Samsung disables customer phones remotely, holds data hostage [video] • Hacker News Board

Re: Samsung disables customer phones remotely, holds data hostage [video]

#21

Post by brookst » Sat, Oct 28, 2023, 4:27 PM UTC

iforgotpassword wrote: post #10

literalAardvark wrote: post #2

Well that's horrifying, can't wait for Samsung to disable my phone because I went on vacation to Cancun...

That was the first thing I wondered; how will they avoid this? Let's say I'm going there for an extended trip and decide to get a local SIM card. Will my phone just go poof?

I think they avoid it by only targeting phones bought in one market but with first account setup and first SIM from another.

So your exposure would be if you decided to factory reset the phone, use a new Samsung/Google account, and get a local SIM.

Re: Samsung disables customer phones remotely, holds data hostage [video]

#22

Post by londons_explore » Sat, Oct 28, 2023, 4:27 PM UTC

Is this an attempt at some anti-theft tech?

Ie. prevent phones that have been stolen, either from the supply chain, or from end consumers, from being used.

If so - apple and most other manufacturers do the same. But they normally do so only very soon after the theft.

Re: Samsung disables customer phones remotely, holds data hostage [video]

#23

Post by stalfosknight » Sat, Oct 28, 2023, 4:28 PM UTC

q3k wrote: post #15

richwater wrote: post #6

Frankly, I can't imagine a reason not to buy an iPhone instead of whatever Android device happens to be around besides ideological differences. The customer experience is so vastly superior to these bloatware filled, borderline spyware Samsung/Xiamoi/OnePlus devices.

Most of the world simply can't afford an iPhone.

Apple has new iPhones for sale at various price points all the way down to the very affordable iPhone SE.

Re: Samsung disables customer phones remotely, holds data hostage [video]

#24

Post by brookst » Sat, Oct 28, 2023, 4:28 PM UTC

Belopolye wrote: post #17

richwater wrote: post #6

Frankly, I can't imagine a reason not to buy an iPhone instead of whatever Android device happens to be around besides ideological differences. The customer experience is so vastly superior to these bloatware filled, borderline spyware Samsung/Xiamoi/OnePlus devices.

I realize this makes me sound black-pilled, but mobile platforms (Apple included) are so user-hostile with regard to privacy I’m not even sure the battle is worth fighting. IMO it’s better to just hold your nose, limit what you use your phone for as much as you can, and do everything important/sensitive on a computer that you have root access on.

God I wish I did anything interesting enough to merit that level of concern.

Re: Samsung disables customer phones remotely, holds data hostage [video]

#25

Post by brookst » Sat, Oct 28, 2023, 4:31 PM UTC

tjpnz wrote: post #16

richwater wrote: post #6

Frankly, I can't imagine a reason not to buy an iPhone instead of whatever Android device happens to be around besides ideological differences. The customer experience is so vastly superior to these bloatware filled, borderline spyware Samsung/Xiamoi/OnePlus devices.

I'm not buying after the client scanning debacle. That they would even come up with something like troubles me greatly, and I was tempted to ditch Android at that point.

You prefer totally non-transparent cloud scanning that allows for ad hoc, warrantless, untraceable, personally-targeted scans from anyone who can threaten a big company?

I saw client-side scanning as much more transparent and limited. Yes, there could be abuses, but there is not a single possible abuse worse than what is already happening every day with cloud-side scanning.

Re: Samsung disables customer phones remotely, holds data hostage [video]

#26

Post by brookst » Sat, Oct 28, 2023, 4:32 PM UTC

croes wrote: post #9

richwater wrote: post #6

Frankly, I can't imagine a reason not to buy an iPhone instead of whatever Android device happens to be around besides ideological differences. The customer experience is so vastly superior to these bloatware filled, borderline spyware Samsung/Xiamoi/OnePlus devices.

What Samsung did is actually more of an Apple move. Total control, even the source shop of your phone.

“No true Samsung”

Re: Samsung disables customer phones remotely, holds data hostage [video]

#27

Post by tjpnz » Sat, Oct 28, 2023, 4:36 PM UTC

brookst wrote: post #25

tjpnz wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not buying after the client scanning debacle. That they would even come up with something like troubles me greatly, and I was tempted to ditch Android at that point.

You prefer totally non-transparent cloud scanning that allows for ad hoc, warrantless, untraceable, personally-targeted scans from anyone who can threaten a big company? I saw client-side scanning as much more transparent and limited. Yes, there could be abuses, but there is not a single possible abuse worse than what is already happening every day with cloud-side scanning.

I don't want any of my data scanned which is why I don't tend to store it in the cloud. If Apple rolled out client side scanning what's to prevent them from extending it to all data on the device, regardless of whether it's synced to iCloud?

Re: Samsung disables customer phones remotely, holds data hostage [video]

#28

Post by xtracto » Sat, Oct 28, 2023, 4:37 PM UTC

londons_explore wrote: post #22

Is this an attempt at some anti-theft tech? Ie. prevent phones that have been stolen, either from the supply chain, or from end consumers, from being used. If so - apple and most other manufacturers do the same. But they normally do so only very soon after the theft.

No. This is just because phones in Mercadolibre, or other Fayuca places are cheaper and better models than the overpriced ones they sell in Samsung's own "official " store.

I'll replace my phone this year. And was looking to buy a samsung s23 ultra. But all my phones are multi sim. Samsung mexico doesn't sell multi sim. But the gray market ones so sell multisim and a 512gb original s23 is $250 USD cheaper than the one sold by Samsung with only single sim.

Re: Samsung disables customer phones remotely, holds data hostage [video]

#29

Post by doubled112 » Sat, Oct 28, 2023, 4:38 PM UTC

elforce002 wrote: post #20

q3k wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of the world simply can't afford an iPhone.

If Apple releases mid-tier phone after this, they will win the market for sure.

Isn't an iPhone SE pretty mid-tier?

Re: Samsung disables customer phones remotely, holds data hostage [video]

#30

Post by armada651 » Sat, Oct 28, 2023, 4:39 PM UTC

brookst wrote: post #24

Belopolye wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I realize this makes me sound black-pilled, but mobile platforms (Apple included) are so user-hostile with regard to privacy I’m not even sure the battle is worth fighting. IMO it’s better to just hold your nose, limit what you use your phone for as much as you can, and do everything important/sensitive on a computer that you have root access on.

God I wish I did anything interesting enough to merit that level of concern.

People are always unconcerned until their data leaks, then it turns out that the stuff they considered uninteresting was actually something they'd rather have kept private.