[GRLUG] kill switches

[Bruce Smith]

>> The PROBLEM is when cellular providers start abusing that power
>
> _ALL_ power is abused.  Full stop.
>
>> If someone writes an app that posts all personal information on a
>> phone to the internet, then the provider would be wise to kill that
>> app.  Same if someone writes an app to send spam.  Or attack other
>> networks.  Or ...
>
> What you're talking about here is an issue of trust.  You can't trust
> any random software developer.  Congratulations, you've arrived at a
> conclusion that should be obvious to every person who's ever used
> Windows.  You _must_ choose someone to trust - because you can't build
> a phone, and all it's software by yourself.  Your mistake is in
> choosing the phone company.  In fact, I would argue that you'd be
> mistaken in choosing anyone who would not grant you full access (and
> control) of all the software running on your phone.  This argument
> should be immensely familiar and obvious to anyone on this list.

The difference is you're treating a cellular internet connection
exactly the same as you would a regular ISP.

The main business of a ISP is to provide you internet.  You can
connect your own computer or device to the Internet.  If your computer
starts spewing out spam or viruses, the ISP cuts you off.

The main business of a cellular company is voice.  Internet is a
secondary addon.  If your cellular device starts spewing out spam or
viruses to the internet, they don't want to shut off your phone
completely.  They want to fix the problem without requiring their
employee labor for each affected device.

>> Bad people WILL write those kind of apps, and disguise them to look
>> legitimate.  Someone needs to approve them before they are made
>> available to the general public, and someone needs the ability to kill
>> them if a evil app slips by the prerelease inspectors.
>
> Right.  That's what development communities, and distributors are for.
>  Having the source code allows all of us to check that they're doing a
> good job, and ensures that you, the user, have the ability to kill
> evil apps.  Done.

And still, trojans and other problems ocassionally happen with open
source software.  A much bigger deal for a cellular company.

>> This is much better than killing the entire phone of everyone who has
>> downloaded a evil app, stranding many people without voice service.
>> (and causing everyone involved to physically bring their phone into a
>> store to get it fixed, and raising your phone bill because of all the
>> labor involved, and the provider losing customers who are now pissed
>> off...)
>
> I think you're nightmare scenario is more than a little extreme.

How else would a cell provider fix phones with evil apps, without the
labor of employees manually fixing the problem?  Or the phone support
time required to talk each customer through the process of fixing it
themselves (assuming the customers have another phone to call in on:)?

 - BS