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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

#921

Post by hbn »

seanw444 wrote: post #199

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…

> Makes sense why they had to get rid of the "don't be evil" motto.

I hate how this always gets brought up because:

1. Evil has no definition, so it means nothing. They get to define what evil is for themselves. They stated their reasons they think this change is good. You can't prove it breaks their code of conduct.

2. It's straight up false, it's still in their code of conduct:

> And remember... don’t be evil, and if you see something that you think isn’t right – speak up!

https://abc.xyz/investor/google-code-of-conduct/

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

#922

Post by Lu2025 »

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…

> the provider owning the device, not the user

That's been the case since they got rid of removable batteries. You don't own a device you can't reliably turn off.

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

#923

Post by medhir »

dv_dt wrote: post #783
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

This should be a part of right to repair. The grouping would get more people with common cause together.

100% in alignment with this! Direct quote from the end of the post I linked:

“In the broader conversation of right to repair regulations, we also need to be thinking about a "right to root access" for computing devices.” :)

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

#924

Post by charlie-83 »

bullen wrote: post #558

The solution is easy, stop developing for (selling on) closed platforms: You now have options for cheap (less than $200) portable low energy devices: 1. PineTab-V, a linux on Risc-V tablet. (Got debian a few months back, still waiting for proper GPU support, usable but slow now) 2. uConsole, a linux cyberdeck with optional 4G. (Also has debian for 2711, 2712 and 3588 Compute Modules) I'm not porting my games to Andro…

I don't understand the part about Linux x86

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

#925

Post by hbn »

chenxiaolong wrote: post #31

If this is enforced via Play Protect, then the whole mechanism can likely be disabled with: adb shell settings put global package_verifier_user_consent -1 This does not require root access and prevents Android from invoking Play Protect in the first place. (This is what AOSP's own test suite does, along with other test suites in eg. Unreal Engine, etc.) I personally won't be doing this verification for my open-source…

I kinda feel like they'll make sure any workaround for this will ensure you can't use banking apps, Google Pay, etc.

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

#926

Post by hooverd »

bboygravity wrote: post #541

And once again our only hope is Elon Musk bringing out a competing smartphone ecosystem that is actually open. sidenote: xAI just opensource Grok 2.5 and will opensource Grok 3 in 6 months.

Can't wait for the Volksphone X.

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

#927

Post by hooverd »

throwaway290 wrote: post #542

Another instalment of HN thread where people try their best to pretend that "security" does not come with "enforced, ideally at hardware level, inability to run random code" for 99% of phone users. Here a tip: you won't solve the problem of security by just whining about corporate interests (which is a real concern) and NOT proposing a better solution that works for an average tech illiterate, very socially engineera…

I say let people shoot themselves in the foot if they want. That's the cost of a free society.

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

#928

Post by xbar »

tgma wrote: post #503

The funny thing is Stallman started his fight like half a century ago and on regular days Hacker News shits on him eating something off of his foot and not being polished and diplomatic, and loves practical aspects of Corporate Open Source and gratis goodies and doesn't particularly care about Free Software. On this day suddenly folks come out of the woodwork advocating for half baked measures to achieve what Stallma…

It is right to highlight the fight for libre software that Stallman championed.

The world would be a much, much worse place without Free Software. We own the obligation to keep the fight up. So many of us profit from it, and so many people depend on it.

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

#929

Post by 827a »

JCGoran wrote: post #890

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…

Feedback submitted. It takes five minutes; everyone please go through it and tell Google directly how idiotic of a decision this is.
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