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KCC launches probe into pre-installed apps on smartphones

( June 27, 2025, 02:20 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: South Korea’s communications regulator launched an investigation into pre-installed smartphone apps that restrict user’s choices. The probe follows a preliminary inquiry into 187 pre-installed apps on devices such as Samsung Galaxy and Apple iPhone models released between 2023 and 2024, which discovered that Samsung’s “Studio” app, which creates videos from photos stored on the device, may be in violation of the Telecommunications Business Act. Since 2021, the Korea Communications Commission has been inspecting pre-installed apps that users cannot delete. It had instructed companies to enable users to delete these pre-installed apps. The KCC is also currently reviewing apps on Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16e to determine if they unduly restrict users’ ability to remove pre-installed apps.The statement, in Korean, is attached....

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