DeGoogle Yourself

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motivation to deGoogle: Creditors can lock your Android remotely if you are delinquent. (infosec.pub)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

87 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The technical mechanism:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.devicelock

update

To be clear, I am not the OP who experienced this problem. I just linked them from here.

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[+] [email protected] -16 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

Imagine acting like having a $1000 phone is a right. If you didn't want creditors shutting down your phone, pay for it. Apparently this is an undue burden these days.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

This isn't about my phone in particular.

The fact you cannot even imagine a situation where this kind of power would lead to vulnerable people having their lives be made even harder for missing a payment, shows how little you imagination and empathy you have.

This kind of power should lie with regulators and the justice system, not private companies.

Also why is this app ON MY PHONE WHICH I BOUGHT OUTRIGHT? ffs.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

The code is inherently in the ~~firmware~~ (edit: kernel) no matter how you acquire the phone.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Every OS, including Linux, has a way to install remote management. Every one. You are just pissed at how the phone company implemented it. Might as well blame Linus for making the os extensible.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

You’re still not grasping how free software works. Users have a right to see the code and the right to change it. They also have the right to redistribute the code. Your complaint is unfounded because not a single user of a fully free platform is forced to have remote management code installed.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Might as well blame Linus for supporting this.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

If you fail to use rights granted to you by free software licenses, you can blame yourself.