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Verizon Offered To Install Marketers' Apps Directly On Subscribers' Phones (adage.com)
According to a report on AdAge, Verizon Wireless is trying to add more bloatware to Android phones by installing apps from other companies in exchange for payment. From the report: The wireless carrier has offered to install big brands' apps on its subscribers' home screens, potentially delivering millions of downloads, according to agency executives who have considered making such deals for their clients. But that reach would come at a cost: Verizon was seeking between $1 and $2 for each device affected, executives said. Verizon started courting advertisers with app installations late last year, pitching retail and finance brands among others, agency executives said.
It has only offered the installations on Android phones, because Google's software is open for carriers to customize. Apple controls its platform more tightly. The proposed deals with brands ensure that their apps download to only new devices when consumers activate the phones and their software for the first time.
That Google should force all Android phones to be unlocked, and no contract, even if they have to change the license.
If on the other hand I can't, the phone's going to get unlocked and rooted. All carriers should take note - we're getting closer to a discontinuity in how much we're willing to be abused.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
I use a carrier unlocked Nexus on my Verizon account... No bloat there, none allowed.
Looked at getting a Samsung S7 to replace my Samsung S6 when I was looking but the Verizon price was ridiculous and the Nexus was easier to deal with.
Since we are buying the phones outright; we should have root anyway. The only real argument was that we didn't 'own' the phones and they needed to keep us out because of that.
Years ago we used Blackberry on Verizon. One day all our search engines changed to Bing, and there was no longer a way to change it. There was a dropdown with exactly one choice. We could not even change the setting with the BES as I remember.
How many years before* I have to pay extra for a "plain old just-the-OS-and-bare-bones applications"* phone?
*Or has this date already passed?
**At a minimum, a phone-dialing app (without a phone, it's a pocket-sized tablet) and an app to install other apps (probably a "store" app or a web browser)?
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
Verizon bloatware will be just as unremoveable (unless you root the phone) as Apple's bloatware.
Does Verizon test whether any of these apps are actually a rootkit masquerading as an app? If not, I'd say that's pretty cheap for guaranteed delivery to people who don't know how their phone SHOULD be behaving.
-=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
Did we really think companies wouldn't charge money for advertising?
Breakfast served all day!
How many potential installs are they looking for? If i were a Verizon customer i'd consider paying at _least_ $10 extra to avoid having all the extra crap installed on my phone.
(Assuming of course that after paying the Danegeld the amortized cost would still be less than switching to a different phone on a different provider.)
This Space Intentionally Left Blank
So Verizon is taking lessons on business strategy from Microsoft now? Shove unwanted software down your customers' throats all in the name of profit? Them, them, fuck them. Yet another thing to add to my 'reasons to never own a smartphone' list. Hell, even the cheap-ass $50 LG phone AT&T gave me to replace my otherwise perfectly-working 2G phone (because they're decomissioning 2G towers, bastards!) has shit on it I don't want and would rather have the memory free for other things. What a shitfest mobile phones are becoming!
Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
There doesn't appear to be much of a reason to buy a carrier-bound phone anymore, especially Android.
Basically, if you want an Android phone that will remain supported, you almost have to go non-carrier Nexus
They are installing software without permission on someone's personal computer.
This kind of behavior is just a symptom of the deeper problem that no one (or very few people) at these traditional telecom companies are fundamentally interested in advocating for the customer's comprehensive experience and satisfaction.
They view every interaction as a way to milk out profit in the short term, regardless of how much of the burden and dissatisfaction it shifts onto the consumer.
Any wonder, then, that whenever the customer has a chance to dump them and shift to a provider/medium/hardware solution that works better and is considerate of the customer's desires, they do?
When i buy a new phone I don't let reps touch it even to activate or transfer numbers/settings.
Verizon coverage where I live used to be amazing. But this last year something changed and its been degrading terribly. I was going to try an Android phone again next year but between this news and the worsening coverage I may just end up going to T-Mobile. At least I get wifi calling with them.
Why does carrier have so much control over a phone?
It would be like ISP require Dell, Lenovo, Gateway, etc to install their adware on the computer before user is allow on the internet?
At least on a computer I can uninstall all the adware or reinstall OS
Apple treats its customers and its views of security and privacy versus google is astoundingly shocking. Apple may be a walled garden. But you don't see any of the daily malware stories, hacking stories, stories like this on iOS. Think what you want about Apple, call them liars, etc but they really DO care about the user experience and users security. Enjoy your craptastic android phones that get better by the minute!
I think if consumers were aware they had more options, this wouldn't happen. I would like to see some consumer friendly web sites that let people know what options are available for each model phone and carrier in terms of controlling apps and bloat. I find it very frustrating Verizon has a bunch of stuff bundled on my phone that I can't un-install, but I'm not sure what my options are if I want to take matters into my own hands?
How's escaping the tyranny of Apple's walled garden working out for you? Meet the new boss, worse than the old boss.
I live ze unknown. I love ze unknown. I am ze unknown.
Verizon and AT&T are what is left of the plethora of companies that the old AT&T was splintered into decades ago. It's high time to bring this bastards to heel again, with extreme prejudice.
If you get decent coverage everywhere but your house and you have internet access at home try one of these:
- wi-fi calling (t-mobile really pushes this)
- micro-cell (or as t-mobile calls it CellSpot)
Getting off the Verizon train really is possible for most people.
I'm surprised this isn't already just standard practice. There seemed to be a (smallish, it doesn't have that much room to start with) amount of crapware/bloatware preinstalled on my cheapo Moto E from Total Wireless
Please please please let me remove any app I don't want without being forced to root my phone.
Fuck these assholes.
gtfo.
The purpose of a class action is not to recompense the victims, but to sting the offender a large sum of money so they don't do it again.
It's only worthwhile from the lawyers' perspective if they get paid.
So the choice is to allow the laywers to be paid, or to allow companies to get away with micro bill padding and other nasty activity that isn't worth an individual lawsuit.
This is their fiduciary duty to shareholders.
This is utterly wrong. They have a duty to try and keep the company healthy. Angering customers who then leave is doing the opposite.
What you and all of the other ignorant people that parrot your "fiduciary duty" crap fail to realize is that money is only one metric of a companies success, and even that is measured in the long term. Otherwise I could literally offer them one dollar to have all sales people dress like rabbits and they would be forced to do so because $1 is greater than $0.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Before cell phones and tablets existed, the Bell Companies sold their white page listings to third party marketers without customers' consent.
Then when customers started complaining about telemarketers, the Bell Companies offered to sell them tools to block them. They never told the customers about the sale of their personal data.
The Bell Companies pocketed money twice - from the marketers, then from the customers.
I'm seeing a similar pattern from Verizon. They sell direct install apps to marketers, then customers complain and Verizon offers to sell tools to block those apps.
Eternity: will that be smoking, or non-smoking? I Corinthians 6:9-10
T-Mobile doesn't subsidize phones. You pay the full price. You can pay it up front or over 24 months (interest free) but it is full retail. So it makes no difference if you get it from them or someone else.
Also means their plans tend to be cheaper than competing plans, since there's no subsidy rolled in to the monthly charge.
On Sprint, Virgin Mobile USA and Boost.
You cannot opt in, you cannot opt out.
You have no control, no say, no choice.
You have to manually remove the bloatware infection.
It's not just bloatware but many apps are different from the Google Playstore apps with different and often greater permissions.
So pay Sprint and you can have them force your own custom spyware on their poor users!
Of course it will only take about an hour after this goes live before the first malware download occurs. The NSA/FBI/DEA are going to love this "feature".
Neither . nor + works for yahoo.com, just tried it. And mine's a paid account.
I've seen a lot of devices with preinstalled thirdparty stuff like facebook or dropbox. one even had increased dropbox size when the user logged into the dropbox app with his account. Not only the "install app" bonus, but some bonus for using this exact device.