Deshittification Part 2: Bypassing the App Store Gatekeeper

In Deshittification Part 2, the author examines how LG WebOS enforces an artificial telemetry toll booth at the app store layer. After blocking vendor telemetry and ad servers at the DNS level, the operating system fought back by locking down the app store, displaying error codes, and holding basic app management hostage until unrestricted access to its tracking servers was granted.

To test how WebOS handled app management without telemetry, the author uninstalled a core app and discovered that when they opened the LG Content Store, it displayed an error claiming the service was "temporarily unavailable," which was untrue. The TV had a working internet connection, and pre-installed local apps functioned without issues.

The author turned to their gateway logs and discovered that, instead of contacting neutral status endpoints or app repositories, WebOS immediately hammered LG's tracking and advertising domains. This architecture was designed to prevent users from managing their own software unless they allowed LG to log their viewing habits. After temporarily unpublishing DNS blocks, the LG Content Store opened without complaint, and the author could install Netflix and stream video.

However, once DNS blocks were re-enabled, opening the App Store failed again. The author then filed a formal GDPR complaint with LG's Data Protection Officer (DPO), arguing that the app store function as a gatekeeper to force consent is illegal under GDPR Article 7(4).