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Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

f-droid.org

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Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#291

Post by trinix912 »

seviu wrote: post #266
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.

One of my best friend has a Jolla phone. He never had WhatsApp. He refuses to use google. Only till recently he started using signal. He has been using an old Nokia phone till he was forced to upgrade by his operator. He is European and here in Europe WhatsApp dominates. Despite all that and having a very social life, driven by work, he manages. I recently ordered a Jolla phone. I don’t want to know about android. I…

It's all good until your European bank starts requiring unrooted Android and iOS for their mobile banking app, then tries to force you to use that app instead of letting you sort things out at their building. Then the government starts requiring you use unrooted Android or iOS to sign into their website for administrative tasks, and so on.

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#292

Post by tempodox »

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.

> The EU has the alternative App Store option that doesn’t require an Apple account.

I cannot install any iOS software without being logged into my Apple account, not even an alternative app store.

It would be perfect on my older iDevices, but they don't let me log in anymore “because the OS is too old”. And guess what: I cannot update the OS without being logged in. I never logged out of those iDevices, Apple did that from their end.

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#293

Post by trinix912 »

karussell wrote: post #258
hollow-moe wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And all are useless because you can't use your mandatory bank or gov id app.

Not useless. It is like the missing printer driver for Linux Desktop. It makes the experience ugly, but this is not the fault of the Linux OSes. Also the bank should not require apps (instead they can offer hardware key support or desktop apps) and in fact some - at least in Germany - offer a different authentication possibility. Also the app for the German ID is published on fdroid and does not rely on Google servic…

Good for Germans then. Slovenian banks won't let you use physical 2FA authenticators (for personal accounts and maybe even business ones at this point) anymore and will also require you to constantly update their stupid app (I've had to replace some otherwise good phones because the OS version wasn't supported anymore).

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#294

Post by VeejayRampay »

matheusmoreira wrote: post #212
linuxhansl wrote: post #29

What Google is doing is shameful. One of the promises of Android was being more open than the restrictive Apple ecosystem. Now that they reached penetration they do the switch - under the guise of security. Just let me do with my hardware what I want to do it. Let it be my responsibility to install whatever I want (and stop calling it "side-loading", as if I am doing something shady from the "side"). We need to resis…

It's not just shameful, it's stupid. Freedom was the whole point of tolerating the shittiness of Android. If they get rid of that, then there is no point, and I'll just buy an iPhone instead. If I must be in a walled garden, I'll choose the better kept garden, and it sure as hell isn't Google's.

you think it's shitty, but it's a personal opinion that you're phrasing as some kind of widely accepted view

be sure that it's not, lots of people actually PREFER Android

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#295

Post by rahidz »

avra wrote: post #111
linuxhansl wrote: post #29

What Google is doing is shameful. One of the promises of Android was being more open than the restrictive Apple ecosystem. Now that they reached penetration they do the switch - under the guise of security. Just let me do with my hardware what I want to do it. Let it be my responsibility to install whatever I want (and stop calling it "side-loading", as if I am doing something shady from the "side"). We need to resis…

> We need to resist this! I agree. What do you suggest? How can we contribute to the resistance?

I'm sure there's plenty of Google employees on here, some quite high up.

Push back against these types of decisions internally. Rally your coworkers against them.

And if you're brave enough, talk to a journalist, or pull a mini-Snowden. Lord knows the company has secrets. I bet there's at least one email chain from some exec bragging about how this policy will squash Revanced, ad-blockers, etc.

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#297

Post by mr_mitm »

karussell wrote: post #258
hollow-moe wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And all are useless because you can't use your mandatory bank or gov id app.

Not useless. It is like the missing printer driver for Linux Desktop. It makes the experience ugly, but this is not the fault of the Linux OSes. Also the bank should not require apps (instead they can offer hardware key support or desktop apps) and in fact some - at least in Germany - offer a different authentication possibility. Also the app for the German ID is published on fdroid and does not rely on Google servic…

There are plenty of banks in Germany which offer over-the-counter services, if you prefer to do banking as if it's 1999. Most of the time, when people say it's impossible to live without a smartphone, it's actually only impossible to enjoy the conveniences of the internet without a smartphone (at least in Germany). Besides these rentable scooters, I can't think of anything that actually requires a smartphone. Sure, you'll miss out on a lot of conveniences, but I remember a time where that was the norm, so it's not like it's unreasonable.

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#298

Post by lta »

black_puppydog wrote: post #205
linuxhansl wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not much one can do I fear... Install f-droid and all kinds of 3rd part apps now. Install GrapheneOS. (I'm guilty of not having that done that,yet :( ) Sign the petition ( https://keepandroidopen.org/ ).

Wow, the link to the petition is buried halfway down the page. How is this not part of the first visible content?

Fwiw it's also linked in the article, so it's not exactly a surprise :)

Re: Android Developer Verification: Threat masquerading as protection

#299

Post by lta »

geocar wrote: post #254
avra wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We need to resist this! I agree. What do you suggest? How can we contribute to the resistance?

Stop using Android.

We don't have a lot of choices right now, especially regarding banking apps :'(
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