“Smartphone makers such as Apple Inc. and Google and mobile carriers including AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. face an inquiry by U.S. regulators into how they review and release security updates to combat cyberthieves and Internet vandals,” Todd Shields reports for Bloomberg.
“‘We are concerned’ that ‘there are significant delays in delivering patches to actual devices — and that older devices may never be patched,’ the FCC said in a sample of letters sent to companies that the agency posted on its website,” Shields reports. “The FCC sent letters to the top four U.S. wireless providers — AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile Inc. and Sprint Corp. — as well as to U.S. Cellular Corp. and TracFone Wireless Inc., said Neil Grace, a spokesman for the agency.”
Shields reports, “The FTC said it had ordered eight companies to explain the process for issuing security updates: Apple, Alphabet Inc.’s Google, BlackBerry Ltd., HTC America Inc., LG Electronics USA Inc., Microsoft Corp., Motorola Mobility LLC and Samsung Electronics America Inc. The companies are to list the mobile devices they’ve offered for sale in the U.S. since August 2013, the vulnerabilities associated with the gear, and whether they’ve offered patches, the FTC said.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Bwahahahahaha!
Enjoy the inquiry, Google et al.
Apple’s going to come out smelling like a rose and Samsung and the rest of the iPhone knockoff peddlers are going to end up smelling like the Google Fragmandroid cesspool in which they live.
Now to be fair, this is only because Android is an inferior product peddled to cheapskate tech illiterates who do not value their privacy and/or who are unable to recognize a half-assed knockoff from the revolutionary original.
Android is a BlackBerry clone that was hastily rejiggered at the last minute to mimic iPhone in a panic by Google. Obviously, mistakes were made and corners were cut.
So, the Android rush-job is a privacy and security nightmare. It’s a fragmented morass. It’s too many cooks in the kitchen. It’s crap-by-committee lowest-common-denominator junk.
And anyone who rewards blatant thieves by settling for Android garbage deserves their fate.
SEE ALSO:
Google’s flawed Android is essentially unfixable – May 2, 2016
Apple’s deep commitment to security – April 18, 2016
Apple: We have the ‘most effective security organization in the world’ – April 16, 2016
85% of mobile device failures occur on Android, with Samsung leading the way – February 23, 2016
More than 90% of Android devices are running out-dated, insecure operating system versions – January 27, 2016
Dangerous new zero-day flaw affects more than two-thirds of all Android devices – January 20, 2016
Android malware steals one-time passcodes, a crucial defense for online banking – January 14, 2016
New Android malware is so bad, you’d better off buying a new phone – November 6, 2015
Apple issues iPhone manifesto; blasts Android’s lack of updates, lack of privacy, rampant malware – August 10, 2015
New Android malware strains to top 2 million by end of 2015 – July 1, 2015
Symantec: 1 in 5 Android apps is malware – April 25, 2015
Kaspersky Lab Director: Over 98% of mobile malware targets Android because it’s much, much easier to exploit than iOS – January 15, 2015
Security experts: Malware spreading to millions on Android phones – November 21, 2014
There’s practically no iOS malware, thanks to Apple’s smart control over app distribution – June 13, 2014
F-Secure: Android accounted for 99% of new mobile malware in Q1 2014 – April 30, 2014
Google’s Sundar Pichai: Android not designed to be safe; if I wrote malware, I’d target Android, too – February 27, 2014
Cisco: Android the target of 99 percent of world’s mobile malware – January 17, 2014
U.S. DHS, FBI warn of malware threats to Android mobile devices – August 27, 2013