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Android developer verification: Early access starts

android-developers.googleblog.com

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Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#71

Post by gumby271 »

Aurornis wrote: post #47
metadat wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So.. all this drama over an alert(yes/no) box? Wow, this really pulls back the veil. This Vendor (google) is only looking out for numero uno.

> So.. all this drama over an alert(yes/no) box? The angry social media narratives have been running wild from people who insert their own assumptions into what’s happening. It’s been fairly clear from the start that this wasn’t the end of sideloading, period. However that doesn’t get as many clicks and shares as writing a headline claiming that Google is taking away your rights.

Sorry what? Their original plan absolutely was the end of sideloading on-device outside of Google's say so. That's what the angry social media narratives were that you seem upset about. Anyone being pedantic and pointing out that adb install is still an option therefore sideloading still exists can fuck off at this point.

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#72

Post by brazukadev »

Aurornis wrote: post #46
tomrod wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bought the hardware, therefore I have the right to modify and repair. Natural right, full stop. That right ends are your nose, as the saying goes.

> Natural right, full stop. You’re still missing the point the comment is making: In countries where governments are dead set on holding Google accountable for what users do on their phones, it doesn’t matter what you believe to be your natural right. The governments of these countries have made declarations about who is accountable and Google has no intention of leaving the door open for that accountability. You can…

That's deflection, there's Google blocking users from installing apps and there's OP insinuating that it might be because of governments coercion but there's no evidence to support this. Scammers pay Google to show ads to install apps, that's what the governments are holding Google responsible and it won't change with blocking installing apps.

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#73

Post by freefaler »

unsungNovelty wrote: post #70
Aurornis wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re still proving the point above, which is ignoring the fact that the restriction is specifically targeted at a small number of countries. Google is also rolling out processes for advanced users to install apps. It’s all in the linked post (which apparently isn’t being read by the people injecting their own assumptions) Google is not rolling this out to protect against YouTube ReVanced but only in a small number…

Its my device. Not google's. Imagine telling you which NPM/PIP packages you can install from your terminal. Also, its not SIDE loading. Its installing an app.

Well... it would be good if this was true, but read the ToS and it looks more like a licence to use than "ownership" sadly :(

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#74

Post by xnx »

unsungNovelty wrote: post #70
Aurornis wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re still proving the point above, which is ignoring the fact that the restriction is specifically targeted at a small number of countries. Google is also rolling out processes for advanced users to install apps. It’s all in the linked post (which apparently isn’t being read by the people injecting their own assumptions) Google is not rolling this out to protect against YouTube ReVanced but only in a small number…

Its my device. Not google's. Imagine telling you which NPM/PIP packages you can install from your terminal. Also, its not SIDE loading. Its installing an app.

I agree, but I don't see why Google gets more critical attention than the iPhone or Xbox.

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#75

Post by spaqin »

sprior wrote: post #34

This brings back memories of "sure you can root your phone, but if you do secure apps like payment won't run anymore"

I can only imagine that allowing "unverified" apps to run would also disable payment/banking apps. Just in case, you know. For your own good.

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#76

Post by da_chicken »

unsungNovelty wrote: post #70
Aurornis wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re still proving the point above, which is ignoring the fact that the restriction is specifically targeted at a small number of countries. Google is also rolling out processes for advanced users to install apps. It’s all in the linked post (which apparently isn’t being read by the people injecting their own assumptions) Google is not rolling this out to protect against YouTube ReVanced but only in a small number…

Its my device. Not google's. Imagine telling you which NPM/PIP packages you can install from your terminal. Also, its not SIDE loading. Its installing an app.

Yeah, let's ask the Debian team about installing packages from third party repos.

I'm not on the side of locking people out, but this is a poor argument.

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#77

Post by raincole »

Aurornis wrote: post #39
svat wrote: post #7

From the very first announcement of this, Google has hinted that they were doing this under pressure from the governments in a few countries. (I don't remember the URL of the first announcement, but https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-... is from 2025-August-25 and mentions “These requirements go into effect in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand”.) The “Why verification is important” s…

> because the governments of countries where such scams are widespread will hold Google responsible. This is the unsurprising consequence of trying to hold big companies accountable for the things people do with their devices: The only reasonable response is to reduce freedoms with those devices, or pull out of those countries entirely. This happened a lot in the early days of the GDPR regulations when the exact laws…

Yes. The same goes with payment processing. I hate visa/mastercard as much as the next person. But if the court says they're accountable for people who buy drug/firearm/child porn, then it seems to be a quite reasonable reaction for them to preemptively limit what the users can buy or sell.

The government(s) have to treat the middlemen as middlemen. Otherwise they are forced to act as gatekeepers.

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#78

Post by aboringusername »

We really need to banish the term "sideloading". Installing apps on a terminal is just that, and for as long as I remember on windows, Linux it has always been just that.

Google mentions about being on a call, and being tricked into handing over codes. So why not use signals and huristics to decide?

If user is on a call, block any ability to install a shady app. Implement a cool down before that functionality is restored (say 24 hours). It can also detect where the user is based to add additional protection (such as mandating the use of play protect to scan the app before it's activated and add another cool down regardless).

There's lots of ways to help protect the user but it's wrong to ultimately control them. The real world is full of scary dangers that technology is trying to solve but is actively making things worse (such as computerized safety systems in cars).

Ultimately, the user is responsible and whilst it's palpable Google would want to reduce harm in this specific way, we know authoritarian governments would also love to be able to dictate what software people can run. The harm to democracy is simply too great in favor of saving a few people's money.

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#79

Post by catlikesshrimp »

ryandrake wrote: post #10
Aachen wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh! I thought I had found the crucial piece finally after ~500 words, but there's indeed better news in the section after that! Thanks, I can go sleep with a more optimistic feeling now :) Also this will kill any impetus that was growing on the Linux phone development side, for better or worse. We get to live in this ecosystem a while longer, let's see if people keep damocles' sword in mind and we might see more effo…

Let's take the "W". This is pretty good news!

I am not english native. Is "The W" a synonym for "A Win", described as a positive outcome after a contest? Is there more nuance or context than that?

Re: Android developer verification: Early access starts

#80

Post by cookiengineer »

da_chicken wrote: post #76
unsungNovelty wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its my device. Not google's. Imagine telling you which NPM/PIP packages you can install from your terminal. Also, its not SIDE loading. Its installing an app.

Yeah, let's ask the Debian team about installing packages from third party repos. I'm not on the side of locking people out, but this is a poor argument.

> Yeah, let's ask the Debian team about installing packages from third party repos.

Debian already is sideloaded on the graciousness of Microsoft's UEFI bootloader keys. Without that key, you could not install anything else than MS Windows.

Hence you don't realize how good of an argument it is, because you even bamboozled yourself without realizing it.

It gets a worse argument if we want to discuss Qubes and other distributions that are actually focused on security, e.g. via firejail, hardened kernels or user namespaces to sandbox apps.

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