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Comment by kingofhdds | Hacker News Reader

I'm not sure any of us has a right to speak for every consumer. I live in a country were majority would likely prefer cheaper devices w/o any security guarantees. Forcing producers to provide 5(?)-years updates will make prices rise, and it could be against interests of a large segment of consumers. The only regulation which I believe would be beneficial for all is obligatory transparency. There should be clear warnings like "The producer expects you to replace this device in 2 years, and will not support it after that", or "This producer doesn't promise anything in regard of this device - use at your own risk"

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You wrote: "Forcing producers to provide 5(?)-years updates will make prices rise"...

I don't think so: it will oblige makers to standardize processes and software across phones... i.e. very basic specific drivers, then same OS and libs on all phones (with just different themes).

Then the Android security updates can be uploaded directly from Google at no cost. Just like for computers, and phones are computers with very few different features (input device, GSM chip).

My HP or Dell computer is not more expensive when Microsoft or Debian is pushing security updates.

In the end, unifying processes and software brings costs down.

I almost loved this idea on the first sight, but on the second I'm not sure I see how it can work. Will you mandate Apple to make iOS installable on Huawei's devices? If not, why? If yes, how? Who will bear responsibility if SailfishOS won't run on Samsung's hardware? Do you really think API standard can be enshrined in the law, and how you plan to make it safe from corporate abuse?

Btw, if Microsoft is pushing security updates you did pay additional cost for license. If it's Debian then quite possibly you still paid something to MS (if your computer was bought with OEM version), or in better case other corporations, and individuals pay for it (mostly to reduce Microsoft's power).

>I'm not sure any of us has a right to speak for every consumer.

Yet almost every civilization on Earth has already decided that we, the masses, _do_ have a right to speak for everyone when it constitutes a common good. In the US, you have to wear a seatbelt in most states. Your food is regulated by the FDA. Your cars must meet certain safety standards, as does your home. This list goes on and on.

Just because a lot of people do it doesn't mean it's the right choice though. Most Republicans seem to disagree from what I can tell.

>Just because a lot of people do it doesn't mean it's the right choice though

Who said that it was?

The FDA, as it is known today, came into being in response to the public outrage at the shockingly unhygienic conditions in the Chicago stockyards that were described in Upton Sinclair’s book “The Jungle." Building codes exist to protect public health and welfare.

These weren't arbitrary decisions; they were made in response to real issues. Laws in general limit personal freedoms to protect society and the public. Also, some personal freedoms infringe on the freedoms of others. If murder were legal you would gain personal freedom, but your victims would lose theirs. I may want to have cows in my backyard, but my neighbors may have a few legitimate issues with that.

The fact is that the world has decided you are wrong, and for good reason. I don't need to prove why; you need to prove why everyone else is apparently incorrect.

>Most Republicans seem to disagree from what I can tell.

Uh huh, until we start talking about what you do with your body or who you want to marry. Many conservatives do believe in personal freedom over government rule, yes, but the best conditions are always brought about by balancing those, never in favoring one completely over the other.

You are referring to undefined terms to define undefined terms: "common good" is not something obvious in this particular situation. Food is poor example here because toxicity is more, or less the common denominator here, while safety of a smartphone has a very different value for someone whose life is immersed in digital services, and whose income allows to see a +/-50 dollars as a small variation, and one who uses only whatsapp, and weather service, and needs to save every penny. In fact majority of Android phones in the world right now are somewhat vulnerable, and it doesn't seem that people who use all these cheap stuff are eager for change. You already can be safer if you it's your priority by using more expensive brands (Apple, Samsung) which offer longer-term updates.

P.S. My food is not regulated by FDA, not everybody registered in HN are from States.

"The producer expects this device to be unsafe after 2 years" would be more accurate :)

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