this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2023
87 points (95.8% liked)

Privacy

29871 readers
1219 users here now

A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

Some Rules

Related communities

Chat rooms

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Recently Motorola followed by Samsung started disabling/locking devices flagged as "illegal" through Mexico marking a precedent over the remote control manufacturers have over the devices they sell! Only after Mexican government made an official request to manufacturers they removed the lock.

Sources: https://linustechtips.com/topic/1537307-android-phones-disabled-remotly-in-mexico/ https://www.sammyfans.com/2023/10/23/samsung-stops-blocking-illegally-imported-galaxy-phones-in-mexico/

top 10 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 67 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Bricking someone's hardware, that they've paid for, is a crime already. It should be treated like a crime even if the person doing the bricking is the phone manufacturer. It's not their phone once they've sold it

[–] DetectiveSanity 12 points 8 months ago

Ownership no longer has the same definition in the eyes of corporations and governments!

As concerning as that is, more so is the fact that the same infrastructure could be used for malicious intentions. That is ransomware level of control they reserve simply because they manufacture these devices.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

If we wanted to own the devices we bought, we would have needed to start 20 years ago.

Now it's too late, the only reasonable thing you can do is clawing back control over your device by installing a custom ROM.

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

Agreed. But it's good for authorities, and as the mexicanist authorities demonstrated, to treat this as a crime. To prevent companies from doing this.

[–] danc4498 10 points 8 months ago (2 children)

So people illegally imported cell phones. Illegal in the eyes of the Mexican government? If so, it’s interesting that they care about protecting the consumers of illegal devices.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago

Its not illegal.
This is about manufacturers not wanting to loose their control on distribution and price setting.

[–] DetectiveSanity 4 points 8 months ago

I presumed exess media attention to the matter pushed them towards this response.

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

That they would even build such a remote lock into "not their phone" is Orwellian technofacism.

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

Where did you get that the phones were illegally imported?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

I'm confused about that too. Apparently it is in the contract that you aren't allowed to take your device you legally purchased with you where you want, or to sell it after buying it? Or are they only allowed to sell their phone to people in the same country as themselves? Or something?