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

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

#791

Post by bakugo »

gonzalohm wrote: post #778
arielcostas wrote: post #765

Meaning to use your device you need to have a contractual relationship with a foreign (unless you are in the US) third party that decides what you can or cannot do with it. Plus using GrapheneOS is less of an option every day, since banks and other "regulated" sectors use Google Play Protect and similar DRMs to prevent you from connecting from whatever device you want. Client-side "trust" means the provider owning th…

What's even the point of all the bullshit with Google play protect if in the end I can access my bank from a web browser. That stupidity is protecting no one

> in the end I can access my bank from a web browser.

If your bank allows you to access all features from a browser, consider yourself lucky. Mine requires the app to authorize any online transaction.

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

#792

Post by realusername »

pimterry wrote: post #769
arielcostas wrote: post #765

Meaning to use your device you need to have a contractual relationship with a foreign (unless you are in the US) third party that decides what you can or cannot do with it. Plus using GrapheneOS is less of an option every day, since banks and other "regulated" sectors use Google Play Protect and similar DRMs to prevent you from connecting from whatever device you want. Client-side "trust" means the provider owning th…

I think Play Integrity is the fundamental issue here, and needs to go. That's the crux of the issue. Allowing apps to say "we only run on Google's officially certified unmodified Android devices" and tightly restricting which devices are certified is the part that makes changes like this deeply problematic. Without that, non-Google Android versions are on a fair playing field; if you don't like their rules, you can i…

This is only allowed to exist because the justice system and politicians are mostly tech illiterate.

Play Integrity is not compliant with any antitrust legislation, that's painfully obvious. The sole and only purpose of this system is to remove non-Google Android forks.

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

#793

Post by niutech »

arielcostas wrote: post #765

Meaning to use your device you need to have a contractual relationship with a foreign (unless you are in the US) third party that decides what you can or cannot do with it. Plus using GrapheneOS is less of an option every day, since banks and other "regulated" sectors use Google Play Protect and similar DRMs to prevent you from connecting from whatever device you want. Client-side "trust" means the provider owning th…

OpenHarmony is open source. There are also: Ubuntu Touch and Sailfish OS being developed. Actually I am writing this from Sailfish OS. I can login to my bank using a web browser here in the EU. I have Telegram, Signal clients, maps, sideloaded packages, full terminal - I fully control the phone, in contrast to Android. I don't own and don't need Android phone at all. So definitely more people should usealternatives to closed Android/iOS.

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

#794

Post by ulfw »

Okay so that removes the last reason to use Android.

This is just another 'it's only about money' move from Google. Only Google approved apps means monetised apps. Monetised means Google gets it's cut. Google gets richer. More in-app purchases, more ads, more money for Google

Customers? Eh. What? Huh? Who cares

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

#795

Post by account42 »

ozim wrote: post #737
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

Tell that to all those assholes that are making malware and scamming society on billions. Most of users are not able to keep themselves safe in the internet - they want to install all kind of crap without thinking too much. All of this is companies making it possible that average Joe could just click links, install any kind of crap and still be somewhat secure.

> Tell that to all those assholes that are making malware and scamming society on billions.

So like Google?

Software that acts against the wishes of the user is malware, let's not forget that.

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

#796

Post by pmdr »

jjani wrote: post #471

Thank you, all HNers at Google, for continuing to work there. And yes, before you ask, I have personally quit a job that paid 3x what I was able to get elsewhere over ethics. And no, I'm not rich, probably bottom 5% in terms of assets among my colleagues, coming from a lower-class background.

> Thank you, all HNers at Google, for continuing to work there.

There are people here that most likely don't work at Google but defended Manifest V3 nonetheless. "Hacker" in HN has lost its meaning.

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

#797

Post by fooqux »

arielcostas wrote: post #765

Meaning to use your device you need to have a contractual relationship with a foreign (unless you are in the US) third party that decides what you can or cannot do with it. Plus using GrapheneOS is less of an option every day, since banks and other "regulated" sectors use Google Play Protect and similar DRMs to prevent you from connecting from whatever device you want. Client-side "trust" means the provider owning th…

> Maybe it's time for a third large phone OS

It's been that time for years. But it's easier said than done. The closest we've currently got are the various phone-targeted Linux distros out there. But they're not quite ready for serious usage for me; at least not on the Pinephone. Still, that's where to put your time & money if you're serious about wanting a change.

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

#798

Post by everdrive »

arielcostas wrote: post #765

Meaning to use your device you need to have a contractual relationship with a foreign (unless you are in the US) third party that decides what you can or cannot do with it. Plus using GrapheneOS is less of an option every day, since banks and other "regulated" sectors use Google Play Protect and similar DRMs to prevent you from connecting from whatever device you want. Client-side "trust" means the provider owning th…

We're long, long overdue for a 3rd phone OS option. The bank thing has me wondering. Maybe getting a nice, local branch is one of the next sane privacy steps if it lets me escape this phone.

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

#799

Post by niutech »

Ciantic wrote: post #789
arielcostas wrote: post #765

Meaning to use your device you need to have a contractual relationship with a foreign (unless you are in the US) third party that decides what you can or cannot do with it. Plus using GrapheneOS is less of an option every day, since banks and other "regulated" sectors use Google Play Protect and similar DRMs to prevent you from connecting from whatever device you want. Client-side "trust" means the provider owning th…

> "GNU/Linux" touch version that has a serious ecosystem That is a very hard problem, unless someone with serious name recognition like Linus Torvalds starts to lead that kind of effort, or a big company like Microsoft suddenly decides that putting 1 billion towards GNU/Linux would be in their interest. With small efforts, it will remain scattered. Crowdfunding has a lot of power if there is name recognition behind t…

There were crowdfunding efforts like: Purism Librem, Liberux NEXX, /e/ foundation, eelo, Ubuntu Edge, Jolla phone. But none were really successful. The closest was probably Mozilla with Firefox OS, now Kai OS. I still own an Alcatel OT Fire phone, it's HTML5 all the way!

But I think Sailfish OS has a mature ecosystem, they are well recognized in the EU and based on GNU/Linux. I use it daily, after moving from UBports, and it serves me well. Hopefully SfOS gains more popularity.

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

#800

Post by skeezyboy »

IshKebab wrote: post #634
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.

Microsoft will do this. They just have to go a little more slowly than Google or Apple because there's such a long history and expectation of being able to run any apps. But they're gradually working their way there just like Google and Apple. Starts with scary warnings for unsigned apps (with a workaround), then they start imposing extra restrictions for unsigned apps, and then they make the SmartScreen workaround m…

>But they're gradually working their way there just like Google and Apple.

imagine microsoft having the moral high ground for once

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