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S.Korea fines Google $177M for blocking Android customisation

reuters.com

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Re: S.Korea fines Google $177M for blocking Android customisation

#51

Post by kijin »

snarf21 wrote: post #44
causi wrote: post #3

I hate when a law or legal decision is aimed 45 degrees off like this. Letting manufacturers bundle their fucked-up version of Android is a bad thing. What we need is mandatory unlockable bootloaders so the users can load whatever they want on their devices.

I know that a lot of us more tech inclined want this freedom. But grandma is never running toolchain on a computer to install custom software. What 99% of people want is cheap/free and they will give up privacy to get it. I see this as SK giving its citizens what they say they want. I wish that wasn't the case but it seems like that is the world we live in.

Ordinary citizens don't really care. This is SK giving Samsung what they want: an Android-fork OS for their smartwatches and other gadgets where the app store can be controlled by Samsung, not Google.

Re: S.Korea fines Google $177M for blocking Android customisation

#52

Post by rjzzleep »

Sparkle-san wrote: post #47
amelius wrote: post #6

Will they also fine Samsung for blocking the user's right to remove manufacturer-bundled cruftware?

Given that Samsung's revenue is about 12% of S. Korea's GDP, I'm guessing that they will not.

Given that the head of Samsung was in prison for bribery of the president(of korea) and then got released on parole for using Covid vaccination as currency I'm guessing that they DEFINITELY will not.

https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/samsung-s-lee-receiv...

Re: S.Korea fines Google $177M for blocking Android customisation

#53

Post by pcr910303 »

I think the throwback on HN on this decision is due to the lack of details and context on the news?

From what I've understood from the local news (I'm a South Korean), It's not about blocking handsets with forked Android (that already happens regularly AFAIK), but the requirement of shipping Google apps like Chrome and Google Assistant. The big elephant in the room here is Samsung phones, which do ship it's own custom browser Samsung Internet (BTW, with ad blocking capabilities!) and a separate virtual assistant, Bixby. That's the part where the KFTC decided was monopolistic.

I don't have a personal opinion this, but seems that the comment threads are focusing on the wrong part. Manufacturers were always able to bundle up their fucked-up version of Android. They were always able to ship super-custom UIs. Google never prevented that... but they did force the UIs bloat by having two separate default apps.

Re: S.Korea fines Google $177M for blocking Android customisation

#54

Post by p_j_w »

causi wrote: post #37
fsflover wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> unlockable bootloaders so the users can load whatever they want Here you go: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5 .

Give me a Librem 5 with an SoC that isn't hot garbage and I'd buy it immediately.

People already complain about the price of that thing. Include a better SoC and it's going to get more expensive.

Re: S.Korea fines Google $177M for blocking Android customisation

#55

Post by turtlebits »

kijin wrote: post #51
snarf21 wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know that a lot of us more tech inclined want this freedom. But grandma is never running toolchain on a computer to install custom software. What 99% of people want is cheap/free and they will give up privacy to get it. I see this as SK giving its citizens what they say they want. I wish that wasn't the case but it seems like that is the world we live in.

Ordinary citizens don't really care. This is SK giving Samsung what they want: an Android-fork OS for their smartwatches and other gadgets where the app store can be controlled by Samsung, not Google.

I think the issue is Google blocking customizations if they want the Google Play store on the device.

I don't think there is anything stopping Samsung from using AOSP.

Re: S.Korea fines Google $177M for blocking Android customisation

#56

Post by horsawlarway »

hdjjhhvvhga wrote: post #41
HelixEndeavor wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We shouldn't have to sacrifice performance, quality, and reasonable price points in order to have the basic things we've had in the desktop world for decades.

We've only had them for historical reasons. If any of the big manufacturers had the option to invent a "personal computer" now, I'm 100% sure running arbitrary code wouldn't make it to the feature list.

Honestly - I don't think it's just the big manufacturers.

If HTML was invented in the current climate, I'm damn well convinced a simple would be shot down for "security" reasons.

We're seeing a real breakdown into walled ecosystems. My opinion is that most of the steps that direction are well-intentioned (Safety, Security, Consistency, etc). The end result is fucking hell, though, where the ecosystem owner profits massively and unfairly compared to all other entities.

Re: S.Korea fines Google $177M for blocking Android customisation

#57

Post by kevingadd »

grishka wrote: post #39
marcellus23 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, you put your credit card into it, so yeah?

You also put your credit card into your web browser, and it can even store your cards (without the cvc) to autofill them for you.

Yes, and this is a massive security vulnerability

Re: S.Korea fines Google $177M for blocking Android customisation

#58

Post by bee_rider »

grishka wrote: post #39
marcellus23 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, you put your credit card into it, so yeah?

You also put your credit card into your web browser, and it can even store your cards (without the cvc) to autofill them for you.

The web browser is almost certainly security critical -- although maybe it is treated as a special exception because of user expectations.

Re: S.Korea fines Google $177M for blocking Android customisation

#59

Post by dleslie »

hdjjhhvvhga wrote: post #41
HelixEndeavor wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We shouldn't have to sacrifice performance, quality, and reasonable price points in order to have the basic things we've had in the desktop world for decades.

We've only had them for historical reasons. If any of the big manufacturers had the option to invent a "personal computer" now, I'm 100% sure running arbitrary code wouldn't make it to the feature list.

That's how IBM built the PC, loosely. They didn't imagine a market where there would be third party expansion cards, and they believed that users should come to them, and their partners, for software.

Compaq blew that wide open, much to IBM corporate's dismay and IBM legal's glee.

Re: S.Korea fines Google $177M for blocking Android customisation

#60

Post by grishka »

bee_rider wrote: post #58
grishka wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You also put your credit card into your web browser, and it can even store your cards (without the cvc) to autofill them for you.

The web browser is almost certainly security critical -- although maybe it is treated as a special exception because of user expectations.

Yes, but somehow, web browsers never check for "device integrity", and websites just blindly trust that the browser, or whatever it is on the other end, would do whatever it's told. They don't even have a reliable way of telling what kind of device or OS the user is accessing the website from. And everyone seems to be fine with that.

And that's how it should be with apps, too. And people need to be educated to never, ever be so trustful. You lost your savings to a scammer? Well, you'll be more diligent next time.

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