Google Removes Viral Chinese-App Scanner From the Play Store (inputmag.com) 36
Remove China Apps, the viral Android app for flagging software made in China, has been removed from Google's Play Store. From a report: Before its demise, the app had reached the coveted number-one free download spot on the Play Store. The app was removed for violating Google's "Deceptive Behavior Policy," which states that apps cannot incentivize users to disable or remove other applications. Though Remove China Apps did not remove apps automatically, it did prompt users to do so. It had been downloaded more than 5 million times before its removal. Google is notoriously bad at policing its own Play Store, so the swift removal here is something of an outlier. The app's quick rise to fame made waves, especially in its home market of India, which likely led to a faster-than-usual investigation on Google's part.
Change the app a bit (Score:2)
a) Only make a list "these installed apps are from china"
b) list alternatives for each of these apps
c) show a list of "safe" apps on the system which are not from china or chinese companies.
So the user has to remove the app totally manually without any prompting or buttonclick from inside the app.
And of course change the name to something less inflammatory
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Seems to me that, rather than write an app at all, one could simply create a web page with directions on which apps to delete, and how - for each OS.
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Re: Change the app a bit (Score:2)
Traitors at Google are after CCP money (Score:5, Interesting)
Google, do evil if it pays well.
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Dammit, now I want to play Shadow Warrior again.
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What does a small town in Turkey have to do with holiness of hyperbole?
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Which part is exaggerated? The subject seems quite literal.
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I'm quite confident that "incentivize" in this context means "pays" and that Google's justification is as dishonest as the Boy Scouts saying "morally straight" means "heterosexual".
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Upon further investigation the full line of Google's actual policy says:
"Apps that encourage or incentivize users into removing or disabling third-party apps or modifying device settings or features unless it is part of a verifiable security service. "
So the article left out "encourage", which is far more relevant than "incentivize". What's strange is it also left out the part about security services being exempt, which I think is very relevant to the conversation.
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The policy should be updated to accurately reflect current situation to following: "Application developers that release products that are not approved by Chinese Communist Party will be banned from our platforms, unless directly ordered otherwise by FISA court."
Re: Traitors at Google are after CCP money (Score:2)
I can immediately think of an example that demonstrates how dumb that policy is.
I use an alternative keyboard. I have to tweak system settings to enable it. The app - which is functionally useless without the tweak - suggests I change the setting and shows images of where to find the setting.
That's a completely reasonable use case. So, Google has a nonsense policy that requires arbitrary human judgement to enforce without adverse effects.
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Not really that just brings up the flamebait topic of whether or not informing about chinese spyware and malware constitutes security. Given the political and legal structure of China as a tightly controlled and regulated dictatorship with a hostile attitude toward the west and the United States in particular I think it is fair to say it does.
Is there a master list somewhere? (Score:2)
Seems like it would be useful to have a list you could just check an app name against before buying...
I also wonder how they built up such a list though. Like would an app from a Hong King app maker count? Some of those I am pretty sure are legit.
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Even if they come out with a new generic app that just lets you sort apps by country of origin, it will just lead to app developers further obfuscating their identity. 'This good interesting app made in america, we do good!'
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Everything from that country is suspect. Rather than be redundant I've addressed your point between these two existing comments.
https://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=16504936&cid=60142718
https://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=16504936&cid=60142728
"we do good!"
It isn't so much that we do good as that we are somewhat less shady than many places... if you believe there is a government which is "good" I've got a bridge on prime real estate you might be interested in. This is particularly poor tim
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"we do good!"
It isn't so much that we do good as that we are somewhat less shady than many places... if you believe there is a government which is "good" I've got a bridge on prime real estate you might be interested in. This is particularly poor timing on Google's part with solid evidence supporting the US stance against Huwei as a security threat being revealed. Google on the other hand is actually an American company and China is hostile toward America and actively pursuing attacks against the US, not to mention there is a bit of a trade war underway. So some expectation of loyalty rather than treason isn't untoward and it is fair to interpret "security" as meaning for Americans and the western world as a whole.
That "we do good!" thing was a joke.
Read it with Chinese pronunciation, if it helps.
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You can enumerate the apps on the device then check the app store to see where the developer calls home.
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"Some of those I am pretty sure are legit."
There are probably apps from the mainland that are legit as well. I doubt they've backdoored everything produced somewhere in China. The problem is there is no way to know which the plus side is there is no great need for any so best to just drop them all.
Why should an app know about other installed apps? (Score:3)
I think the real news here is that this app could exist at all.
It seems it's very common for Android apps to spy on what other apps you have installed, and the "feature" doesn't even require a user's permission https://arstechnica.com/inform... [arstechnica.com]
I mean I get sometimes an app needs to interact with other apps, but this should be controlled by the user. The ability to silently collect information about every single app on the device should not exist.
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So no anti-virus programs should be allowed? It would be a worthless program if it didn't have the ability to look at every app that is installed.
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Read the comment again, that's not what he said: "this should be controlled by the user".
Having anti-virus programs isn't a bad thing, but it should be an opt-in permission.
Protecting users on mobile is not what you think (Score:2)
The definition of "user" on mobile devices is completely different than in any other system. On mobile, the users are the apps, not the person operating the device. Just think about at what mobile OS permissions are granted to. Mobile operating systems make great effort to prevent the real user from modifying the default network configuration on the device in order to preserve ad delivery and Cloud-based workflows.
Android requires a passcode and deceptively nags "Network may be monitored" in order to hav
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"for any (reasonable) arbitrary factor they want. "
No I don't think the "reasonable" qualifier applies here. You might say there are times people aren't entitled to access to a tool or app but the right to refuse one should be universal even when unreasonable. Now if by reasonable you actually mean some hard technical requirement that can't be avoided without breaking something that right means the right to break the thing, not the right to avoid the breakage. It does however include when the choice would h
Downloaded by 5 million (Score:1)
Downloaded by 5 million raciest Americans.
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So not wanting to be spied on by an increasingly oppressive regime is racist now? Way too fast to pull out the racist card there.
A valid question would be to ask - has anyone shown that Chinese apps report data back to China and how many do.
Personally I hate most apps because they whole Android system seems to be designed to spy on you, not surprising since everything Google does is about learning more about you so they can increase their ad revenue.
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ERRRR! Sorry, you're all wrong. From the summary:
"The app's quick rise to fame made waves, especially in its home market of India, which likely led to a faster-than-usual investigation on Google's part."
It's likely related to recent tensions along the border. Which I'm too lazy to cite.
But they were at war previously over the areas:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Also the government is a Hindu nationalist government and has been pushing made in India.
I can provide citations if absolutely necessary, but, I'
Good on Google (Score:1)
Is there a Remove USA apps app? (Score:2)
Trump seems to want to limit our access to US tech so it might be useful.