CyanogenMod installer application was removed from Google Play Store on Google’s request. Not much issue itself as it can be installed from elsewhere and without using the proprietary Play Store application. The more interesting part is the reasoning about the issue.
According to Google the installer encourages users to void their warranty and thus is in violation of the terms of service. This seems fair at the first glance but we must ask Google some questions about its stock Android systems: Why can’t we install security updates on your Android without voiding the warranty? Why can’t we mount USB devices on your Android without voiding the warranty? Why can’t we remove proprietary applications from your Android without voiding the warranty? Why can’t we install applications on the SD card on your Android without voiding the warranty? Why can’t we install another operating system on our devices running your Android without voiding the warranty?
Even more interesting are users’ comments. Some people claim that voiding the warranty makes sense as replacing the stock Android is indeed dangerous for various reasons: The device may be destroyed by overheating; LED control can be destroyed by incorrect use; the device may be bricked by reflashing due to an undocumented feature of the device. Compare this with PCs: How many of them have you damaged or destroyed by installing another operating system on them? Clearly there is something very wrong with the stock Android devices and with all those arguments.
Given the questions above, people have a lot of valid reasons to install less restrictive Android systems, such as Replicant, CyanogenMod or even the closed Chinese distribution (can you believe it’s not under the control of Chinese army?), on their devices. The primary question is: Why are the Android devices designed to void the warranty in case the original software gets replaced? The answer is clear: Google applies invasive user and vendor lock-in. The most sad fact is that some users accept and support it.
Well, one can argue user lock-in is in the best interest of Google business: We are the products and restricting us makes us better products, to be sold for a better price. We don’t pay for Android development, Google customers do. Unfortunately, this is the perverted fact of todays economy. But Google at one time used the motto “don’t be evil”. Google had to be nice to its users when it needed to acquire them; as a monopolist today it just exploits them. Google is an evil company these days (don’t be confused: Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and others are no better): It applies aggressive user (and vendor) lock-in, it replaces its previously free software with proprietary software, and it supports DRM on the Web and in W3C standards.
Google and other such companies deserve boycott to force them to change their behavior but that can be hardly effective nowadays. So what can we do? I suggest fighting for consumer rights, using replacements of proprietary software and services, developing free software including distributed free software services, donating to organizations such as Free Software Foundation, Electronic Frontier Foundation or Software Freedom Law Center, and educating the users.
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