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Comment by nogabebop23 | Hacker News Reader

Why would they go to all that trouble? Just 1. keep sending any and all data without any obfuscation 2. blanket denial of any wrong doing, regardless of how obvious 3. decent hardware for zero down on a contract

profit!!!

your way is so much more work...

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Plausible deniability. They can turn around and say it's racism. It's their (and the Russian) MO. As long as there's no absolutely clear, unmistakable evidence, they can spin spin spin and too many people will buy their bullshit. It also provides a cover for politicians to not do anything. I see it here and elsewhere. People jumping to China's defense at every opportunity even though they deserve zero trust.

Parents option would likely get around privacy regulations in some countries. So they can do the “much more work” you mentioned and also sell decent hardware for zero down on a contract, getting a bigger total market and more surveillance info.

Well the EU and Canada seem to be terrified of putting a foot wrong with the CPC, so my guess is that Chinese companies will violate people's privacy until it becomes so blatant that they get a polite request to tone it down (and obfuscate the collection).

The EU is not terrified, it (or rather, the local politicians) is corrupt; the politicians are willing to go as far as kissing the Chinese flag but that does not say anything about us, the citizens.

This brand of sharp minded and well sourced political analysis is what I appreciate about HN. The good thing is, I keep seeing more and more of it.

You expect a URL for every word written? The stories showing how everyone in the West bends in order not to anger CPC are out there and well known. You can't have a recap of human history in every comment.

HN comments aren't scientific papers. While (good) references will strengthen any argument and are welcome, I find opinions here valuable even when sources are not immediately available. You can always do your own research and paste links confirming/rejecting any statement if you so desire.

Americans are not?

Look at how they bent the knee with Huawei and ZTE. Also can’t figure out how to produce hardware in their home soil, as much as they’d like to.

oh we can most definitely manufacture a phone, but since we don’t have slave labor and questionable human rights it costs us more to do so.

Automation seems like the answer. Surprised it hasn't come to that already.

Hand-labor today is used as an interim solution, when the scale doesn't justify bespoke automated assembly line. When factories are 'brought back' to the West, its because they scaled up and automation is now affordable.

I think that comes down to cost of work vs. fines at that point and which would cost more. If the fines are cheaper they may just opt for them.

Agree. Sadly this business mentality is global one (not only limited to China). "Doing wrong is ok, ideally it's more profitable". The cost of doing ethical business appears to be higher and that cost has to be passed on to the consumer it seems consumers as a whole tend to care more about low price than ethics or privacy. Because there is little or no value attributed to ethics / privacy.

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