South Korean Court Rules That Phone Bloatware Must Be Deletable 138
_0x783czar writes "Starting this April, South Korea will require all phone vendors to allow pre-installed bloatware to be uninstalled. That's right, they will be able to get rid of all that pesky software without having to root their phones. According to press release by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, 'The move aims to rectify an abnormal practice that causes inconvenience to smartphone users and causes unfair competition among industry players.' They hope this will also increase the users' data storage and battery life. From the article: 'Under the new guidelines, telcos are required to make most of their pre-installed apps deletable except for four necessary items related to Wi-Fi connectivity, near-field communication (NFC), the customer service center and the app store.' It'd be nice if similar legislation were passed in the U.S. and elsewhere."
Here's an idea (Score:4, Interesting)
The first bloatware app on the phone reduces your monthly phone cost (pre-tax) by 50%.
Each additional bloatware app on the phone reduces your bill by 50% of what is left. So 2nd app further reduces bill by 25% of original bill.
The idea being that each app cuts your bill in half. Just keep cutting in half.
Now they can game the system and raise prices to sky high levels, you say.
Ah, but that makes them look awfully anti-competitive next to their competitor's phone that has, say, one fewer bloatware app on it.
Put that rule in place, let the carriers figure it out, and I bet the bloatware problem will disappear quickly.
It must be nice. (Score:2, Interesting)
It must be nice living in a free civilized country - free from some corporate tyranny.
We corporately oppressed people here in the US have to shut up and take it.
Don't do business with evil corporation, Mr. Libertarian?
Well, now. Wouldn't that be great! See, ALL of the ISPs have control of the market and unless I want to get on the waiting list at my local library to use the Internet computers, I'm a bit screwed. I wonder how a potential employer would feel if I responded to an email days later telling them I just got their email and is the job still open?
So, I bend over and take it! With my 1.5 mbps down and 0.29mbps up here in Metro Atlanta via AT&fuckmeT (that is THE Fastest DSL in my area. No really. Stop laughing. It is.). BUT I can get faster if I sign their stick-me-in-the-ass contract and get their UVerse ripp-me-a-new-asshole service with their shit TV! for just a $100 per month! Introductory-they-will-fuck-me-later rate.
Phone service - localized legislated monopoly. Cell? They're all dicks and it's an oligopoly.
I don't have cable because I can live without their tyranny.
Car dealerships - another localized legislated oligopoly.
If you really think we live in a free country here in the US, you have been been brainwashed too much.
See, the Bill of Rights ONLY applies to Government. Corporations, being people, and having almost unlimited resources compared to the rest of us, rule.
Son of a bitch! The pinko crazies have been telling us this for decades and I was blinded by the corporate propaganda.
Re:South Korean Government: (Score:4, Interesting)
All of the soldiers I worked with over there had been amazingly professional, courteous, and capable. While I don't necessarily agree with compulsory service, they are allowed to defer it for some time in order to finish college, etc. At least it's a little bit flexible.
Re:"if similar legislation were passed in the U.S. (Score:4, Interesting)
Keep dreaming.
Bloating phones with money-making unstable privacy-invading tracking crapware is their first amendment right, and we are required to be glad for it, because it saves us the hassle of ordering our unlocked phones online.
You know, I've read the Constitution and all Amendments several times, and I still can't find the clause that actually gives rights of any kind to businesses.
From what I can tell, the Constitution only mentions 3 entities: Federal government, State government, and the People. Of course, corporations did exist back then (the collusion between the East India Tea Company and the British crown was a large part of the colonists rationale for revolting, after all), so it's not like it was an oversight.
So... what's up with all this talk about business rights? Businesses don't have rights.