get easier as AI improves. Stop making these posts this is basically FUD. It is much better to get rid of the data you can and form proper data hygiene practices.
Don't bring data you are not ok with a foreign government forcing you to handover. That's the simplest solution.
Back all your important data up, then wipe your phone before you go. Same with the laptop. You can't be coerced into giving something you don't have.
Threat modeling is important. If your just an average Joe being a tourist it is highly unlikely the Chinese government is going to take your devices to search.
Source: travelled to China for an extended period of time.
Based on basic security principles. There is not a real security expert out there that would ever tell you to not update. Leaving a backdoor in your network as a "honeypot" is an absolutely awful idea.
You are also conflating security updates with feature updates. Please take a look at the different terminology.
It is pretty much always more dangerous to not update. The internet is an extremely hostile environment (from a security perspective). You really should avoid having devices that are not updated or EOL connected to it.
I thought about using my owner profile as a hub for app stores and then a 2nd profile as my main profile but I found the 2nd profiles a bit unreliable in terms of receiving calls and texts.
I can't imagine Google is losing sleep over this being an issue for GOS users. If anything I'd assume anything that could get people to switch back to stock is what they want.
One downside for Mint is RCS doesn't work properly with T-Mobile carriers as they require more privileged access. GOS has talked about maybe providing a toggle to allow this like they do with Android Auto.
Does this make Anna's Archive the top music tracker now? Lol move over RED