In instructions to Google, Judge Rossignoli says that the company must “adopt the necessary technical means to immediately uninstall from Android systems that report IP addresses in the territory of the Argentine Republic (which can be verified by the IP addresses assigned to this country), the application named Magis TV.”
"What was achieved is an unprecedented court order, which is in the process of being analyzed by Google – we understand that they cannot deny it – which is to uninstall, through the Android operating system update, the application on all devices that have an IP address in Argentina,” [prosecuter Alejandro] Musso says.
Is google even able to do it? They are unable to push os updates directly in most cases, sinco those go through phone vendors. Idk if they already have the ability to remotely uninstall apps. Maybe through the appstore?
The answers to this question would confirm or destroy a lot of tinfoil the good folks got floating around this here fora.
Well, I did not mean in a backdoor way. If google has a backdoor for the three letters agencies, I don’t expect they would reveal it even if the whole country of Argentine flipped itself over.
I meant in a public way. The play store can install apps remotely through a google account but I have no idea how far this goes.
Even that is pretty limited since it can be disabled, and even if they changed it to not be officially able to be disabled by users, ROM makers can still disable it in various ways, and since their problem is TV boxes, including those shady unlicensed ones, I’m betting those would simply disable the feature via their unlicensed Android Roms.
Edit: Clarification, when I said unlicensed I didn’t mean Android itself, I mostly meant their use of Google play store and services which Google does require permission to use legitimately in your own Android product. Obviously it’s super easy to get them without google’s permission, it just won’t be licensed by them though if a company does that. And many TV boxes you buy cheap these days do indeed do that.
How is this remotely Google’s responsibility?
Woahh… This clowns lost their minds…
Customs ROMs are about to get some freshly minted enjoyers 🫢
Realistically, Google and then the other Android manufacturers will stop business in Argentina. Grey market will then be filling that niche, almost cerainly with imported phones.
WTO/ICC Arbitration coming in 3 … 2 …
Honestly, I hope Google just stops doing business in Argentina. Let their courts tussle with phone manufacturers that sell Android devices until they do the same. Not the end of the world if your citizens have to buy such things grey-market or keep using what they already have, or buy devices with other operating systems.
Before you say Apple, Apple would have to handle it pretty much the same as Google if/when they get sued/prosecuted like so.
The ICC doesn’t have jurisdiction over civil matters. The ICC only has jurisdiction over the most egregious of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, on a voluntary transnational basis (you have to be a signatory country, which I believe Argentina is).
There’s the International Criminal Court, yes, but there’s also the International Chamber of Commerce.
The confusion gives them(the Commerce peeps) a veneer of authority, although as a facet of the International Monetary Foundation that the US/EU requires countries to sign onto in order to do business, they do issue binding decisions versus member countries. That, or the US get’s more hands-on with its meddling.
Ah I get you, sorry, I stand corrected. Surely such a claim would come forward through the WTO though, would it not? Would the ICC (the Chamber of Commerce) have enough teeth as the forum for what’s surely a monumental case?
Its just that Apple doesnt allow sideloading and thus can demand a takedown which could result in an automatic uninstall.
Wasn’t recently a resolution in the EU to allow apple to have alternative app stores and thus allow side loading?
Which applies to EU countries.
Not sure if apple is going to do separate builds for separate regions
