Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

f-droid.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

221–230 of 793 posts

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#221

Post by artisinal »

devsda wrote: post #185
transcriptase wrote: post #25

I think the most fun part with Google is that if some wayward algorithm decides it doesn’t like you, along with nuking your app and developer account it will probably nuke your 20 year old gmail, your kids Google Drive accounts, your wife’s YouTube premium, the Adsense account of some company you worked for in 2008, and disable your Nest cameras. And you’ll never reach a human to sort it out.

What happens if you "accidentally" become persona non grata with both Google and Apple? If you want to participate in the society, you will forever have to resort to shady tactics. Shady can be defined something as arbitrary as using GrapheneOS. A temporary workaround like using alternatives like GrapheneOS for those affected will only delay the inevitable but it doesn't stop it at all.

iOS can be used without an account. iPhones can be acquired outside of Apple. The EU has the alternative App Store option that doesn’t require an Apple account.

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#222

Post by lukan »

alexp11223 wrote: post #190
Gigachad wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was a more direct case where someone’s child had been interacting with Gemini inappropriately resulting in Google nuking the entire families Google accounts.

It was a fake story on reddit.

You noticed the sibling comment?

With the original story published by nytimes?

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/21/technology/google-surveil...

edit: ok, seems a different story, but better gets the point across

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#223

Post by Grimblewald »

devsda wrote: post #185
transcriptase wrote: post #25

I think the most fun part with Google is that if some wayward algorithm decides it doesn’t like you, along with nuking your app and developer account it will probably nuke your 20 year old gmail, your kids Google Drive accounts, your wife’s YouTube premium, the Adsense account of some company you worked for in 2008, and disable your Nest cameras. And you’ll never reach a human to sort it out.

What happens if you "accidentally" become persona non grata with both Google and Apple? If you want to participate in the society, you will forever have to resort to shady tactics. Shady can be defined something as arbitrary as using GrapheneOS. A temporary workaround like using alternatives like GrapheneOS for those affected will only delay the inevitable but it doesn't stop it at all.

At least we dont have a social credit system... hey wait a minute

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#224

Post by loconut »

ranger_danger wrote: post #3

> How long before they designate all ad-blocking software as malware, block installation on all Android certified devices worldwide, and permanently designate all developers of this class of software as malware creators? Classic slippery slope fallacy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slippery_slope History shows that when a "slope" appears... regulation steps in, technology evolves to solve the problem, or the culture…

Just look at the world around you, the slippery slope "fallacy" stopped being a fallacy long ago.

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#226

Post by pfortuny »

artisinal wrote: post #221
devsda wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What happens if you "accidentally" become persona non grata with both Google and Apple? If you want to participate in the society, you will forever have to resort to shady tactics. Shady can be defined something as arbitrary as using GrapheneOS. A temporary workaround like using alternatives like GrapheneOS for those affected will only delay the inevitable but it doesn't stop it at all.

iOS can be used without an account. iPhones can be acquired outside of Apple. The EU has the alternative App Store option that doesn’t require an Apple account.

Wow, I did not know this and -despite its drawbacks, like not being able to install apps from the Apple App store- this seems like a great way to have a powerful dumb-phone.

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#227

Post by RandyOrion »

Android developer verification program, together with recent reCAPTCHA push [1], and Manifest v2 force depreciation on chrome [2], make one thing crystal clear. When companies like GOOGLE talks about things in the name of "your security", it's a sign that they want you to sacrifice your own things, e.g., privacy, freedom, etc., for their own security. And if you trust them and show your consent by doing nothing, you pay the price.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48067119

[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48555244

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#228

Post by [deleted] »

Gigachad wrote: post #90
techpression wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We experienced this with Anthropic, not the same blast radius obviously, but out of nowhere account was terminated. No support available. It was via someone’s 30+ year old classmate via LinkedIn the account got reinstated. As a counterpoint to the right to the repair there should be a right to recover.

There was a more direct case where someone’s child had been interacting with Gemini inappropriately resulting in Google nuking the entire families Google accounts.

[deleted]

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#229

Post by trashb »

Gigachad wrote: post #90
techpression wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We experienced this with Anthropic, not the same blast radius obviously, but out of nowhere account was terminated. No support available. It was via someone’s 30+ year old classmate via LinkedIn the account got reinstated. As a counterpoint to the right to the repair there should be a right to recover.

There was a more direct case where someone’s child had been interacting with Gemini inappropriately resulting in Google nuking the entire families Google accounts.

Google has been nuking accounts since their inception.

I have seen people being locked out as early as 2011 of accounts that could only be unlocked by sending a copy of an ID. Due to regulatory change of saving of information based on age (first 13 and above was ok, then became 16 and above).

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#230

Post by m4rtink »

nirui wrote: post #213

Emotional talk aside, there's not many good solution to this problem, unless of course F-Droid starts to make their own phones. But then, Librem 5 Phone was just failed few years ago, telling the story that people who care about their rights are still sensitive to how much they would pay (which is a form of rights too). Also but, there is the thing, making a phone is not easy. If you reach deep enough, you'll eventua…

The Librem phones do exist and people use them.

Did it take the world by storm ? No.

But it exists, has users & is building the case (together with Sailfish OS and others) that having an abusive mobile OS duopoly is not the desirable state of matters.

Post reply on HN