And the developers of those ad libraries that the dev uses, too. Have a look at my other comment: https://sh.itjust.works/comment/3783324

I haven’t yet looked into the lemmy client, but they don’t necessarily have to call any function in that library for it to be active.

On one hand, there are the class variables in Java. When a class variable (a static one) has a value assigned at the place where the variable is declared, and the assignment is the result of a function call, afaik that will run when the class is loaded, which is basically every time the app is run. Same with static blocks.

On the other hand, on Android an app can have components that are automatically run in certain conditions, and which can be added by any programming library you have added to your project.
One such type of component is the BroadcastReceiver. These are mostly run on certain events broadcasted inside the app or through the whole system, but now I don’t find whether any of those that Boost reddit uses are started by systemwide broadcasts. The other is the ContentProvider. These are started every time the app’s process starts, but otherwise unconditionally. It’s common for ad and tracking code to misuse this kind of components for being active as much as possible. Looking at the Boost reddit app, along others it has the following:

• com.applovin.sdk.AppLovinInitProvider
• com.google.android.gms.ads.MobileAdsInitProvider
• com.google.firebase.provider.FirebaseInitProvider (I think if you disable this one, the app won’t even work anymore, like with most other apps. Not like if disabling components would worth much, as this is not a privacy feature but a technical one, and the apps themselves can manage this)

Are the advertising libraries completely removed from the paid version, or is it just about not placing ads on the UI?

Thunderbird does this too. I think it’s enabled by default

The firefox process on my machine has been running since 07.23, that is, for almost 2 months now. I just asked it and it feels ok

Not directly, but indirectly it can. By simply just blocking browsers that allow meaningful ad blocking. And not just ad blocking, but it can be applied to any kinds of user-side modifications.

That does not always work like that. Sometimes you are obliged to use a website that is resistant to user privacy

Libretube is also a fine option. Available on F-droid

From me it would need more. Chrome has more (mostly privacy related) disadvantages compared to Firefox than that

Ok, they will have cables, but “Android is about options”, yet it’s hard to find a phone that does not have a rounded screen, a notch, or a screen embedded camera.
Honestly I’m using a 7 year old phone and I’ve almost given up on finding a new one with sensible hardware. In the last years android really became much closer to iphones, and not to their advantage in my eyes.

Just wait until android phone brands also remove all physical connectors

I’m pretty sure the blame is on the device manufacturer here