Starting next year, Google will begin to verify the identities of developers distributing their apps on Android devices, not just those who distribute via the Play Store.
It really is past time we saw serious work on a mobile flavor of Linux. Not AOSP, not anything whatsoever downstream of Google, but a regular Linux distro with a mobile friendly DTE.
Isn’t that what Ubuntu Touch is?
Oh, I thought the project was dead. Apparently after Canonical dropped it, it was picked up by the community. Thanks, I’ll look into it. It might even be worth supporting.
Sadly, it only runs on genuinely ancient smart phones. I can’t even re-purpose my old pre-loved phones that I’ve kept after upgrading, because most of them are still too new for postmarketos
Woah, what’s a red username mean on Voyager? Are you an administrator?
Yep, blahaj.zone admin :)
Damn, it feels like someone is treating a 1984 novel like an instruction…
and just like that google expands their walled garden and becomes apple 2
remember when the internet was an open platform and computers were yours to run programs you wanted?
We had it coming… I do let my thoughts Go, that you Someehen need to identify yourself to even connect to the internet.
They didn’t apply laws to regulate some stuff, so now they start hammering down to enforce Control.
And big tech and companies will absolutely be one of the hardest Driver for this. There are Potential new ways to make Money. Basically a wet dream for especially big tech.
It’s about to get even worse. With AI and deepfakes, including deepfake porn, it will become impossible to argue against the complete and total tracking of all access to compute for the general population. There will be literally no justifiable reason to “control your own computer”, when children could get hurt.
I guess it’s time to switch to developing apps for Linux mobile distro
The only reason I like android is cuz I can make my own apks and use them without issue.
Why am I using an Android device then? Also how would this even work with open source apps that people build from source?
You build an app from source, I assume you’ll get a prompt on your phone that says it can’t run because it’s not signed.
Another article did mention that it’s only for devices with Play Protect enabled so if they keep that as easy as it is to disable right now, it’ll be a non issue actually.
Another article did mention that it’s only for devices with Play Protect enabled so if they keep that as easy as it is to disable right now, it’ll be a non issue actually.
Until play protect becomes mandatory
I sure hope not, it’d mess up corporate deployments and all too.
I could see them making it a developer option, then force you to agree to giving up your warranty if you wanna turn on sideloading, and maybe even trigger a play intergrity thing that makes banking apps unusable.
goddamnit I JUST bought a new Fairphone 5 and opted not to go for e/os variant, because I was worried of incompatibility issues.
Guess I’ll have to learn how to replace my phone OS in 2026…
Fuck that’s actually really bad
They’re already starting to clamp down on sideloading. I use Aurora Store out of principle, but it’s getting more and more common that apps will refuse to launch if not downloaded from the Play Store. I get the risk of sideloading maliciously modified banking apps or whatever, but surely you could just compare a checksum or something?
In short, they make independent stores impossible?
Mostly; they just force themselves into the process for publishing each app and have an effective veto on apps. So yeah, no stores fully independent of Google.
… Didn’t the EU JUST fine Apple half a billion euros over the same thing?
Permissive licenses were a mistake.
Isn’t AOSP mostly GPL?
And here I thought I wouldn’t root or flash my next phone.
I sent Apple to hell because of dumb “you can’t change UI to your liking”, guess Google is next
*yes, this was seen miles away. I work with a laptop most of the time, so phone doesn’t matter much for me, apart of a box that rings a few times a year
**Yes, both companies are run by greedy dumbfucks. I am getting tired and angry that finding companies that are different takes actual dedication. It should not be this way
Let Google know what you think about this: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfN3UQeNspQsZCO2ITkdzMxv81rJDEGGjO-UIDDY28Rz_GEVA/viewform
Who organized this form? Is there something official to make it look like it’s not just signing me up for spam?
A valid question.
It’s the official survey form from the Android Developer page on the matter: https://developer.android.com/developer-verification/guides
Hasn’t Apple been losing in court across the world for doing exactly this?
No, it’s nothing like what Apple’s been doing.
Apple has been losing in court about everyone needs to give them money anytime anything makes any money on iOS, or even thinking absolutely allowing others to install anything beyond their App Store.
This is Google demanding every app that can be installed on Android must be signed by them, and the only cost is registering with them your name and address, possibly verified by government ID. (And quite possible doxxing you at the same time as they already do on the Play Store…)
These are very different, and unlike Apple, will more likely be applauded by numerous world governments in the current “anything a child can even remotely even know about” must have its users be checked to make sure they are “allowed to”.
