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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

#881

Post by KETpXDDzR »

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…

It seems most banking apps do work: https://privsec.dev/posts/android/banking-applications-compa...

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

#882

Post by buyucu »

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.

Malware is not a huge problem that requires restructuring the entire ecosystem to be closed and authoritarian. Nobody I know has ever had problems with malware or scams on Android.

This has nothing to do with malware, and has everything to do with locking down the Android ecosystem to keep out competitors to Google's services.

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

#883

Post by rnhmjoj »

StopDisinfo910 wrote: post #739

Blame Apple for this garbage. They have paved the way by trying to circumvent the DMA. Hopefully the EU slaps everyone with massive fines for these obvious anticompetitive plays. Best case scenario would be an outride ban giving local companies space but I doubt this will happen given how spineless the current commission is. Clearly for American companies to be tightening the noose like that quoting the approval of a…

Do we know what was the European Commission response to Apple "complying" to the DMA by allowing sideloading with notarization and fees?

As far as I can see, the latest developments are from April 2025 when the commision fined Apple 500M€ for non-compliance due to preventing developers to advertise their app being available on a third-party store.

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

#885

Post by carstenhag »

PeterStuer wrote: post #492
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…

People install games from Steam or the Epic Store on their computers without Microsoft preventing that or taking a cut all the time (not for lack of trying. I know). But somehow, in the mobile world, we went with total lockdowns and platform extortion as the rule? The irony of that iconic Apple 1984 add .

Wrong analogy, as you need to register at Steam to sell a product. To share an executable for Windows, you don't. It's also not about taking a cut.

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

#887

Post by carstenhag »

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…

"we all know... Play Store... full of malicious garbage" - please point out how that statement is true, given we all know this apparently.

Yes, there are apps out there that try to trick the system and when you use them, instead of looking innocent, it's actually a casino app or something. But Google usually finds those. Are there any apps impersonating a bank? Because that is what regular people care about & think of when someone says "malicious".

They don't care if an app tracks what other apps are installed, what the user taps on, etc. Arguably they should care, but they don't lose money from it.

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

#889

Post by uneekname »

earthicus wrote: post #415
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…

This certainly won't solve the problem, but I would at least like to banish the term "side load", which is a kind of Orwellian word that takes something everyone used to do all the time and makes it sound obscure and a bit nefarious. Maybe we, the tech literate, can start calling sideloading a "free install" or something. When asked, we can clarify that the 'free' stands for both freedom, and not paying middlemen 30%…

I'm so used to installing via F-Droid or straight APKs, installing something using the Play store feels weird and hack-y. If anyone's doing the "side loading" I think it's Google :P

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

#890

Post by JCGoran »

As someone who never comments on HN, I would like to voice my absolute disapproval of this new policy. As these decisions are not made in a vacuum, I have no doubt the recent developments in the political landscape have contributed to this decision (e.g. UK Online "Safety" Act, EU Chat Control, EU Age Verification solution, probably others). Coupled with the recent "mandatory" (read: forced) upgrade of my Pixel 4a, I get the impression Google's attitude towards phones has become equivalent to Apple's: namely, the illusion of choice.

Since there are no viable alternatives, I guess it's time to go back to owning a cheap corporate/government approved phone for official business (i.e. banking), and another one that I actually use.

As an aside, the presentation[0] doesn't really go into the details how they will enforce this (on-device? Remotely? If the latter, can I just remove Play Services from my device to sideload whatever?), but you can apparently submit feedback about the verification process here[1].

[0]: https://goo.gle/play-console-android-developer-verification [1]: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpZbsJCS-f7CtMbZPn...

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