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Uncomfortable Questions About Android Developer Verification

commonsware.com

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Re: Uncomfortable Questions About Android Developer Verification

#12

[flagged]

History has shown time and time again that it is dangerous to centralize power into the hands of few. A lot of mechanisms have been invented and subsequently dismantled again in attempts to protect us from this. Fascism is real.

Re: Uncomfortable Questions About Android Developer Verification

#13

This shouldn't just be "questions"; this should be a full-on opposition. Do not give them even an inch, or they'll take a mile. "debugger vendors in 2047 distributed numbered copies only, and only to officially licensed and bonded programmers." - Richard Stallman, The Right to Read , 1997

Stallman's fallacy is thinking every system is perfect and unbreakable and that people have a perfect understanding of software and systems (for better or for worse) People will be running pirated debugger copies if that comes to shove 99.9% of people DNGAF about OSS. They do care about doing what they need on their phone without malware/bloatware/nagware Also publishing and development are separate activities

Your fallacy is thinking that authoritarian governments care about enforcement or successful enforcement of such laws. The goal is to create a status quo in which all citizens break many laws daily and so are already guilty if they ever rock the boat and disturb those in power.

Stallman's "Right to Read" is an accurate reflection of reality in that sense.

Re: Uncomfortable Questions About Android Developer Verification

#14
I used to run Shizuku for my phone to run Hail (an app suspension tool). Now that my credit card bank start checking for USB Debugging I stopped using the app (and now my 3DS OTP has to be over SMS). I believe there's only two banks left in Thailand that do not check for one and it is just a matter of time, because any time these banks could have hired any of those "security" people who will ask why don't we block that.

So I moved to Dhizuku. It's a bit hard to setup, but once I'm done it's felt like untethered jailbreak - I don't have to complicated dance to start Shizuku now. Dhizuku basically make your phone a company phone, except it report to you. To setup a "managed main profile" you'd need to remove all accounts visible in Android account system and type a long ADB command so I don't think it can be maliciously done.

I suppose this will be how we'll use F-Droid in the next year for enthusiasts.

Re: Uncomfortable Questions About Android Developer Verification

#15

[flagged]

Break the law? The app mentioned isn't unlawful. Many map apps track speeding camera locations. Asking for badge numbers from a police officer is also normal.

And why is a phone different from a computer? Nobody bats an eye when downloading program on computer, or visiting a website with arbitrary code.

The example was recent and very clearly put the developer at personal risk. But there are many gray-zones.

An app to decode car diagnostics codes isn't unlawful, but being personally identified could get you in alot of trouble by car companies anyway.

And what about making an independent news app in Russia? More clearly ok by our morals and law, but very dangerous for the developer.

Re: Uncomfortable Questions About Android Developer Verification

#16

This shouldn't just be "questions"; this should be a full-on opposition. Do not give them even an inch, or they'll take a mile. "debugger vendors in 2047 distributed numbered copies only, and only to officially licensed and bonded programmers." - Richard Stallman, The Right to Read , 1997

Stallman's fallacy is thinking every system is perfect and unbreakable and that people have a perfect understanding of software and systems (for better or for worse) People will be running pirated debugger copies if that comes to shove 99.9% of people DNGAF about OSS. They do care about doing what they need on their phone without malware/bloatware/nagware Also publishing and development are separate activities

Yeah and people had gay sex when it was illegal but it still is a shameful injustice for the government to decide what software I run on my own hardware

Re: Uncomfortable Questions About Android Developer Verification

#17

This shouldn't just be "questions"; this should be a full-on opposition. Do not give them even an inch, or they'll take a mile. "debugger vendors in 2047 distributed numbered copies only, and only to officially licensed and bonded programmers." - Richard Stallman, The Right to Read , 1997

Stallman's fallacy is thinking every system is perfect and unbreakable and that people have a perfect understanding of software and systems (for better or for worse) People will be running pirated debugger copies if that comes to shove 99.9% of people DNGAF about OSS. They do care about doing what they need on their phone without malware/bloatware/nagware Also publishing and development are separate activities

I doubt that Stallman, of all people, thinks literally that. But systems which are breakable have ways of improving themselves, closing off the exploitable holes. So it makes sense to regard systems as being eventually unbreakable. Or at least having an unacceptably long "mean time between cracks". The game plan cannot simply be "oppressive software and hardware systems will always have imperfections so the good people will cheerfully get around them", even if is is de facto that way at some point in time w.r.t. certain systems. That's actually a kind of defeatist attitude disguised as optimism; passively accepting crap based on the faith that you will scrape through somehow.

Re: Uncomfortable Questions About Android Developer Verification

#19

This shouldn't just be "questions"; this should be a full-on opposition. Do not give them even an inch, or they'll take a mile. "debugger vendors in 2047 distributed numbered copies only, and only to officially licensed and bonded programmers." - Richard Stallman, The Right to Read , 1997

Why is it so complex to have a foss mobile OS.

I only have Linux PCs (laptops) and servers, 100% of my work and personal stuff is done there (though for work I do need to hop into MS365, Google Workspace, Zoom, etc, hooray for browsers, my final firewall between me and the walled gardens, though we can have a whole discussion on that).

For mobile, we have PostmarketOS, Phosh, Ubuntu Touch. I really must try living in them, is it on me? IDK, our government even has an identity app for iOS and Android. I should not be using it, I should stick to web. But its so much more convenient. I'm just weak, aren't I?

Maybe I should go for Ubuntu touch, with an iPad on the side or something. At least my most personal device is something I control then. Or just keep my Linux laptop handy (or make a cyberdeck!). But I want a computing platform that does not require carrying a bag. It's kinda sad. Even GrapheneOS (one of the most personal and secure mobile computing experiences out there)'s future is in the hands of its greatest adversary, the one that does not want you to have a personal computing experience.

Re: Uncomfortable Questions About Android Developer Verification

#20
I'm a nobody, but let me answer these questions in 60 seconds.

1: None, no anonymous accounts allowed. 2: None. Civil what?. 3: It's the Google's company policy, don't use our products if you don't agree to it. 4: If devs write apps for this nearly impossible to develop Mac AppStore ecosystem, I don't see even a slightest problem here. 5: Just change package IDs.

Thank you for listening, see you again next time.

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