29 Unterschriften
Petition richtet sich an: Deutscher Bundestag Petitionsausschuss
Imagine buying a car, but after seven years, the manufacturer decides you can no longer drive it—not because it's broken, but because they’ve remotely disabled the ignition. This is exactly what is happening with our smartphones today.
We pay hundreds, often over a thousand euros for our mobile devices. Yet, in reality, we don't truly own them. Manufacturers like Samsung deny us full access to the hardware (the so-called "Bootloader"). Once official software support ends, we are left stranded. The result? A technically flawless device becomes a security risk and electronic waste because we are blocked from installing independent operating systems or third-party security updates like LineageOS.
This is not just a massive infringement on our property rights; it is an environmental disaster. In an era of climate change, we cannot afford to discard perfectly functional technology simply to boost manufacturer sales figures.
The argument that this is for "network security" is a double standard. We are allowed to run open-source Linux systems on our PCs with full control, yet we are treated like children when it comes to our phones.
We call upon policymakers and the EU to:
Mandate that manufacturers must fully unlock the bootloaders of their devices once the official support period ends. "Security" must no longer be used as a pretext for planned obsolescence!
FAQ for the Petition (To convince skeptics)
Q: Doesn't unlocking the bootloader make the phone unsafe?
A: It gives the user a choice. Currently, a phone with no more official updates is "unsafe" anyway. Allowing a bootloader unlock lets the community provide new security patches that the manufacturer refuses to send.
Q: Why is this important for the environment?
A: Most people buy a new phone because their apps stop working or security is outdated. If we can update the software ourselves, we can use a phone for 10+ years instead of 5, massively reducing CO2 emissions and e-waste.
Q: Is this legal?
A: We are fighting to make it a legal requirement. According to the "Right to Repair," hardware should belong to the buyer, not the seller, after the transaction is complete.
Begründung
My Phone, Not Samsung’s Property! Stop the Digital Guardianship.
The Opening (Personal Impact):
"Does this sound familiar? You buy a high-end smartphone for over $1,000, treat it like your most prized possession, and after a few years, the manufacturer suddenly tells you: ‘Thanks for your money, but your device is now essentially trash.’
This is exactly what I’m experiencing with Samsung. My phone is in perfect technical shape. The screen is flawless, the battery is strong, and the camera still takes incredible photos. But through software locks (the Bootloader Lock), I’m being treated like a tenant in my own home. By ending security updates, Samsung is practically forcing me to throw away a working phone and buy a new one. Why? Because they lock the hardware, preventing me from installing independent software like LineageOS, which could keep my phone secure for years to come.
This isn't 'security'—it’s planned ownership theft and an absolute disaster for the environment!"
Why This Affects Us All (The Arguments):
PC vs. Mobile – The Massive Contradiction: On any laptop, we can install Linux or Windows as we please. Nobody would dream of dictating which OS we must use just because there's a SIM card slot. Why do we accept this for our phones?
Pure Greenwashing: Manufacturers talk endlessly about sustainability, yet they actively prevent us from using our devices for more than 5–7 years. An open bootloader is the ultimate form of recycling!
Security as an Excuse: Samsung hides behind EU directives to lock us out. But true security means I get to decide who provides my updates once the manufacturer loses interest.
Similar Cases & Evidence (The Proof):
To show the world you aren’t alone, here is the "burden of proof":
The "Knox" Trap: On forums like XDA-Developers, there are thousands of posts from users whose hardware was artificially devalued (e.g., Samsung Pay disabled forever) just because they tried to exercise their right to software freedom.
The US Lock as a Warning: In the United States, Samsung has already completely hard-locked the bootloaders on many models. We must prevent this trend from becoming the legal standard in the EU! (Source: Reddit r/Android / XDA Community).
Abuse of EU Rules: Experts criticize that the EU Radio Equipment Directive (RED) is being used by manufacturers as an excuse to shut down the market and block alternative operating systems. (Source: FSFE - Free Software Foundation Europe).
Our Demand to Policymakers:
We demand a law that mandates manufacturers: At the latest, once the final official security update has been released, the bootloader MUST be made freely accessible to the owner.
The "Call to Action" (The Final Punch):
Don't let them turn your expensive tech into e-waste. Stand up for your right to own what you paid for! Sign the petition now and share it with everyone who is tired of being forced into a new purchase every few years.
Angaben zur Petition
Petition gestartet:
29.01.2026
Sammlung endet:
28.07.2026
Region:
Deutschland
Kategorie:
Verbraucherschutz
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Neue SprachversionWarum Menschen unterschreiben
Because preventing consumers from full ownership over their purchased product including the right to be sovereign and unlock/lock freely the bootloader by themselves, should be illegal!
Android with admin privileges is so much more useful to me, and the artificial bootloader locking prevents me from enjoying fully my Android product. I can't even backup my own sensitive data privately or install a custom ROM.
Bootloader unlocking rights from the consumer, after purchase of an Android smartphone, should be absolutely compulsory and forced as law or regulation unto manufacturers. They can lock the bootloader at the only condition that the consumer after purchase, is immediately given the key or password to unlock/lock freely his own bootloader. The consumer should also have the right to change his own bootloader key or password for security and lock/unlock it freely without restriction!
I want to have the freedom to choose between operating systems, to modify my phone to my needs and not be restricted by the company that will quit updating my phone after 2 years. I also don't want Google to have full control over my smartphone and hide access to it's functions as Android is based and living off of open source code that is made for everyone. I believe in repairability and longevity of my personal devices. Making the bootloader unlockable on all EU devices would reduce e-waste by a lot.
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I feel that it is a violation does it affords me no protection to my product being outdated by the company. Samsung has never discussed locking down the bootloader to disable the full functionality of the phone. It would be one thing if I was renting the phone from them but it is my understanding that when you purchase the phone you should have the right to use that Hardware as you see fit and whatever software you put on it is up to you such as Linux lineage graphene and to get out from the spying of Samsung and Google that sleep in bed together please protect my consumer rights to do as I wish with my phone how dare you Samsung and Google