Google play forces updates like Windows 10

by
Anonymous Coward
in security on (#YVWF)
Microsoft recently copped flak over forcing users to accept Windows 10 updates. Some users have reported serious problems from Windows 10 updates which included system failure. Now Google is following the same path. Google Play now has a term in the licencing agreement which allows Google to force update any software on Android devices. Without root access most users will be SOL to block or fix problems.

The relevant text reads:
Updates. You may need to install updates to Google Play or related Google software that we introduce from time to time to use Google Play and to access or download Content. Content originating from Google may communicate with Google servers from time to time to check for available updates to the Content and to the functionality of Google Play, such as bug fixes, patches, enhanced functions, missing plug-ins and new versions (collectively, "Updates"). Your use of the Content you have installed requires that you have agreed to receive such automatically requested Updates. If you do not agree to such automatically requested and received Updates then please do not use the Google Play store or install this Content.

Full terms at:
https://play.google.com/intl/en-us_au/about/play-terms.html

Not really the same. (Score: 2, Insightful)

by billshooterofbul@pipedot.org on 2015-12-28 17:35 (#Z02A)

I don't like Microsoft having that ability, because they screwed up the design of the operating system to allow crazy things to work that never should have worked, and are committed to maintaining that crazyness to keep old apps working on new versions of the OS. The problem with auto updates, is that Micrsoft isn't perfect in testing against all of the crazy workarounds they have in the OS, so each company really needs to be able to test and verify the updates first, to make sure it doesn't bork their computers.

Google doesn't have nearly as much craziness going on. Nothing on the scale of Microsoft. So, there is much less of a likely hood that they'll screw up my phone.

But conceptually, yes, giving a third party ( even the OS vendor) root access to update anything on the device is scary for security and privacy, I get that. I guess if you are already thinking you shouldn't trust google, you probably shouldn't be running Google Play Services in the first place, Stick to AOSP + Freedroid.
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