Here's something communism is good at: Making smartphones less annoying
- Reference: 1671082069
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/12/15/china_app_fix/
- Source link:
On Monday the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) [1]launched a campaign it said would "rectify chaos" in smartphone apps by cracking down on several behaviors such as publication of "copycat apps" that use logos, pictures or text similar to existing apps to deceive users and potentially collect personal data and app subscription fees.
The CAC also also plans to rectify dodgy ranking practices, and apps that lure people in with sexually suggestive or vulgar home pages. Apps distributed by QR code, rather than through app stores, are also in trouble.
[2]
But wait, there's more! CAC will prevent auto downloads or installations without user consent. Apps that misrepresent their function or content are in the firing line as well.
[3]
[4]
As are apps that tempt users with promises of making money.
Excessive pop-ups, functions that serve as an obstacle to removing apps or forced renewals, and fake free trials are all on their way out.
[5]
In the usual style of the CAC, the regulator did not specify how it would accomplish its goals, instead using phrases like "severely punish," "strictly regulate," and "crack down."
Given the Authoritarian nature of the regime, though, these terms should be taken pretty much at face value.
[6]China bans deepfakes created without permission or for evil
[7]China's internet regulator details algorithms used by local Big Tech players
[8]Chinese scammers target kids with promise of extra gaming hours
[9]China tells big tech to reveal some customers' income
Beijing has also decided to tackle pre-installed undeletable bloatware.
On Wednesday, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), in conjunction with the CAC, said it would take [10]action to regulate pre-installed apps on smartphones, requiring them to be "user first" and of "minimum necessity," as to "respect and protect users' right to know and choose."
Which, to be honest, doesn't sound all that Communist.
[11]
The rules require manufacturers to ensure that pre-installed software can be deleted – other than the Phone app, an app that drives voice and video recording, a TXT program, contact lists, browsers, and app stores.
"Violations of this notice shall be dealt with in accordance with relevant laws and regulations," states the notice.
Sadly, the regulations probably don't apply to designed-in-China phones distributed outside the Middle Kingdom. But at least behind the Great Firewall, netizens splashing out on new phones will have less bloatware to deal with, and fewer reasons to worry that apps aren't what they seem.
So how bad could Communism be, really?®
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[1] http://www.cac.gov.cn/2022-12/12/c_1672477187051942.htm
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Y5r@beMsP90J@qHz4xMCjAAAAIc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y5r@beMsP90J@qHz4xMCjAAAAIc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Y5r@beMsP90J@qHz4xMCjAAAAIc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y5r@beMsP90J@qHz4xMCjAAAAIc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/12/china_deep_synthesis_deepfake_regulation/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/15/cac_publishes_big_tech_algorithms/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/09/china_minors_gaming/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/31/china_livestream_crackdown/
[10] http://www.cac.gov.cn/2022-12/14/c_1672656825925035.htm
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Y5r@beMsP90J@qHz4xMCjAAAAIc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Is it even Communism
Authoritarian and corrupt I'll grant, but does it meet any real definition of Communism? Note: I fly a pretty red flag when transporting over length lumber so I may be biased.
Re: Is it even Communism
I'd say it's more like facism in many senses - there's a culture of exclusion of all others than Han Chinese, elevating them and their history beyond all others; they have a policy of expansion in areas not recognised internationally; but at the end of the day - people are allowed to own property and save money. Not everything is state owned, although it is very pervasive.
Re: Is it even Communism
China hasn't been communist for a while, though they keep calling themselves that. But North Korea calls themselves a democratic people's republic, and it is none of those, so a name doesn't mean much.
China is basically a crony capitalist authoritarian state. No one can claim a state is communist when it can't even find work for its young people. China's unemployment rate for those under 25 is nearly 20%!
What's in a name?
"But North Korea calls themselves a democratic people's republic, and it is none of those, so a name doesn't mean much."
Neither the USA nor the UK are very United...
Re: What's in a name?
Devolution could free up the UK acronym for the Koreas if they ever end their war.
Re: What's in a name?
I even heard someone call the USA the "land of the free" the other day... had to laugh :-)
Communism
It's humor.
C.
The phone I want doesn't exist
I want high end hardware but nothing preinstalled besides the basic phone and text apps.
Re: The phone I want doesn't exist
I'd like to see a hardware offering a long-term supported public API so that alternative OS can develop and expand market share.
Re: The phone I want doesn't exist
You do need to put in a bit of work yourself for that but look at supported ports for LineageOS and SailfishOS as almost turnkey installs.
Why the downvote?
While the phone would still come with a pre-installed OS including lot of crap the comment points out a way how to create that phone the original poster in the thread wanted. I can't understand why it was downvoted without a comment.
Re: The phone I want doesn't exist
When I had a Oneplus One it felt like you were encouraged to root it and on my phone I ad only the apps I wanted. I don't know if that's something that is still easy to do today on their newer models.
China is what the UK aspires to
...well the current crop of government leastways. If you remove the source, you could read most UK government policies and assign them to China.
Consumer choice is king!
So far, no-one in the comments has been banging the drum for unrestrained capitalism. Isn't anyone going to say consumer choice is king, and people should have the opportunity to choose unremovable bloatware subsidised by the sale of tracking and personal data, with the other choice being no service at all because non-subsidised phones are so expensive there is not a large enough market to make them viable?
No-one? No-one?
Call yourself capitalist running dogs? Tchah!
Hmmm.... one has to wonder
But wait, there's more! CAC will prevent auto downloads or installations without user consent. Apps that misrepresent their function or content are in the firing line as well.
What about the state's own... uh... control apps?