NBTC summons Realme and Oppo over pre-installed loan app
Fineasy application cannot be removed from phones, has access to personal information, and can send notifications, users report
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) will today summon two Chinese mobile phone brands – Oppo and realme – amid concerns over an informal loan app that comes bundled with their phones.
Fineasy is a pre-installed app on Oppo and realme phones that cannot be removed, has access to personal information, and can send notifications, users report.
Oppo and realme have apologised, promising users would soon be able to uninstall the app themselves or could visit service centres nationwide for immediate removal.
NBTC legal commissioner Pol Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn confirmed that phone manufacturers are required to submit new models to the NBTC for checks to ensure they pose no risks to consumers.
However, the NBTC does not check mobile phone software or apps, he said.
“Cases related to app installation on mobile phones have never occurred before, so no agency currently supervises this issue,” he said. “To prevent future cases, the NBTC will hold discussions with relevant agencies and the two mobile phone brands on January 13 to seek a resolution.”
Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong has instructed the Personal Data Protection Committee to investigate whether the Fineasy app violates personal data protection laws.
PDPC acting secretary-general Wetang Phuangsup said the committee, NBTC and National Cyber Security Agency had told Oppo and realme to check the app and explain themselves at NBTC headquarters in Bangkok today.
The pre-installed app may violate rules on accessing and using personal data, resulting in damage, he said, adding that Oppo and realme users could file complaints to the PDPC at its website.
Meanwhile, the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau has advised people to close the Fineasy application, clear their cache, and turn off all of its permissions.
