Pre-installed loan sharking

[Gaybutton]

I have always resented pre-installed smartphone apps that can't be deleted, at least not without difficult, complicated, risky procedures. I want to be able to decide for myself what apps I want on my phone - the phone I paid for. I don't like someone else deciding this app will be on my phone whether I like it or not and I don't give a damn about their reasons for doing it.

Now it has moved to a new level - and illegal one at that.

What I would like to see come out of this is the smartphone companies forced to provide an app that allows its customers to uninstall any apps they don't want, pre-installed or not, and any future sales prohibited from including pre-installed apps in the first place.
______________________________________________________

Oppo, Realme users file charges against pre-installed loan apps

Complaints include data breaches and illegal lending

by Wassayos Ngamkham

January 21, 2025

Phone users accompanied by representatives of the Thailand Consumers Council (TCC) on Tuesday filed a complaint with police about alleged offences through pre-installed loan apps in their Oppo and Realme phones.

The group, which included about 40 phone users, went to the Central Investigation Bureau to file their complaint with consumer protection police.

Patarakorn Teepboonrat, TCC’s deputy head for consumer rights protection, said the complainants were among the 192 phone users who have filed complaints with the council about personal data breaches and illegal lending.

The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society recently said loan apps were pre-installed in about 4 million Oppo and Realme phones.

Through such pre-installed loan apps, phone users had already borrowed about 15 million baht in total, Mr Patarakorn said.

He said that debtors paid instalments to accounts of Thai-registered juristic persons connected with foreign networks.

TCC lawyer Jina Yam-uam said the council was guiding complainants to file class action criminal and civil lawsuits against all parties responsible, including app owners in other countries and their Thai nominees. The council planned to seek compensation for all individual complainants, he said.

Loan apps were either pre-installed on phones or automatically installed when their operating systems were updated, the lawyer said. He urged the distributors of Oppo and Realme phones to reveal the loan app owners to prove the distributors’ innocence.

Pornwut Pipatanadetsak, TCC head for policy and innovation, said pre-installation of loan apps breached consumer rights because it consumed phone capacity without the phone user's consent, and users could not uninstall such apps, which had access to their personal data.

Patipol Putthachuchart, a 31-year-old complainant, said he bought an Oppo phone and found pre-installed Fineasy and another loan app.

He said that after software updates, at least 10 other apps were automatically installed and they appeared to be gambling apps.

The consumer council has called on Chinese smartphone brands Oppo and its subsidiary Realme to explain reports from smartphone users that loan offering apps pre-installed on some of their mobile phone models could not be uninstalled and were capable of sending loan invitations and accessing users' personal data, including contacts lists and phone numbers.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... -loan-apps

[Jun]

I have always resented pre-installed smartphone apps that can't be deleted, at least not without difficult, complicated, risky procedures. I want to be able to decide for myself what apps I want on my phone - the phone I paid for. I don't like someone else deciding this app will be on my phone whether I like it or not and I don't give a damn about their reasons for doing it.

Now it has moved to a new level - and illegal one at that.

What I would like to see come out of this is the smartphone companies forced to provide an app that allows its customers to uninstall any apps they don't want, pre-installed or not, and any future sales prohibited from including pre-installed apps in the first place.

I'm in total agreement on that. I'm writing this on a Samsung tablet, which has a lot of unwanted Samsung software. They keep trying to get me to open a Samsung account. No way! The google account is enough for me.
After all that, when I had to replace my phone, I decided Samsung was no go. Considering I didn't want a Chinese brand, that left google. So I have a Pixel.

My other Android gripe is all the crappy apps with adverts.
On Windows, I can usually either get software that's free or requires a 1 off payment. In either case, I don't have to contend with adverts.

[Dodger]

Oppo and RealMe phones should be pulled off the shelves and banned in Thailand.

Who would want a smartphone made in China to begin with ???

[Jun]

Who would want a smartphone made in China to begin with ???

There's a good chance your phone is made in China.
Most phones are made in China. Certainly Apple phones and all the low end brands.
I believe Samsung are an exception, making most of their phones in Vietnam.

I presume you're really thinking about the engineering.

I make sure I have a phone from a non Chinese brand. That way, the hardware and software specs will be controlled by companies in developed and democratic countries.

[Gaybutton]

Who would want a smartphone made in China to begin with ???

I would not be seeking a Chinese-made phone, but if the phone works properly, has the features I want, and local repair shops can service it, I don't care where it was made.

Now, before this topic goes off on any tangents, such as debating about where phones are made, this topic is about pre-installed software that cannot be deleted. Let's stick with that.

I also dislike apps that want access to personal information without providing a damned good reason explaining why they want it. If the reason is obvious and makes sense, no problem. But when I see no logical reason why they would want or why I should provide such information, now it's a problem.

[Jun]

Now, before this topic goes off on any tangents, such as debating about where phones are made, this topic is about pre-installed software that cannot be deleted. Let's stick with that.

Who writes the software is also a question. I have more trust in Google, Samsung and Apple than Oppo and other Chinese brands.

Despite this, I still crossed Samsung off the list when buying my last phone. They have too much unwanted software.

I think some regulation is in order.
1 The user must be permitted to delete everything except the OS. That's almost possible on Windows. The notable exception is the Microsoft web browser.
2 It should be illegal for adverts to take over your screen and suddenly play audio, without the user consent.
3 The app store must make it clear which apps have ads and allow users to search for ad free apps only.
4 Apps should not be permitted to request data not strictly needed for the operation of the app.

Incidentally, I tried to remove my credit card from Google wallet last week. It wouldn't allow that without me firstly putting in an alternative payment method. That ought to be illegal too.
Of course, if we were able to delete Google wallet, that wouldn't be a problem.

[Gaybutton]

The app store must make it clear which apps have ads and allow users to search for ad free apps only.

I wish there would be a way to restrict the number and frequency of ads a single app is permitted. I've had apps that seem to pop up ads at every touch of the screen.

Needless to say, unless those apps are vital, at least they usually can be deleted, which is just what I do. I figure I've made it this long in my life without their ad-ridden app, so I'd rather live without it than be constantly annoyed with their ads.

[Jun]

Needless to say, unless those apps are vital, at least they usually can be deleted, which is just what I do. I figure I've made it this long in my life without their ad-ridden app, so I'd rather live without it than be constantly annoyed with their ads.

Certain ads keep opening links in my browser, usually after pressing a fake close window button. My response has been to use UBlock to stop those websites opening.

Hornet totally killed their UK market share with excessive advertising.
Grindr now seem intent on going down the same path. I'll just go elsewhere if they carry on like that.

[Moses]

===I have more trust in Google, Samsung and Apple than Oppo and other Chinese brands.===

Almost all these brands including Google, Apple and Samsung are made by huge Chinese electronic manufacturer Foxconn.

Notable products manufactured by Foxconn include the BlackBerry, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Kindle, all Nintendo gaming systems since the GameCube, Nintendo DS models, Sega models, Nokia devices, Cisco products, Sony devices (including most PlayStation gaming consoles), Google Pixel devices, Xiaomi devices (including Realme), every successor to Microsoft's Xbox console.

Foxconn produces about 40% of World electronic gadgets, phones and communication devices.

If you buy electronic gadget from "Japanese" Sharp, Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Toshiba brands, "American" Amazon, Apple, Cisco, Dell, Fisker, Google, Hewlett-Packard, InFocus, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola Mobility, "Canadian" BlackBerry, "Taiwanese" Acer, then with probability of 95% it was manufactured in China by Foxconn.

[Jun]

1 My main concern is who controls the specification and software, rather than where the device is assembled.

2 If anyone wants to avoid Chinese made phones, Samsung is the obvious answer. Most are assembled in Vietnam. However, you would have to put up with all the unwanted Samsung apps.
Since Samsung won't let us delete the Samsung apps, I'm writing this on a Pixel, rather than a Samsung phone. I voted with my wallet. Which is one way of countering pre-installed software.