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Motorola phones have started hijacking the Amazon app to insert affiliate codes

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Re: Motorola phones have started hijacking the Amazon app to insert affiliate codes

#61

Post by microtonal »

0xEF wrote: post #58
GuestFAUniverse wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No matter how you turn it, that doesn't build trust in the Motorola brand, if a single employee can push that (hypothetical) code.

I agree, but in fairness, I don't know of any brand, tech or otherwise, that can completely wall itself off against insider threats. No matter how vigilant you are, someone who knows exactly how you move will find a way around you.

I can understand it's hard to defend against plausibly deniable errors that create backdoors, etc. But this would show a complete lack of code review, no?

Re: Motorola phones have started hijacking the Amazon app to insert affiliate codes

#62

Post by ta8903 »

WolfeReader wrote: post #20
sourcegrift wrote: post #4

If an anti-worker company is getting fleeced, nothing wrong with that. I hope motorola collaborates with Pine and brings linux to phones. In the age of LLM apps are obviously not a problem. (Hopefully windows Phone 7, not 8 also comes back)

I agree with your overall opinion, but not sure why you had to bring LLMs into a topic that has nothing to do with them.

I think they mean you don't need to worry about a tiny app ecosystem these days because LLMs make it easy to create your own.

Re: Motorola phones have started hijacking the Amazon app to insert affiliate codes

#63

Post by xzxz »

edarchis wrote: post #45
xzxz wrote: post #12

I used to choose Motorola devices for a long time but since 2 years when I bought Edge 30 Fusion I started to notice they automatically (without my knowledge) add 3 stupid apps or games about two times a month :/ There is no way to stop it. My kids phones are stuffed with this sh*t.

I got a prompt about trying new apps every week or something similar. The wording, the moment it prompted me were clearly designed for people to just say "ok" and then wonder how apps were installing regularly without any action. I got caught myself, disabled it but still got new app installs later. I killed the whole thing and have been free since. But definitely felt like a scam. And the apps suck.

This is exactly what I noticed and was disappointed about

Re: Motorola phones have started hijacking the Amazon app to insert affiliate codes

#64

Post by microtonal »

rainforest wrote: post #44

Note that the smart feed "feature" is Taboola-provided adware[0] so it's par for the course. It's beyond comprehension Lenovo would trash the brand by shipping it on flagships. [0] https://www.reddit.com/r/motorola/comments/1s61usi/edge_60_p...

Who outside Apple/Google/Fairphone isn't? Samsung has been shipping the Israeli (IronSource) AppCloud on A series for a while now and people in some regions even spotted it on S-series phones (it'll spy on your usage and install apps). Nothing, which uses clean Android as one of their selling points, started installing something similar (AppServices, presumably also from IronSource given the Aura branding) on various devices.

Between these companies pushing adware/spyware and Apple putting Apple Creator Studio ads in former iWork applications, ads for Apple Intelligence in the system settings, and pushing ads for their F1 movie in Apple Wallet, smartphones have reached the mass enshittification phase.

The only safe havens are Pixel with GrapheneOS and Fairphone with I don't know what exactly (Murena sorta has ads for their own stuff and has many other issues, I guess LineageOS then). Perhaps ironically, given the context, Motorola with GrapheneOS too :).

Re: Motorola phones have started hijacking the Amazon app to insert affiliate codes

#65

Post by microtonal »

GuestFAUniverse wrote: post #56
microtonal wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On some phones this is done by something like AppCloud, which you can usually uninstall from the user partition using ADB/Universal Android Debloater.

Or: buy another brand and not jump hoops.

Definitely, it's more that is worth trying for people who have a phone already. E.g. on Samsung, you can remove most of the bloatware.

Re: Motorola phones have started hijacking the Amazon app to insert affiliate codes

#66

Post by xzxz »

brnt wrote: post #25
xzxz wrote: post #12

I used to choose Motorola devices for a long time but since 2 years when I bought Edge 30 Fusion I started to notice they automatically (without my knowledge) add 3 stupid apps or games about two times a month :/ There is no way to stop it. My kids phones are stuffed with this sh*t.

You are in luck: LineageOS supports many Motorola devices, including the Edge 30.

In the past I often tend to replace stock Android with LineageOS but in today's world with so many attack vectors like for example malware in supply chains etc. I choose to stay with stock OS. I also have my bank apps and lot of my clients data/credentials stored on my accounts.

Re: Motorola phones have started hijacking the Amazon app to insert affiliate codes

#67

Post by hypendev »

xzxz wrote: post #12

I used to choose Motorola devices for a long time but since 2 years when I bought Edge 30 Fusion I started to notice they automatically (without my knowledge) add 3 stupid apps or games about two times a month :/ There is no way to stop it. My kids phones are stuffed with this sh*t.

Motorola's history is so unfortunate.

They were a great brand, cool phones, one of early Android players.

After being bought out by Google, Motorola had some of the best devices out there with stock android, especially in the budget segment (and loved among android devs).They had one of the best smartwatches in the game at the time - Moto 360 (2014!!).

Then, after dropping the Nexus 6, Google stripped the patents and sold them to Lenovo. For a while it was ok, even dropping the relatively innovative Moto Z which had all the cool "modular" addons, played with it for a bit and seemed cool.

And then, things seemed to start taking a turn for the worse as Lenovo kept enshitiffying it more and more, using the brand name as a wedge in the market in which they are basically forgotten. They have the Razr brand which is cool, but the segment that was their best (budget phones) is now ruined with adware so they can extract every bit of value from it.

Such a sad ending for a company that was so early in the space.

Re: Motorola phones have started hijacking the Amazon app to insert affiliate codes

#68

Post by microtonal »

KennyBlanken wrote: post #21
xzxz wrote: post #12

I used to choose Motorola devices for a long time but since 2 years when I bought Edge 30 Fusion I started to notice they automatically (without my knowledge) add 3 stupid apps or games about two times a month :/ There is no way to stop it. My kids phones are stuffed with this sh*t.

Luckily there is a mobile phone OS and hardware that isn't produced by the world's largest advertising company, and furthermore doesn't allow two different corporations to be involved in the core OS of the device.

I hope you are not referring to the company that is pushing AI ads through their system settings, pushing Creator Studio subscription ads through the formerly non-shareware productivity tools, and pushing movie ads through their wallet?

Seriously, get a Pixel and install GrapheneOS, or maybe a Fairphone with LineageOS.

Re: Motorola phones have started hijacking the Amazon app to insert affiliate codes

#69

Post by xzxz »

tredre3 wrote: post #22
xzxz wrote: post #12

I used to choose Motorola devices for a long time but since 2 years when I bought Edge 30 Fusion I started to notice they automatically (without my knowledge) add 3 stupid apps or games about two times a month :/ There is no way to stop it. My kids phones are stuffed with this sh*t.

> There is no way to stop it. There are ways. All the apps that install this crap can be disabled through Android's app manager, no fancy method required. (Of course updates can bring them back... But "luckily" Motorola isn't too keen on providing those for their products). Some examples of the apps to look for: - App Box - Games - MotoApps - Moto App Manager - Live lock screen The active adware apps depends on your…

I tried to disable some of them but then, (not even) after OS update (sometimes after reboot) I noticed that they are active again.

Re: Motorola phones have started hijacking the Amazon app to insert affiliate codes

#70

Post by apples_oranges »

londons_explore wrote: post #26
kayson wrote: post #10

> In further digging, we noticed that the URL the phone opens up is “kira-abboud.com,” a website that references fashion influencer “@kirasfashionfinds.” Notably, this exact URL isn’t listed anywhere on Abboud’s social media, and the affiliate codes don’t match up either. The redirect coming from Motorola phones is using Amazona affiliate code “sramz-kff-008-20” which is completely different from any of the codes we…

My guess is a rogue employee who hopes they can get away with this stuff for years till caught... That employees cousin probably does social media for Abboud...

right, they should start reviewing their PRs
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