Samsung disables customer phones remotely, holds data hostage until Mexican government stepped in - YouTube

Clbull@lemmy.world to Technology@lemmy.world – 375 points –
Samsung disables customer phones remotely, holds data hostage until Mexican government stepped in
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This is why I no longer buy Samsung products. They have a history of doing this and other shady behavior.

+1. I bought a high end Samsung tablet. In less than a year they disabled the IR app completely. Their customer support said too bad & fuck you.

Last Samsung I'll ever buy.

What are you buying now?

Probably a Pixel. They're pretty good, especially if you install something like GrapheneOS.

Why does this dude’s face show up in my feed so often is the real issue here.

That's Louis Rossman, basically the head of the right to repair movement (nobody's really the head but for most intents and purposes it's this guy)

If you support the right to repair, or even if you don't, it wouldn't hurt to look into his stuff

Okay but I see him in a lot of tech related posts lately, also not about right to repair.

He went up against tech industries by getting the right to repair into law.

Now that the train is fully in motion, he's turned his attention to other shitty things that corporations are doing to inform, educate and sometimes fix.

It's a public service and I'd rather have more of him then internet shills who sell their souls for more ad revenue (advocating for dodgy/bad products which in some cases are outright scams, inflating video lengths to 9 mins so they can get extra revenue etc).

He also runs a tech repair shop in New York, I could see him being in a lot of tech stuff you're seeing

Formerly New York, now Texas.

Oof I need to catch up a bit then, when did that happen?

A year or two ago I think. He sold it off and opened a new shop in Texas after becoming sick and tired of dealing with red tape in NYC, paying fees and taxes etc.

Yeah this is pretty much him. Sounds great at first glance but if you spend any time with him he's just another techbro libertarian that thinks he's saving the world. His content is miserable sensationalism that leans so hard on the negative that I genuinely get depressed watching it now. I can't take anything he says at face value, it all feels cynical or coded libertarianist nonsense now.

agreed. big fan of his work on right-to-repair, but find his libertarian pov tiresome.

How is Texas an improvement though

supposedly we're super business/small business friendly. not a business owner, but i expect there are significantly fewer fees and very significantly lower taxes for someone doing business here compared to new york. also a lot less regulation.

it's the same reason a lot of big businesses come here.

Fully support this guy and all his efforts but I'm really tired of seeing that face.

Hi Shepard, shitty life pro tip ... Just close your eyes when you play his videos, like a Krogran blindly running into battle.

He has a youtube channel that talks about the latest developments in the tech industry. Seems a lot of people like his videos. Its not an "issue" unless you make it one

is there a TLDW for the people who can't watch videos?

thank you, that article is wow, yea cementing the fact after my s20+ fails I will be jumping brands

Get a Google Pixel and install GrapheneOS. First Smartphone/OS combo I really enjoy, mostly because this device is fucking secure. I just can't bare non-updatabe CFWs, long forgotten branded roms and Google services...

I am likely going with the pixel, just because of the free-er ecosystem on it, plus the update window they committed to last time around is super nice

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Thanks

Just another thing to add to the reasons i dont want a samsung device pile

I'm hopping by the time I need my next phone Linux phones will be ready.

"Hey guys, newbie here, just wondering what distro I should go with for my phone. I mainly want to game and use Microsoft Office 365."

Problem is things like cars and banks. Some banks now require you to run their app to have online banking. That app refuses to run on rooted devices or custom ROMs, if they can detect it. Some cars have no satnav and require Andrio Auto. Which is in someways is good, but it means there is arm race between FOSS people and car makers + Goings, because of course only they are "secure".

There needs be regulation to protect user freedom/privacy/security and ensure there can be competition to the Google/Apple duopoly.

Wow, that site is borderline magical.

Anyway, it’s funny to see how big companies can’t handle the global nature of today’s economy or even the global nature of the Internet.

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Also is there an audio recording for the people who can't read?

also is there an interpretive dance summarizing the main points for those of us that struggle with specificity but thrive on abstraction?

Is there a smoke signal nearby for us who can't use the internet?

How about a cave with some art on the wall I could visit on my own time? I hate it when someone interrupts my phone information smoke signals (or smokies as the kids call them these days) and when you miss a puff or two it's impossible to find your place again.

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Now think that happens to your shiny new car.

not samsung.. 😢

i'm at a standstill on deciding which phone to purchase next. i currently have the pixel 6 and i'm actually disappointed with it. the phone is too buggy and im tired of google's bs.

What is buggy? You could try another OS like Calyx or Graphine. It's android but maybe?

i will try graphene..

i've had issues where my screen goes dark during calls and i can't wake it up, when calls come thru, i don't see the caller id until like 3rd or 4th ring, people can't hear me when on speaker, it chooses what volume different apps chime in at ( this has gotten me in serious trouble with alarms)

Good luck! I'm on Calyx but I know plenty use graphene as well.

That sounds like a bit of a buggy mess you have had. If you don't feel like swapping OS, you may be able to fix the issue just by downloading a different phone app.

More sensationalism from the snake oil salesman.

Another reason not to live in Mexico. LMAO

Another reason not to live in Mexico. LMAO buy Samsung smartphones.

So which brand would you recommend for someone living in a third world country?

Personally, I'm using Redmi Note 11 because it's cheap and I can replace its ROM (MIUI EU or some AOSP-based ROMs).

Nothing Phone 2 is available in some third-world countries, though. If you're on tight budget, then Xiaomi.

Lol. The irony of recommending a Chinese brand over Samsung because of concerns of what they'll do with your data/wanting control is hilarious.

Samsung might shut down your phone remotely. Xiaomi does give your data over to Chinese government. I would pick Samsung over Xiaomi any day.

There was also an article recently about them preventing people from unlocking the phone without submitting a request with personal information etc

Xiaomi does give your data over to Chinese government. I would pick Samsung over Xiaomi any day.

Oh boy, i DonT gIve dAta tO GoveErnmen. I hope you're using Google Pixel with GrapheneOS. Google can easily blacklist Pixel phones when it was sold outside their market. Samsung and Xiaomi can just inject bloatwares on their devices and request permissions. They are just the same, bad boys.

Oops.

https://www.phonearena.com/news/xiaomi-browsers-have-backdoors_id124332

Sorry buddy! Maybe next time research your phone manufacturer.

Oops. Sorry buddy! I don't use MIUI native/built-in apps. I disabled them right away through ADB.

Mi Browser is the shittiest mobile browser anyway. As for data collection, Qualcomm collects data from the devices where their SoC built: ^thanks^ ^nextdns^ ^lulz^

So you won't buy a Samsung because it may allow remote access, but the first thing you do on your phone is to remove as much access and problematic software as possible since it's riddled with it.

Just keep arguing with yourself, I won't stop you.

Nah, bruh. I'm not arguing. I'm content with my current device with my own threat model. You?

I'm sorry but are you seriously saying Xiaomi is better privacy wise than Samsung? I had one and you literally had to accept the terms of service to use the fucking calculator because it collected data on you.

If you're gonna go the route of rooting your phone (and losing the warranty in the process) any phone would do really

What the fuck's up with the reddit toxicity here lmao even the reply that made sense and tried to explain their points to you got downvoted to hell

Toxicity isn't a Reddit thing. It's a human thing. We're kinda shit.

Honestly I find people on Lemmy are significantly more toxic than people on Reddit

Maybe it's because of the instance I'm using but I'm constantly blocking people and subs

I’m sorry but are you seriously saying Xiaomi is better privacy wise than Samsung?

Did I say I recommend Xiaomi for privacy? I'm just answering your question, and since you mentioned "Third World country," that brand pops on me. They're cheap, they're functional, and last up to a day. Privacy? That I don't know of. Most smartphones collect data anyway, unless you replace it to GrapheneOS, or any privacy-focused custom ROM.

Regarding of unlocking device, I'm just using a disposable phone number and email on my Xiaomi Account. That's it.