I bought the hardware, therefore I have the right to modify and repair. Natural right, full stop. That right ends are your nose, as the saying goes.

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kccqzy 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Consider whether your natural right argument might not stand in several other countries’ legal systems.

The era of United States companies using common sense United States principles for the whole world is coming to an end.

	▲	orbital-decay 4 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Okay, but currently it's the opposite: an US company is forcing the principles of these few legal systems for the whole world.
	▲	tomrod an hour ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		Nah, that's the beauty of it. Liberal principles make a much more robust political foundation that post-liberal principles. The US is known for the former despite current flirtations with the latter. However, liberal principles aren't tied to any one country. Fortunately for us!
	▲	Krasnol 44 minutes ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		The era of common sense in the United States came to an end.

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ashikns 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Yeah then you have the choice to not buy the locked down hardware, you don't have a right to get open hardware FROM Google.

Of course there are no good options for open hardware, but that is a related but separate problem.

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orbital-decay 4 hours ago | parent [-]

It's not a separate problem, Google are actively suppressing any possibility of open mobile hardware. They force HW manufacturers to keep their specs secret and make them choose between their ecosystem and any other, not both. There's a humongous conflict of interests and they're abusing their dominating position.

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dmitrygr an hour ago | parent [-]

> They force HW manufacturers to keep their specs secret

Spoken like someone who has never ever worked with any hardware manufacturers. They do not need reasons for that. They all believe their mundane shit is the most secret-worthy shit ever. They have always done this. This predates google, and will outlive it.

	▲	renewiltord an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Often it is because they don't know their own devices. We got a dev board from Qualcomm once and the documentation was totally bogus.

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tjwebbnorfolk 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Oh, so you're good with everyone having the "natural right" to turn handguns into automatic weapons simply because they find themselves in possession of the correct atoms? How about adding a 3rd story on the top of your house without needing a permit or structural evaluation?

Note that adding "full stop" pointlessly to the end of sentences does not strengthen your argument.

	▲	tomrod an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Guns aren't a natural right by any stretch. Defense is, but you're confusing the US bill of rights with natural rights of all humans.
	▲	xigoi an hour ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		The difference is that you can’t kill other people by installing an app.

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Ms-J 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

This is correct. Our natural rights go much further than unnatural prohibitions from the government.

Do what you please and get enough people to do it with you, and no one can stop you.

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Aurornis 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> Natural right, full stop.

You’re still missing the point the comment is making: In countries where governments are dead set on holding Google accountable for what users do on their phones, it doesn’t matter what you believe to be your natural right. The governments of these countries have made declarations about who is accountable and Google has no intention of leaving the door open for that accountability.

You can do whatever you want with the hardware you buy, but don’t confuse that with forcing another company to give you all of the tools to do anything you want easily.

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brazukadev 5 hours ago | parent [-]

That's deflection, there's Google blocking users from installing apps and there's OP insinuating that it might be because of governments coercion but there's no evidence to support this. Scammers pay Google to show ads to install apps, that's what the governments are holding Google responsible and it won't change with blocking installing apps.

	▲	vachina 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Malicious app delivery goes beyond Google ads. In Singapore, most scam app installs are from social engineering, e.g. install new app to receive payment, install new app to buy something for cheap. I’m amazed at how gullible some people are but that’s how it is.

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calvinmorrison 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I suppose you have the right to do whatever you want with it, including zapping it in the microwave or using it as a rectal probe. I am not sure that right extends are far as forcing companies to deliver a product to your specifications (open software, hardware, or otherwise)

	▲	yehat an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		You won't believe it, but many years ago the TVs for sale where required to come with their full schematics and they really did.
	▲	tomrod an hour ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Right to repair requires it, thank goodness.

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colordrops 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I don't think it's illegal to do whatever you want with your phone. That doesn't mean google legally is required to make it easy or even possible. That being said I ethically they should allow it, and considering their near monopoly status they should be forced to keep things open. In fact there should be right to repair laws too.