In the west, Apple and Google do the former... Sure, you can run your own software, but in practice, who does? Probably the same sort of people who are jailbreaking their North-Korean phones.
You see, another interpretation is that beating our chest about other peoples moral failing is inherently a narcissistic display since it cannot lead to any changes other than making us more apathetic and powerless.
You can see the same dynamic in work every year in our elaborate performance over the Tiananmen square massacre and the simultaneous complete lack of interest in the Gwangju massacre.
No, once again there is a distinction. Apple, Google, et al control the software running on users' devices through network effects and apathy, rather than by legal fiat. When trying to change the state of affairs, details do matter. Just equating it all adds to the feeling of helplessness. I agree about the general phenomenon of performative concern, and perhaps that is what discussing North Korea's digital restrictions management ultimately is for most. But still proper criticism of that phenomenon is not to equate it with domestic issues that we can actually effect change on.
Yeah, so the question is not whether north korean surveillance is bad,we agree on that. The question is what meaningful difference is there in the surveillance? The fact that the surveillance is legislated and lawfully conducted seems to be a rather technical distinction vs the situation corporations are simply unregulated and, by default, permitted to own any data they collect, even without consent.
The only material difference seems to be that, in North Korea, the state is (feels) so insecure that it has to monitor what people say. Wheras in the US, they don't care what people say because there's nothing they can do to challenge corporate power anyway.
You see, another interpretation is that beating our chest about other peoples moral failing is inherently a narcissistic display since it cannot lead to any changes other than making us more apathetic and powerless.
You can see the same dynamic in work every year in our elaborate performance over the Tiananmen square massacre and the simultaneous complete lack of interest in the Gwangju massacre.