Keep in mind that you're comparing an oppressive regime with... android. The open source phone operating system. And you think this is a sensible comparison?
He's comparing this device's tracking with Google's tracking. Why are you pretending you don't realise that?
There is a difference between opt in and getting yourself and your immediate family killed in the process of opting out. You can also install custom ROMs, or just use android without the google apps and not worry about any of this. You can do this in like an hour. If you're stuck in North Korea, there is damned little you can do other than get shot for sending a text message about it (if that is even possible). Which is what we should be discussing here.
So instead of a potentially interesting thread about this device, what it (supposedly) does, how it compares to tech or practices here, we should have another all-been-said-before-1000-times discussion re-stating the boringly obvious about how grim life is in NK?
This comment thread isn't about any kind of NK tech. It's another all-been-said-before-1000-times discussion re-stating the boringly obvious about how Google is evil.
It's a comparison worth thinking about, either way.
We have a company that has liquidity that is measured in multiples of this country's GDP.
Great, will they have you and your immediate family killed for speaking out?
No but they could if they wanted to. Maybe I don't even like their power, even without thinking that it's realistic that they'd do it.