Google Remotely Deletes a Pair of Apps from Android Phones

engadget.com

2 points·huhtenberg··4 comments

Google deleted an app whose sole purpose for existing was misdirection (as described by the application's author), and which was already voluntarily withdrawn. The malware application has an attack vector that involves a remote site that wouldn't necessarily always be under the control of the original author.

I have a hard time feeling outraged about this; it seems like exactly the kind of reason why both Apple and Google added the ability to remotely remove applications to their marketplaces.

And, note that this kill-switch only applies to Market-supplied applications; if you install an APK yourself manually, they can't remove it. (In fact, installing or removing an app via the Market actually uses the intents for installing and removing applications that Google used here, rather than installing the APK directly.)

It does not matter what the purpose of the app was. What matters is the fact that they messed with users' phones without their explicit consent. A proper way of handling the situation would've been to warn the users and then prompt to remove the app, do you not agree?.

You have to explicitly agree to the TOS for the android market before installing any app from it. If you install apps yourself (outside the market), google can't touch them.

Google's excuse for doing that - http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2010/06/exercising-ou...

"Believe me, it's for your own protection."

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