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Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android

9to5google.com

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Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android

#191

Post by bloomca »

wvenable wrote: post #174

I predict Windows will end up going this route before Google backtracks on it. This is the future; partially fuelled by malware, partially fuelled by the desire for platform control, and partially fuelled by government regulation.

Microsoft has way too much of legacy software people use, banning it all overnight will not go well at all. They understand that as well.

They tried to pull a similar move with WinRT/UWP, but nobody wanted it, so now you can continue with Win32.

They would love to do so, but legacy compatibility is a major business advantage.

Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android

#192

Post by RadiozRadioz »

NelsonMinar wrote: post #101

Android's ability to run binaries outside of the Google Play Store is a key differentiator of their product vs. Apple's. Or at least it used to be.

Unfortunately, it's not a differentiator at all in the market. Not to enough consumers that it remotely matters. For our niche nerdy subculture it's extremely important, but essentially nobody in the grand scheme of things even knows that binary is a thing that exists.

Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android

#193

Post by fph »

mysteria wrote: post #58

The article didn't say much about the account approval process, but from the looks of it Google will be able to arbitrarily accept and revoke applications as they see fit. So much for an open platform, bring forth the gatekeeping! Personally I would be fine with unsigned apps requiring the user to click through a notice before install, or having a setting to toggle to enable unsigned apps. Windows does something simi…

That's the first step toward banning NSFW apps like on Steam, I'm afraid.

Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android

#195

Post by luke-stanley »

So Google won't even offer a system toggle to let users install an app they've made or copied?

Google don't even expose a per-app toggle for app Internet access, why am I surprised?

This is disgusting.

Freedom died a little bit more today.

Why is end-user choice and consent not considered?

It's really disturbing that the EU and Google would do this.

I can't recommend Android or iPhone because of this nonsense.

Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android

#196

Post by _blk »

Dick move. Go back to "do no evil" big G. Remember how you used to be the kool kid on the block? Now you've just become the grown up you showed contempt for in your prime time.

I doubt I'll move away from Android too soon, but that definitely makes me reconsider whether any Google services have a right to CPU time on my device.

Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android

#197

Post by worldsayshi »

donmcronald wrote: post #144
Kim_Bruning wrote: post #140

I never really got into "phone" progrmaming, always waiting for the shenanigans to die down. But somehow the shanigans have gotten worse and for a significant chunk of the world population, the phone is the only computation device they have at all.

I never got into it because I was convinced developers would refuse to give up control over distribution when Apple started doing it. I wish I was right, but here we are.

Developers sometimes seem to be as in control as farmers are of the distribution of their produce. There's no absolute rule that gives the owners of large scale distribution networks power over both producer and consumer. It's just laws of convenience. It's easier for everyone to go through a few or just a single common broker.

There's no law against a more democratic way to implement the broker either but it requires interesting methods of coordination and/or decision making that doesn't seem to exist yet?

Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android

#198

Post by ikiris »

gethly wrote: post #96

> Google will begin to verify the identities of developers distributing their apps on Android devices, not just those who distribute via the Play Store This is absolutely unacceptable. That's like you having to submit your personal details to Microsoft in order to just run a program on Windows. Absolutely nuts and it will not go as they think it will.

You do realize windows already does this right?

Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android

#199

Post by seanw444 »

Makes sense why they had to get rid of the "don't be evil" motto. They've been on a roll.

I've seen a lot of similar sentiment on this thread, but the reason I use Android is because it gives me more control than iOS by allowing full-on painless sideloading, and custom distributions like GrapheneOS. They're doing everything they can to turn themselves into a worse Apple. All of the downsides of Apple, but none of the upsides. Apple beats them in every aspect that isn't "openness".

When will the straw break the camel's back? I'm shocked we've let it get to this point with no realistic alternatives. There's no reason a competitive Linux-based smartphone can't exist (no, I'm not counting Android in that).

Re: Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android

#200

Post by marcodiego »

How did we let this happen?

Oh, yes... Actually I remember: it was a long slow series of accepting small artificial restrictions. I remember people laughing at me at the time. They said it won't matter, they didn't care, that I was paranoid...

Now... Here we are.

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