Verizon has responded to a complaint filed to the FCC concerning the locking of bootloaders on its Android phones. The lockdown, done to prevent users from rooting their Android phones, has long been a sore point for many Android users. Rooting, like jailbreaking an iOS device, allows a higher degree of customization than the OS itself is designed to allow. The bootloader is the section of the phone’s memory where the system files are stored. Locking down the bootloader prevents access to the system files, and therefore makes rooting an Android phone considerably harder.
While handset manufacturers have generally not been bothered by users having access to the bootloader, carriers have taken a somewhat different view. Carriers often request that the manufacturers lock the bootloader on their phones. Verizon, for example, insists that the bootloader on all its DROID phones be locked. One user, though, got frustrated enough at Verizon that he filed a complaint with the FCC. The complaint alleges that Verizon violates the terms of its spectrum licenses by locking the bootloader on their phones.
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