With how often I've yelled at abusive Google behaviour and its risk without anyone really caring, especially for the first round of their dev doxxing by forcefully showing everyone's legal name on the Google Play Store (forcing some trans people to choose between pulling their app(s) down or being forcefully outed and deadnamed), I feel quite tired to even consider yelling again but...
We really should not allow Google to deanonymize every single app dev: arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/0…
Google will block sideloading of unverified Android apps starting next year
Google says it’s no different than checking IDs at the airport.Ryan Whitwam (Ars Technica)
IzzyOnDroid ✅ reshared this.
Sylvia
in reply to Sylvia • • •I think Google's true goal here is not safety. I think it is to control externally published apps more and make running a third party app store way harder.
Most likely, this is also an attempt to truly get rid of privacy enhancing open source apps like ad blockers, YouTube client NewPipe, etc.
After all, Google here gets to choose what is malware.
I've boosted some toots recently that explain this better than I do so check those out. But sheesh this is a horrible step in the wrong direction.
Erwin
in reply to Sylvia • • •welk said! Which is why it is important that the EU doesn't back down to demands from the US to weaken its DSA and other regulations.
US tech companies will try and lock down their ecosystems with the backing of Trumps mafia dealings.
Christoph Schmees
in reply to Sylvia • • •What #Google does? I couldn't care less.
Sylvia
in reply to Christoph Schmees • • •@PC_Fluesterer You shouldn't have to choose between Open Source apps from anonymous developers and compatibility with banking or other sadly "Play Integrity"-locked apps people may need.
How will new people be able to properly see how much the FOSS world has to offer if they are forced to learn about custom ROMs first to just dip their toes in the water? Not to mention all the extra support questions FOSS devs will deal with with "app won't install".
FOSS is the big loser here.
Christoph Schmees
in reply to Sylvia • • •Shop - iodé
iodéSylvia
in reply to Christoph Schmees • • •@PC_Fluesterer Do you think that when an user hears about Open Source and gives it a try but gets an error message because the app dev has not registered with Google that we can just tell them "Oh, just buy a new 400$ device from here" and that they'll still be interested in learning more about the world of FOSS?
Of course not, what will happen is that that user will instantly give up on FOSS and we lose another potential person for our cause.
This Google policy will severely harm FOSS.
Kurt
in reply to Sylvia • • •Sylvia
in reply to Kurt • • •@Kurt @PC_Fluesterer Several downsides to that:
1. Someone will be responsible for the apps someone else makes
2. If one of the apps in the coop gets banned, *all* of the apps in it may get banned
Also, depending on Google's implementation, the following might also happen:
3. Joining/leaving the coop will force a resign, forcing all existing users to reinstall (and lose data)
4. The dev will have to wait for the coop to sign each update, slowing down their ability to release updates
Sylvia
in reply to Sylvia • • •