Samsung has decided to proceed with the Bootloader blocking also in Europe, a move that has caused a lot of discussion. Behind this choice is a European regulation that will come into force in August 2025 and which risks changing smartphone usage in Europe forever. This is why other manufacturers may soon follow suit.
From 1 August 2025, new provisions will come into force RED Directive (Radio Equipment Directive), which redefines the compliance requirements for all radio devices sold in Europe. This is a significant change, not so much for the amount of regulations introduced, but for the effect they will have on the entire Android ecosystem. The issue revolves around three articles that impose specific protections: against network interference, personal data compromise, and digital fraud. These are, in themselves, sacrosanct rules.
But the crux comes with the interpretation prevailingEach device must ensure full compliance not only with the hardware, but also with the software that controls the radio modules. This is where the bootloader comes in. Unlocking it essentially allows you to replace the original operating system with an alternative one, such as LineageOS or GrapheneOS.
But these systems, if they modify the radio drivers even minimally, invalidate the CE certification. An uncertified device can no longer be legally marketed or used, at least according to the most stringent reading of the law.
This scenario has therefore led Samsung to protect its devices. Not on a whim, but to avoid any software modifications falling under your legal liability. If a user installs a ROM that interferes with radio frequencies or compromises communications security, the manufacturer (and in some cases the importer) may be held directly liable.
RED does not explicitly talk about unlocking the Bootloader or custom ROM, but it opens one regulatory space in which the margins for maneuver are they narrow. And in doing so, it provides a solid argument for those who have been trying for years to close the loop between hardware, software, and services. After all, customizing the operating system also means breaking away from proprietary services and, therefore, from the model that ties the user to the brand.
Samsung is just the first to move, but it’s hard to imagine it will be the only one. Starting in August 2025, it’s very likely that other manufacturers will follow suit, at least for the European market.
Is this also the end of Software-Defined Radio in Europe?
The EU is pretty disappointing.
PC Computers are next
This is why the big deal with TPM
Why TPM is never a removable security device
Why you can’t save your old PC with a usb TPM device,
even though they are low power serial text devicesAnd TPM itself is just the thin side of the wedge.
It will grow more and more capable as an encrypted instructions processor
Eventually applications will run enough of their code
as encrypted instructions that they will become impossible to pirate.This means application on your offline computer will be just as revocable as cloud application
and they will no longer be transferable, cryptographically tied to the processor coreHere is a taste of the future
You CAN’T Jailbreak Your PC
The days of “it’s my hardware, I’ll run what I want” are over.
TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and Microsoft Pluton are forming a closed execution environment.You can’t replace the bootloader. You can’t flash unsigned firmware. You can’t disable the vendor-approved certificate store.Try to run an unsigned OS, and it will simply refuse to boot.
Your motherboard no longer listens to you.
It listens to Microsoft and OEMs.
You Will Own Nothing, and Even That Nothing Is Tied to Your Old PC
TPM stores your encryption keys in a non-exportable way.
Your files, apps, and even your OS activation are now bound to your specific machine.Want to move them to another system?
Too bad. The TPM won’t let you.
Even if you own both devices.The machine is yours. The data, software, and identity within it are not.
Installing Linux Will Be Illegal (Functionally, If Not Yet Legally)
Secure Boot + Remote Attestation is the death knell for freedom-focused OSes.
Your distro doesn’t carry the "right" signature? Blocked. You modify the kernel for performance or privacy? No longer attested. You write your own OS? You don’t get to boot. It’s not banned in law. It’s banned by cryptographic gatekeeping.
Digital preservation will be technically impossible.
Encrypted execution + hardware-tied software =
No way to archive.
No way to emulate.
No way to restore.Games, apps, creative tools, all gone when the keys expire or the vendor shuts down.
We won’t just lose software. We’ll lose entire cultural eras.
It’s like that Apple ad crushing musical instruments but for your entire digital life
https://adage.com/video/crush-ipad-pro-apple/ (I couldn’t find it unedited on youtube sorry)
You Have No Mouth and Can’t Say NO
Vendor lock-in is no longer a commercial strategy.
It’s cryptographic reality.You can’t deny updates. You can’t run unsigned code. You can’t refuse attestation.Because your software won’t run without it.
The PC has become a compliance terminal. Saying "no" is no longer supported behavior.
A hardware-enforced, cryptographically sealed cage.
Your freedom to compute is being revoked—quietly, efficiently, irreversibly. The illusion of ownership is maintained only until enforcement becomes total. This isn’t theory. It’s shipping now.If we don’t fight back, there will be no root access left to reclaim.
What a fucking bleak run down. But it is the direction things are barreling towards.
Writing this the warning of Cory Doctorow about an upcoming “War on General Computing” was ringing in my head !
And also this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EmstuO0Em8
But he doesn’t talk about the TPM and cryptoprocessor threat or the “war on general computing”, it was in another video that I can’t find right now
I also can’t find the Apple Ad where they crush a piano and other instruments of creation under a giant press to make an ipad
I remember seeing that ad. It was super depressing. I hate what the tech world is coming to, why my next phone will be a dumb phone, I’m trying to buy dvds and keeping my circa 2017 vehicle running for as long as possible
The future is here but it’s not evenly distributed.
Hopefully we can stay alive in the future’s shadow.
But if it doesn’t run Linux I am not going to buy it
Microsoft is fine if you don’t buy computers anymore
It won’t miss you in particularThis is what’s going to happen with PCs
https://lemmy.ml/post/33992840/20208076And the Linux foundation will just sit by letting it happen? Or Valve for that matter, they appear to have anticipated this risk over a decade ago.
Yes, Valve saw this possibility back in the days of Windows 8
But look at phones, the supply chains mostly delivery bootloader locked and unlockable devices.
And now the latest windows require TPM 2.0
It requires TPM 2.0 to be married to the CPU, non user removable
Microsoft Pluton is an early version of a crypto processor.
They are putting the pieces in place slowly
and they have all kinds of good reasons
“why this isn’t something you should worry about”RISC-V’s time to shine! (IIRC it is open source instruction set).
RISC-V you are our only hope,
only use open source BIOS
Never factory bootloader-lock !
If a user installs a ROM that interferes with radio frequencies
Do any “ROMs” or linuxes do this? Seems like you could get an “illegal USB bluetooth/wifi dongle” for shenanigans purposes instead. This all seems like such a pointless distraction that can only be to ensure that manufacturer backdoors are ensured as unescapable.
I have never installed a ROM that touched the radio.
In fact most ROMs I’ve used warned against touching the radio because of the risk of damaging the device.
Good luck applying this sorta lockdown to PCs.
I seem to recall owning a microsoft tablet that could not have secure boot disabled. Why do you suppose it would be hard when (much like phones) there are already products (like chromebooks) that have done this?
Forcing SecureBoot platform-wide would kill the loose PC parts market.
Loose mainboards don’t ship with an OS by default and typically ship with SecureBoot disabled by default as well, it would be pretty hard to force an OS on something that has no OS installed by default unless it’s forced in ROM.
Although, I suppose lose PC parts could simply be banned and custom PC builds could be criminalized, and only completely soldered-down prebuilts could be legally allowed to be sold in their borders with force-enabled SecureBoot and Pluton blocking non-Windows OSes.
…Right as the EU is trying to get away from Windows for their government stuff.
Secure boot force enabled with preset certificates would essentially do that.
Except that would require a rewrite of the PC spec which I’m not sure would work out too well given the existence of loose mainboards for custom builds which ship with no OS by default and expect you to supply the OS yourself, ditto for niche manufacturers like Framework who also offer the option of letting you supply your own OS.
Wait - is this about all radio devices or only mobile connectivity ones?
I.e., is WiFi affected as well? Or does it only affect internet that you access through your carrier?
The article says:
From 1 August 2025, new provisions will come into force RED Directive (Radio Equipment Directive), which redefines the compliance requirements for all radio devices sold in Europe.
Which technically would also affect WiFi.
Wait, what does that mean for USB LTE devices? Devices that you can attack to a desktop computer to give you mobile internet. Last time i checked, they’re widely available.
Would these become illegal as well?
IIRC they’re already doing this in China. I got hold of a chinese phone a while ago, and there was no way to install your own OS on it, you just had to use what came pre-installed, and i don’t know how much state-sponsored surveillance was on that.
WTF just happened in Europe in the last few months. We used to be some sort of (dimmly lit) beacon of user freedom and privacy considerations. Now, I know there’s been a push for new legislations that basically fuck individual privacy over, but last I checked it was just a proposal. And now we’re doing a fucking 1260° turn toward full stanglehold on everything.
There’s also this article from yesterday: Austria legalises state spyware amidst strong opposition
i wonder what changed. these regulations are certainly a threat. they justified it with the “threat of (islamistic) terrorism”, though i don’t know what’s really going on there.
Big war in 2027
What’s really worrying me is this:
i.e. wars are waged because somebody is bored
I think it’s the rise of all the nazis - Lepens in France, Hitlerjugend Jimmy in Sweden, Orban,…
Horrible ignorant propaganda infection to say this. Especially including Orban in your list. This is center, EU controlling, parties doing this. The “bad parties” are ultra conservative and anti immigrants, but their truly establishment-fear inducing characteristic is that they are anti-NATO warmongering. CDU, in Germany, has no problem imposing “populist” AfD inspired anti-immigration/muslim laws.
These laws/policies are not “populist fascism” support for oppressing liberals. No one is demanding their phones be locked, and supporting political candidates who will do this. This is just expansion of “Republicrat” establishment fascism that no one ever asked for.
You saying “this is all Putin’s fault” is just part of establishment fascist narrative of “you must be oppressed by war only budget, or Russia wins”.
I’m not so sure about this. According to this article, in austria at least, it was the SPÖ (center) and ÖVP (center-conservative) parties that voted for surveillance, but the Grüne (greens/center-left) and FPÖ (far-right/nazis) that voted against it.
It would be far better to say the party that is bought and sold by corporations
It seems like “democracies” worldwide are taking advantage of Trump’s ascension and pushing these policies under the cover of night.
this is more or less the impression I get. Like all the shitheads are seeing just how much disgusting illegal shit trump is getting away with and thinking “I could do that too!”
Chat message scanning can come in October, age verification is also introduced in various countries. Things are getting serious.
The EU doesn’t get to point at Trump’s authoritarianism and feel all smug when they do this shit. Sorry.
layman don’t understand how much of a crime this is.
Layman: “Does it have five gees or four like my old one?”
As far as I know our contractual law prevent being liable for damage caused by users own usage of a hardware or software. This is why tor browser developers arent in trial as liable for some scams that some users do using their software - because of their contract policy. So this excuse is jot valid - they locked bootloader jot because they are obligated or fear trial just because they do not luke private os which prevent them from harvesesting users data
Potentially overreaching law is great excuse for an organization to make an unpopular change. Now it’s not their fault, they had to do it.
Yes, firstly they remove headphone jack because of “security protection” then they remove bootloader settings for “security protection” LOL
You will be secure and you will like it!
Are people still doing this? Android is pretty open these days as stock
Is it?
Android uses Apache License 2.0, which means vendors can modify and distribute without publishing their modifications, like include proprietary blobs and other proprietary code.
It’s like using Google Chrome instead of Chromium.
Yes you can debloat the system, but many system apps can’t be disabled without breaking the system, and ROMs based on AOSP the code can be reviewed or modified and built it yourself.
Xiaomi and mostly stock ROMs these days come bundled with ads, and apps that collect user data, even with debloat or DNS blackhole isn’t 100% private or better than a custom ROM.
That’s why Graphene and CalyxOS exist.Graphene and CalyxOS are not long for this non-unlockable bootloader world
The whole smart phone thing is such a lesson in letting go of the rope.
Once you let corporations get away with a little, they will eventually take everything.
Every time we lost a bit of control me and a few of enthusiasts were screaming, but the regular populace just shrugged…
Even on reddit you’d have to argue with idiots “oh just use Bluetooth headphones! Oh who needs sd cards, just use the cloud! Oh who needs rooting, it’s not needed”
I swear to god if Windows / OS were invented today 80 of people would just shrug as all control of their PC was taken away.
I’d argue that especially on Reddit, you’re always up against brigades, claques and other coordinated actors pushing corporate or state narratives on the naive parts of the populace. In hindsight, it’s really awfully obvious.
Even on reddit you’d have to argue with idiots “oh just use Bluetooth headphones! Oh who needs sd cards, just use the cloud! Oh who needs rooting, it’s not needed”
Also, for any of said idiots who may be reading this. If you see someone bitching about functionality being removed that you yourself don’t need, the correct response is to just not respond. You don’t have to gargle corporations balls. Removing things isn’t making your phones cheaper/better. There’s no reason to defend it.
Yea that’s what pissed me off the top of most. Google / Apple fanbois gargeling corporate balls
Some of those things have some minor benefit to some users. There are plenty of people who like the reduced thickness that removing some of those features provides.
The issue is that corporations like money, and the big money guy (apple) removed those things and made more money so all the other guys figured they could too if they just copied that. Now all of us have to deal with the reduced functionality and options.
Yeah, incredibly minor. My phone has all the features that have subsequently been removed from newer models and is still only 6mm thick. I have a case on it and it’s still fine. But regardless. If people want thinner phones without that stuff, fine, make them. What we are bitching about is that there are NO options with the functions we want and practically everything has the same minuscule feature set these days. We want a variety of choices.
Of course, I personally think the biggest failure of Android is the apple-ifying of the phone design. There are exceptions, but it feels like every flagship is trying to just make an android flavored iPhone.
it’s like modern chat clients. can’t do even 10% of the stuff a chat client could do 20 years ago and yet here we are. everyone on their fb messenger, and literal businesses refusing support tickets sent outside of metas platform.
I have long contended that the computer industry is course-correcting with Android/iOS/mobile. They realized their prior “mistake” of letting people actually own, control, and modify their devices. Apple and iPhone is the worst in this regard.
80 of people would just shrug as all control of their PC was taken away
Isn’t that actually the case? I know of these issues. And around me, I talk about them (without being pushy I hope). At work, the privacy issues with windows are seen as glaring warnings. But beyond that… I’m pretty sure the vase majority of people don’t care. Some are probably even enthusiast to have a “new update”, having no idea what it means.
I agree with essentially everything you’re saying but can’t wrap my head around the last sentence. Would you mind elaborating so I can add more fuel to my rage?
He means that windows is built on a fairly open system that allows too to install and manage your own drivers, updates, etc. Over the last several years MS has been trying to lock this down and be more like a managed service/phone, not a computer you own.
If the PC were to be invented today, he’s saying it would be like a phone with limited freedom and most people wouldn’t care. He’s right and that’s sad. We take for granted what we have with older versions of Windows and Linux. It is being pulled away from us and that’s why I’m trying to move off of Windows instead of go to 11.
I feel like an open system starts with the hardware. It doesn’t help that we have open software if we don’t control the hardware that it is running on. Maybe that’s a thought of relevance for the future.
I think they mean that if the standard OS was Linux instead of Windows, and therefore everybody had full control of their computers, that if windows was suddenly released and installed on all pc’s instead of Linux, people would still shrug and be fine with it.
The Linux forums would probably be even more insufferable for a while, considering an influx of newbies to what’s basically a power user sphere.
Not an arch user clearly
So what? Linux computers are not compliant, can not use wifi, or what? I don’t see how that prevents unlockable bootloaders, other than being used as an excuse by the manufacturers.
It’s a bullshit argument and this article is a classic example of a shitty journalist pretending that a new law overrules every other law in existence.
Any device that transmits radio frequencies wont be able to be sold in the EU.
The only way a manufacturer can be sure that won’t happen is to create their hardware such that it isn’t usable unless it can be sure its in an environment which won’t do that.
Currently, that would mean a machine running Secure Boot and Windows 11 using driver signing.
Linux wouldn’t be able to fake the verification to the hardware, due to not having the keys, and so could not create drivers for any hardware designed this way.
Hold up so theyre banning flippers and portapacks etc?
Oh yeah, almost certainly; and software defined radios of all types.
