Google Can Remotely Remove Apps From Your Phone

phandroid · Jun 24, 2010

Even if I’ve been following Android’s development since the earlier parts of 2008, I’d never known that Google has the functionality to remotely access your device and remove any application they deem necessary. There’s a reason we don’t hear about this: they don’t do it often, and when they do, it’s usually for a very [...]

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3devious · Jun 24, 2010

Thanks for looking out for us, Google but I am a grownup and don't need your "protection" as you are spinning it.

ari-free · Jun 24, 2010

True but they do if there is a massive worm or phishing scheme

CyberPitz · Jun 24, 2010

People fear monger over anything these days, don't they?

I see no problem with this. As long as they do not take advantage and uninstall apps that cause no harm, then this is fine.

Isthmus · Jun 24, 2010

You do know that all OS manufacturers for mobile devices have some version of this same ability right? I'm pretty sure that the major OS makers for home computers are able to do it as well.

The scarier part is for them to be able to specifically access individual phones and modify them. We know Apple can do it with the Iphone (that's how they killed the misplaced IP4's), and I see no reason why google wouldn't be able to do the same.

Heck if both individual apple and Google users can access and kill their individual phones remotely, I can't see why the OS's manufacturer cant.

JimmyHat · Jun 24, 2010

What were the apps?

tpriddy · Jun 25, 2010

Welcome to the cloud.

Reines · Jun 25, 2010

CyberPitz said:
PI see no problem with this. As long as they do not take advantage and uninstall apps that cause no harm, then this is fine.

Agreed. I'm happy to see such a feature, and if I was developing a phone OS with such a focus on 3rd party apps I'd sure as hell do the same.

The question really is if you trust Google to only use the feature when appropriate, or if you think they will abuse it. At least at the moment, I'm willing to trust them, at least a hell of a lot more than I'd trust any of their competition.

wayrad · Jun 25, 2010

This is a bit reminiscent of the Kindle episode where people woke up to find their purchased copies of "1984" had gone missing, and the resulting outcry caused Amazon to apologize and promise not to do it again. In this case it appears that the removed material was something the customers didn't want, but I agree it's unnerving that Google has this capability.

vandyblackandgold · Jun 25, 2010

it just goes to show, that in the end they [google, microsoft, apple] are all the same.

ari-free · Jun 25, 2010

wayrad said:
This is a bit reminiscent of the Kindle episode where people woke up to find their purchased copies of "1984" had gone missing,

Big Brother is watching YOU!

sic0048 · Jun 25, 2010

I don't have a problem with this either. The platform is open source, so the ability to use this is going to be to help the end user, not look over their shoulders and make sure they don't install "unauthorized" apps. That could be a concern with another phone manufacturer that takes great strides in protecting their system, but I wouldn't worry with Android.

Bluesman2008 · Jun 26, 2010

Big brother had best keep their cotton pickin' hands off my phone or wind up in court. I don't buy things to have them arbitrarily taken away by someone else. Not gonna happen.

phil_ · Jun 27, 2010

I'm happy with this. I see no reason not to trust Google anyhow. As Reines said, I would trust Google over apple any day.

Google Can Remotely Remove Apps From Your Phone

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