Fortnite players are told they’ll have to disable a security setting on Android, the FCC finally admits that it wasn’t hit by a DDoS attack, and Verizon’s VPN smallprint raises privacy concerns.
All this and much much more is discussed in the latest edition of the award-winning “Smashing Security” podcast hosted by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by David Bisson.
Smashing Security #090: 'Fortnite for Android, and the FCC's DDoS BS'
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Hosts:
Graham Cluley:
@grahamcluley.com
@[email protected]
Carole Theriault:
Guest:
David Bisson – @DMBisson
Show notes:
- You'll have to disable a recommended Android security setting to install Fortnite
- Fortnite is putting users at risk, to prove a point about Google's Android monopoly
- Introducing Android 9 Pie
- Safe-WiFi Wireless Private Network – Verizon Wireless
- Verizon Didn’t Bother to Write a Privacy Policy for its ‘Privacy Protecting’ VPN
- Terms of Service for the Verizon Safe Wi Fi App
- McAfee Privacy Notice
- Verizon customers can sue ad company over “zombie” cookies, judges rule
- Ajit Pai blames Obama administration over FCC DDoS attack that didn't happen
- Inside the FCC's risky IT overhaul
- The Triceratops Who Loved Me: A Primal Urges Extreme Fantasy – Amazon
- A Good Movie To Watch
- Overcooked! 2 for Nintendo Switch
- Christopher Robin: Winnie the Pooh film denied release in China
- Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)
- Support us on Patreon!
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The approach to distributing Fortnite is not unique – the free trial of generative music app Wotja X can be downloaded from Google Play, but the full version must be purchased from Amazon's app store (probably as a result the free version has just 100+ installs, while the paid version is ranked #21,478 on Amazon and has no reviews – though I doubt Fortnite's approach will similarly kill their app for the reasons you mentioned).
It's understandable that developers wouldn't want to pay Google's substantial cut – but for the convenience, app updates, security (not perfect obviously, but at least comfortable to users), promotion opportunities, and visibility to the user base, they at least get a certain value for their money. Again, Fortnite will likely succeed regardless – but more niche apps/developers would probably be wise not to treat this as some kind of precedent.