National —
On January 14th, 2025, Minister Jiraporn Sindhuprai revealed that the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) summoned smartphone manufacturers OPPO and Realme to address complaints about the pre-installed loan app “Fineasy” causing significant harm to users.
Minister Jiraporn emphasized that affected users can still file complaints while retailers must clarify the origins of these apps. The investigation involves the Digital Economy Ministry, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), and other agencies to examine whether leaked consumer data was sent to China. International cooperation may be required to address this.
In response, OPPO issued an apology and outlined immediate actions:
- From January 14th, affected devices with pre-installed Fineasy loan apps will no longer be sold.
- Pre-installation of third-party loan apps will cease immediately.
- An OTA system update, starting January 16th, will remove Fineasy from existing devices.
Minister Jiraporn noted the urgency of resolving the matter due to widespread consumer impact, particularly concerns over personal data security. Pending further investigation, stricter measures, including potential sales suspensions, are under consideration.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
