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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

#481

Post by 5d41402abc4b »

jeroenhd wrote: post #472
87636899376 wrote: post #14

Official announcement: https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-... More info: https://developer.android.com/developer-verification https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ... Personally...we all know the Play Store is chock full of malicious garbage, so the verification requirements there don't do jack to protect users. The way I see it, this is nothing but a power grab, a way…

There's a reason Google is targeting a few specific countries with this first. Malware from APKs downloaded from the internet is more prominent in some countries than in others. The governments themselves are asking for this because educating the public has turned out to be an impossible task for them. Still an awful solution that will get bypassed easily, of course. But there's more to this than "Google decided to b…

The malware makers will use fake or stolen IDs.

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

#483

Post by 0x0f_4 »

Daz1 wrote: post #477
rvnx wrote: post #406

If this is a thing then the solution they offer is incorrect. A big giant red screen: “warning the identity of this application developer has not been verified and this could be an application stealing your data, etc” would have worked. What they want is to get rid of apps like YouTube Vanced that are making them lose money (and other Play Store apps)

Do you like losing money?

> Do you like losing money?

what about us losing control over our own devices? do you like losing control over devices you paid for?

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

#485

Post by supriyo-biswas »

rvnx wrote: post #406

If this is a thing then the solution they offer is incorrect. A big giant red screen: “warning the identity of this application developer has not been verified and this could be an application stealing your data, etc” would have worked. What they want is to get rid of apps like YouTube Vanced that are making them lose money (and other Play Store apps)

In addition to the other perspectives already offered here, warning screens such as the one you propose were already shown for sideloaded apps, and these screens worked against Google in their lawsuit with Epic Games. So that's another contributing factor for the policy we're discussing.

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

#486

Post by bluefirebrand »

quotemstr wrote: post #479
medhir wrote: post #407

Every day we stray farther from the premise that we should be allowed to install / modify software on the computers we own. Will once again re-up the concept of a “right to root access”, to prevent big corps from pulling this bs over and over again: https://medhir.com/blog/right-to-root-access

It's amazing how often we hamper the majority of society by protecting the bottom quintile from the consequences of their own mistakes.

Everyone makes mistakes

Protecting the bottom quintile from consequences of thier mistakes also protects everyone else if they ever make those mistakes in a momentary lapse

Maybe society shouldn't be structured in such a way that people have to be constantly hyper vigilant to avoid mistakes with high consequences

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

#487

Post by adithyassekhar »

paulcole wrote: post #438
medhir wrote: post #407

Every day we stray farther from the premise that we should be allowed to install / modify software on the computers we own. Will once again re-up the concept of a “right to root access”, to prevent big corps from pulling this bs over and over again: https://medhir.com/blog/right-to-root-access

> Every day we stray farther from the premise that we should be allowed to install / modify software on the computers we own. I’ve never agreed with this premise. I buy things that mostly meet my needs and desires in every other walk of life. I’m personally OK with extending this to computers as well.

Ok I'll bite. Tell me what you find appealing about losing authority? Is this some kind of emotional response for not wanting to take responsibility?

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

#488

Post by poly2it »

If your businesses idea doesn't work without you being evil, you deserve to go bankrupt. I perceive a tendency to assume it is necessary for a company like Google to maintain full control over our ecosystem to further our progress and maintain order. However, we should know by now that this isn't the case. You don't have to be evil to be useful. See GNOME, GrapheneOS, Steam, KDE, Wikipedia, Linux or Mozilla (previously). Tricking us of their inevitability is their greatest success.

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

#489

Post by otabdeveloper4 »

throw10920 wrote: post #393

This is really bad. I think that most people on HN will agree with that. The problem is that most normal people (HN is not normal - mostly for the better) don't even understand what sideloading is - let alone actually care . How can we fix this? (aside from making people care - apathy enables so many political problems in the current age, but it's such a huge problem that this definitely isn't going to be the impetus…

Define "normal people". Due to Chinese phones and sanctions and other geopolitical bullshit a significant part of the world is forced to use alternative app stores already. Yes, these people are very aware of "sideloading". (Due to Google's own previous moronic foot-shooting policy.)

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

#490

Post by idle_zealot »

quotemstr wrote: post #479
medhir wrote: post #407

Every day we stray farther from the premise that we should be allowed to install / modify software on the computers we own. Will once again re-up the concept of a “right to root access”, to prevent big corps from pulling this bs over and over again: https://medhir.com/blog/right-to-root-access

It's amazing how often we hamper the majority of society by protecting the bottom quintile from the consequences of their own mistakes.

That's not what it's ever actually about. You're buying a disingenuous framing that pins blame on the bottom when all these harmful trends come from the top. This isn't to protect grandma, it's to protect Google. This is always what happens when you allow pockets of power with interests misaligned from those of most people. The pockets of power get their way, and people are worse off.
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