Android

❗Article Status Notice: This Article is a stub

---

This article is underdeveloped, and needs additional work to meet the wiki's Content Guidelines and be in line with our Mission Statement for comprehensive coverage of consumer protection issues. Learn more ▼

Issues may include:

• This article needs to be expanded to provide meaningful information
• This article requires additional verifiable evidence to demonstrate systemic impact
• More documentation is needed to establish how this reflects broader consumer protection concerns
• The connection between individual incidents and company-wide practices needs to be better established
• The article is simply too short, and lacks sufficient content

How you can help:

• Add documented examples with verifiable sources
• Provide evidence of similar incidents affecting other consumers
• Include relevant company policies or communications that demonstrate systemic practices
• Link to credible reporting that covers these issues
• Flesh out the article with relevant information

This notice will be removed once the article is sufficiently developed. Once you believe the article is ready to have its notice removed, visit the Discord (join here) and post to the #appeals channel, or mention its status on the article's talk page.

Android

Basic Information
Release Year	2003
Product Type	Software
In Production	Yes
Official Website	https://android.com/

Android is an operating system developed and released by Google since 2005. It is based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen-based mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, but is also used in smart TVs, cameras, in-car infotainment systems, etc.^{[citation needed]}

Consumer impact summary

Google, as the developer of Android, has faced scrutiny over privacy concerns, short software support lifespans, patent disputes, and anti-competitive behaviors.^{[citation needed]}

Google encourages the use of their Play Integrity API, a mechanism for Android applications to detect whether they are running on a non-OEM version of Android. This is employed mostly to prevent users from running Android versions with anti-consumer features removed, i.e. ads and unconsented data collection. For example, the Android YouTube app which leverages the API to detect whether it has been patched to remove ads, in which case it will refuse to play back videos.

Incidents

This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this software. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the Android category.

Data collection

Main article: Android Data Collection

Android mobile devices, even when minimally configured, collect and share with Google extensive user data with little options for opting-out, raising privacy concerns.

Android System Safety Core silent install

Full article: Android System SafetyCore

In January 22, 2025, Google quietly rolled out Android System SafetyCore to all Android devices. The installation of the program neither informed consumers that it was installed, nor did it request consumers to install it onto their devices.

OEM Locked Bootloaders

Article: Motorola

In North America, Many of Android devices like phones or tablets will not allow consumers to unlock and do what they want to modify the software. Therefore, it has been incredibly difficult and nearly impossible to root and install custom ROMs into the device unless an exploit has been found.