Share via


Is Remote-Application-Removal Acceptable?

I just read this article on Google pulling 50 applications from their Android marketplace (Google uses remote delete to remove Android apps from smartphones – Update). A very good decision as these apps leverage an exploit to access user data.

However, what made me think is that they removed the applications from the devices. This would be – to me – an unacceptable intrusion on my device. I am completely aware that the strategy other vendors, like us, have to revoke the application certificate/manifest has the same effect: The application is not working anymore. But to me it is a huge difference, whether the vendor de-installs an app or just blocks the execution. The reason for this is fairly simple: If they mingle actively on my device, what else do they do on it? What do they do with my data, contacts, mail etc.?

Would be worrisome to me…

Roger