Samsung and Oppo sued for supplying Android bloatware

A Chinese consumer advocacy group filed a case against Samsung and Oppo this week. The organization denounces the bloatware that both manufacturers provide with their phones.

The Shanghai Consumer Rights Protection Commission announced this week it will take legal action against Samsung and Oppo. The cause is the apps that both manufacturers supply with their phones as standard. There were several complaints about this.

According to The Shanghai Daily, an investigation by the interest group found that at least twenty devices from both manufacturers appeared on the shelves with pre-installed apps. Many of those programs were impossible to remove. In addition, some would also collect mobile data.

Devices that were included in the study included the Samsung SM-N9008S and the Oppo X9007. They provided 44 and 71 unnecessary apps, respectively, according to the Shanghai Consumer Rights Protection Commission. These included a dictionary, an online shopping program and various games.

With the legal action, the consumer group hopes to force electronics companies to end the “unreasonable but common practice of pre-installing apps without letting customers know.” This would require a law that requires manufacturers to make clear to customers what they supply with their devices and how those apps can be removed.

Samsung and Oppo have 15 days to appeal the charges. After that, a court is likely to announce the dates of any case. In any case, the Shanghai Consumer Rights Protection Commission is looking forward to it: “This case is something that is necessary for the healthy development of the entire industry.”