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kayson 2 hours ago [-]
> In further digging, we noticed that the URL the phone opens up is “kira-abboud.com,” a website that references fashion influencer “@kirasfashionfinds.” Notably, this exact URL isn’t listed anywhere on Abboud’s social media, and the affiliate codes don’t match up either. The redirect coming from Motorola phones is using Amazona affiliate code “sramz-kff-008-20” which is completely different from any of the codes we saw from links shared by Abboud’s accounts and linked websites.
Something funny is up; this doesn't seem deliberate.
londons_explore 1 hours ago [-]
My guess is a rogue employee who hopes they can get away with this stuff for years till caught...
That employees cousin probably does social media for Abboud...
jollymonATX 14 minutes ago [-]
An affiliate can create multiple codes
rainforest 14 minutes ago [-]
Note that the smart feed "feature" is Taboola-provided adware[0] so it's par for the course. It's beyond comprehension Lenovo would trash the brand by shipping it on flagships.
I used to choose Motorola devices for a long time but since 2 years when I bought Edge 30 Fusion I started to notice they automatically (without my knowledge) add 3 stupid apps or games about two times a month :/ There is no way to stop it. My kids phones are stuffed with this sh*t.
edarchis 3 minutes ago [-]
I got a prompt about trying new apps every week or something similar. The wording, the moment it prompted me were clearly designed for people to just say "ok" and then wonder how apps were installing regularly without any action. I got caught myself, disabled it but still got new app installs later. I killed the whole thing and have been free since. But definitely felt like a scam. And the apps suck.
microtonal 2 hours ago [-]
On some phones this is done by something like AppCloud, which you can usually uninstall from the user partition using ADB/Universal Android Debloater.
tredre3 1 hours ago [-]
> There is no way to stop it.
There are ways. All the apps that install this crap can be disabled through Android's app manager, no fancy method required. (Of course updates can bring them back... But "luckily" Motorola isn't too keen on providing those for their products).
Some examples of the apps to look for:
- App Box
- Games
- MotoApps
- Moto App Manager
- Live lock screen
The active adware apps depends on your region and career. In some region Motorola doesn't push adware at all.
Personally by just disabling those (and similar sounding crap) I've never had adware sneakily installed.
For Moto G or lower tiers Edge I can begrudgingly accept that it's part of the deal... But I would be livid if they did this to my $1500 phone, which is why I refuse to risk getting a razr. Whether you want to fight your phone maker and keep using their product is up to you.
Let's hope that the grapheneos partnership plays off in our favor next year!
SubiculumCode 57 minutes ago [-]
Strange, I've never gotten any moto apps on my cheap Moto G. I don't sign into any of their crap, but I don't recall doing anything else....
markjchambers 20 minutes ago [-]
How old is your Moto G?
Anything in the last few years has the moto app manager that force loads LinkedIn etc.
You are in luck: LineageOS supports many Motorola devices, including the Edge 30.
KennyBlanken 1 hours ago [-]
Luckily there is a mobile phone OS and hardware that isn't produced by the world's largest advertising company, and furthermore doesn't allow two different corporations to be involved in the core OS of the device.
tredre3 1 hours ago [-]
You're right but we can't easily get Huawei devices in North America.
yjftsjthsd-h 40 minutes ago [-]
Apple isn't the largest advertising company, but it's a pretty big one. The only other candidates I know of are aftermarket Linux distros, but they have their own problems.
layer8 30 minutes ago [-]
Unfortunately, that company also polices what kinds of apps you’re allowed to install on your hardware.
sandreas 1 hours ago [-]
Hmm, this thread and the reports of shady practices make me wonder if this will affect the partnership with GrapheneOS[1]. It seems that such things shouldn't really happen on a device where security is a top priority, whether intentional or not.
I like the Stylus G better than most phones I've owned, but Motorola really needs to end its partnership with the offensive "Glance" ad platform. There should not be a third party app like that which keeps re-enabling and reinstalling on every update. I don't understand what Motorola would get out of a partnership with a scammy third rate ad market that would be worth pissing off so many of their customers, but maybe they have some high level corruption in the company.
andyjohnson0 16 minutes ago [-]
I have a Motorola G70, so this is concerning. But its hard to believe that this is a deliberate action by Motorola. To me it seems more likely that an update was compromised. Still bad though.
p0w3n3d 27 minutes ago [-]
Is Motorola Chinese by any chance? I remember the Motorola company has been split to phones and the rest
petu 24 minutes ago [-]
Owned by Lenovo, yes
heikkilevanto 1 hours ago [-]
The comments here say that all Android phone manufacturers do stuff like this. I have never noticed that kind of things on my Fairphone. But then again, I don't have many apps and certainly not Amazon.
blitzo 2 hours ago [-]
Isn't this cookie stuffing? Same modus operandi using by Geo-something widget back in 2000s with hidden ebay affiliate links that got caught by FBI. Someone should go in jail for this.
999900000999 2 hours ago [-]
To think I was worried about buying a Xiaomi tablet while already using a Motorola.
Gonna flash a rom on the Xiaomi anyway, but all oems are doing this type of stuff.
petu 41 minutes ago [-]
Note that Xiaomi today is very hostile to bootloader unlocking -- to get unlock code you need to win in daily first come, first served "lottery" (they limit total number of unlocked devices per day). After a second or two passes you're already too late for the day.
KennyBlanken 1 hours ago [-]
All Android OEMs are "doing this type of stuff."
gsky 3 hours ago [-]
Chinese brands always pull this stuff
userbinator 53 minutes ago [-]
Around 10-15 years ago you could get a completely stock Android from China with basically zero branding, fully unlocked and easily rootable, removable battery, expandable storage, dual DIMs, etc. at a great price. I have a few. Unfortunately many of those small honest OEMs appear to have disappeared, and the bigger ones left have turned scummy.
greatgib 35 minutes ago [-]
Especially Xiaomi did a huge ugly U-turn like this.
Use to be the best hardware for low price with the selling point of no-crap fully customable phones.
And then, once they become dominant enough starting to play it like the others but stuffing as many unremovable crap as possible.
28304283409234 58 minutes ago [-]
Microsoft does similar and worse on Windows. This is capitalism being capitalism. Nothing chinese about it.
risfriend 2 hours ago [-]
This is really unethical, replacing original app shortcuts breaks trust.
coretx 2 hours ago [-]
That begs the question! Did they use a Sony rootkit ? XD
dotcoma 2 hours ago [-]
How low can you go?
warrantisall 2 hours ago [-]
[dead]
gib444 3 hours ago [-]
I was possibly thinking of getting a Motorola with G.ràphenéOS when released.
Yeah, not now.
Uzazo 3 hours ago [-]
The described behavior would not happen when you use a custom OS.
I understand not wanting to give Motorola any money because of this, though.
Cider9986 3 hours ago [-]
True. Google does much worse things overall, but they aren't as surface-level scammy as this.
2 hours ago [-]
gib444 2 hours ago [-]
The tail never wags the dog.
Initially the project won't change, but it likely will over time.
microtonal 2 hours ago [-]
But AFAIK it doesn't work like that. Motorola makes a phone that has an unlockable bootloader, provides firmware bundles, etc., but the OS images will be made by the GrapheneOS team and they would never do anything like that.
(I think the misunderstanding is that Motorola would make the GrapheneOS builds.)
dingensundso 2 hours ago [-]
Calling this "hijacking the Amazon app" is hyperbolic in my opinion. They replaced the shortcut in the app drawer. To me this looks like normal scummy OEM behaviour, like pre-installing spyware, "anti-" malware, adware etc. which sadly pretty much every mobile/computer manufacturer does.
Replacing the OS is one of the first things I do with every laptop, PC and mobile device to get rid of (most) crap that was installed without my consent.
userbinator 51 minutes ago [-]
and mobile device
Very little ability to do that with most devices these days, unfortunately.
sourcegrift 3 hours ago [-]
If an anti-worker company is getting fleeced, nothing wrong with that.
I hope motorola collaborates with Pine and brings linux to phones. In the age of LLM apps are obviously not a problem. (Hopefully windows Phone 7, not 8 also comes back)
WolfeReader 1 hours ago [-]
I agree with your overall opinion, but not sure why you had to bring LLMs into a topic that has nothing to do with them.
SubiculumCode 55 minutes ago [-]
I would agree, but I just looked on my phone and there was a Moto AI services app I don't remember being there before
Something funny is up; this doesn't seem deliberate.
That employees cousin probably does social media for Abboud...
[0] https://www.reddit.com/r/motorola/comments/1s61usi/edge_60_p...
There are ways. All the apps that install this crap can be disabled through Android's app manager, no fancy method required. (Of course updates can bring them back... But "luckily" Motorola isn't too keen on providing those for their products).
Some examples of the apps to look for:
- App Box
- Games
- MotoApps
- Moto App Manager
- Live lock screen
The active adware apps depends on your region and career. In some region Motorola doesn't push adware at all.
Personally by just disabling those (and similar sounding crap) I've never had adware sneakily installed.
For Moto G or lower tiers Edge I can begrudgingly accept that it's part of the deal... But I would be livid if they did this to my $1500 phone, which is why I refuse to risk getting a razr. Whether you want to fight your phone maker and keep using their product is up to you.
Let's hope that the grapheneos partnership plays off in our favor next year!
Anything in the last few years has the moto app manager that force loads LinkedIn etc.
Due to cheap and cheerful with long lasting battery - I still buy Moto G - but setup offline and disable all these apps using https://github.com/Universal-Debloater-Alliance/universal-an...
1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47214645
Gonna flash a rom on the Xiaomi anyway, but all oems are doing this type of stuff.
And then, once they become dominant enough starting to play it like the others but stuffing as many unremovable crap as possible.
Yeah, not now.
I understand not wanting to give Motorola any money because of this, though.
Initially the project won't change, but it likely will over time.
(I think the misunderstanding is that Motorola would make the GrapheneOS builds.)
Replacing the OS is one of the first things I do with every laptop, PC and mobile device to get rid of (most) crap that was installed without my consent.
Very little ability to do that with most devices these days, unfortunately.
I hope motorola collaborates with Pine and brings linux to phones. In the age of LLM apps are obviously not a problem. (Hopefully windows Phone 7, not 8 also comes back)