2d ago

Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store

techcrunch.com Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store | TechCrunch

Google will ask all Android developers to verify their identity starting next year.

Starting next year, Google will begin to verify the identities of developers distributing their apps on Android devices, not just those who distribute via the Play Store.

112 comments

Verify my balls, Google.
- if you've ever sent a nude, they probably can.
- I'd be careful yknow, I hear they hired Barry Zuckercorn
  
  He's very good!

How are they going to enforce this? Is side loading getting some extra signing step only Google can provide?
I shouldn't need to go through Google at all to release an Android app if it's not on their store. This is bullshit
- Any device with Google Play services will enforce this. Any device that does not have Google Apps and services will not enforce this.
  In this case, China actually has a leg up over the West because they haven't had Google Play services for a long time.
  
  I'm so glad I degoogled my phone already. Fuck Google!
  
  China is pushing in the same direction. The government want to develop Harmony OS that is gonna have compatibility issues with .apk installs and they could design it in such a way to make VPNs unusable. China is a State Capitalist regime, they will learn all the tricks that the west is using and do their capitalism with an even more stronger grip.
  China is not FOSS friendly. Remember how Reddit is keep nagging you to install their app and make an account. Well in China, a lot of their platform/services doesn't even have a desktop client, or even a web browser log-in. You can try visiting some of the mainland Chinese websites yourself. They force you to enter a phone number to sign up and some even require you to scan qr code with their phone app to log in to the website (meaning you're supposed to sign up in their phone app first, PC use is considered "secondary"). Almost everything requires an app on a smartphone.
  Edit: P.S. Overseas Chinese Citizens need to download a government spyware app on their phone in order to submit an application to renew passports. I know because my father is a PRC citizen.

and just like that google expands their walled garden and becomes apple 2
remember when the internet was an open platform and computers were yours to run programs you wanted?
- It’s about to get even worse. With AI and deepfakes, including deepfake porn, it will become impossible to argue against the complete and total tracking of all access to compute for the general population. There will be literally no justifiable reason to “control your own computer”, when children could get hurt.
- We had it coming.. I do let my thoughts Go, that you Someehen need to identify yourself to even connect to the internet.
  They didn't apply laws to regulate some stuff, so now they start hammering down to enforce Control.
  And big tech and companies will absolutely be one of the hardest Driver for this. There are Potential new ways to make Money. Basically a wet dream for especially big tech.

This is awful. One of my favorite differences between Android and iOS, as both a user AND developer is sideloading.
- The closer google gets to apple, the more similar they become. Except apples shit generally all works well together. Knock off air tags, chromecast, audio groups, and so many other things are riddled with bugs and never fixed.
  If you make android the same as iOS, I might as well switch.
  
  Only reason I stick with Apple is because their stuff simply works and is supported (in most cases) for almost 10 years.
- Sideloading still works, just the apps have to be signed. Still awfull.
  
  How many great apps will we lose because of this, though?
  
  Can Nintendo request Google revoke authorization for emulator developers? Or publishers requesting revoking any of the hugely popular manga aggregator apps. Or maybe they'll just outright refuse them from the start, like they will with revanced.
  
  I highly doubt they'll sign Torrent clients.
  (Yes I torrent on my phone, cuz why not lol :P)
  
  We just need to find a way to fake it, I guess anyone that wants to sideload has to root.

Why am I using an Android device then? Also how would this even work with open source apps that people build from source?
- You build an app from source, I assume you'll get a prompt on your phone that says it can't run because it's not signed.
  
  Another article did mention that it's only for devices with Play Protect enabled so if they keep that as easy as it is to disable right now, it'll be a non issue actually.
  
  Another article did mention that it's only for devices with Play Protect enabled so if they keep that as easy as it is to disable right now, it'll be a non issue actually.

Didn't realize the device in my pocket was google's
- "With software there are only two possibilities: either the users control the program or the program controls the users. If the program controls the users, and the developer controls the program, then the program is an instrument of unjust power."
  Richard M. Stallman
- You are going to learn.

There dies the last remaining reason to use Android.
- You say that like there's a better alternative
  
  There's iOS. It works great, but has no real sideloading. Android works meh, but had proper sideloading. Now Android will no longer have it, so you might as well bite the bullet on the OS with better hardware integration.
  
  Apple is basically the default (at least in the US) so if Android cant offer significantly more theres not much reason to use it
- And use what instead?
  
  Linux. The mobile ecosystem will have to mature fast though.

linux phones please hurry!
- Android is Linux...
  
  This is about as useful as the assholes going "It's not Pedophilia, it's Hebephilia!".
  
  It's so heavily derive so as to be effectively wrong. It'd be like calling a human a jawless fish sure it's technically true but entirely misses the point.
  
  oh what's the problem then I wonder
  
  gnu/linux user space phones please hurry!
  
  Haha. Ha.

Hasn’t Apple been losing in court across the world for doing exactly this?
- No, it's nothing like what Apple's been doing.
  Apple has been losing in court about everyone needs to give them money anytime anything makes any money on iOS, or even thinking absolutely allowing others to install anything beyond their App Store.
  This is Google demanding every app that can be installed on Android must be signed by them, and the only cost is registering with them your name and address, possibly verified by government ID. (And quite possible doxxing you at the same time as they already do on the Play Store....)
  These are very different, and unlike Apple, will more likely be applauded by numerous world governments in the current "anything a child can even remotely even know about" must have its users be checked to make sure they are "allowed to".

It really is past time we saw serious work on a mobile flavor of Linux. Not AOSP, not anything whatsoever downstream of Google, but a regular Linux distro with a mobile friendly DTE.
- https://postmarketos.org/
  
  Sadly, it only runs on genuinely ancient smart phones. I can't even re-purpose my old pre-loved phones that I've kept after upgrading, because most of them are still too new for postmarketos
- Isn't that what Ubuntu Touch is?
  
  Oh, I thought the project was dead. Apparently after Canonical dropped it, it was picked up by the community. Thanks, I’ll look into it. It might even be worth supporting.

I guess it's time to switch to developing apps for Linux mobile distro
The only reason I like android is cuz I can make my own apks and use them without issue.

If it starts for real, the freedom of Android is lost.
We need to sue them 1000 times and more before they can even start this.
- Maybe we should just go to Huawei، they have their own OS.

Fuck that's actually really bad

In short, they make independent stores impossible?
- Mostly; they just force themselves into the process for publishing each app and have an effective veto on apps. So yeah, no stores fully independent of Google.
  
  ... Didn't the EU JUST fine Apple half a billion euros over the same thing?

They're already starting to clamp down on sideloading. I use Aurora Store out of principle, but it's getting more and more common that apps will refuse to launch if not downloaded from the Play Store. I get the risk of sideloading maliciously modified banking apps or whatever, but surely you could just compare a checksum or something?

\ (lemmy.blahaj.zone/30883044)

Let Google know what you think about this: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfN3UQeNspQsZCO2ITkdzMxv81rJDEGGjO-UIDDY28Rz_GEVA/viewform
- Who organized this form? Is there something official to make it look like it's not just signing me up for spam?
  
  A valid question.
  It's the official survey form from the Android Developer page on the matter: https://developer.android.com/developer-verification/guides

Fuck you

Guess I'm going back to a dumbphone next time because I'm NOT letting Google see what I'm downloading, I'd rather carry a laptop all day.
- There are alternatives to Google and Apple products. I recommend the MNT Pocket Reform if you'd like a full keyboard, or a Librem 5 if you prefer a more typical smartphone form factor.
  
  That pocket reform looks super cool, added to the "save up for me" list
- GrapheneOS works likea champ on my used Pixel 7 Pro, it was less than 100USD about 6m ago

Damn, it feels like someone is treating a 1984 novel like an instruction...

Permissive licenses were a mistake.
- Isn't AOSP mostly GPL?

I'll register an account and share my signing cert for y'all to use. I don't care.
- Then they'll ban you for life like they do other people who violate their rules, and they're very good at banning people who try to open new accounts and banning people who have any links to you.
  
  Google loves unpersoning.

And here I thought I wouldn't root or flash my next phone.

Man! These guys are literally recreating what made using Symbian a pain to deal with and what sparked its downfall. Even if it was somewhat warranted due to the legitimate malware but atleast you could still run Java and Flash apps with permissions just fine. Now the last reason to run android is basically disappearing and I'm kinda glad I degoogled my latest pixel as of late. But like I also hate that we are moving into an era where you cannot even control what apps are on your mobile device right now. It was already bad enough with the automatic opening of Google Play for sideloaded apps and now its only to get worse from there. Genuinely speaking android when it first came out was a breath of fresh air compared to symbian and iOS. It's kinda a shame that now it's losing what made it great to begin with.

This will not apply to GrapheneOS, right?
- It won't apply to GrapheneOS. It only applies to certified OSes and GrapheneOS is not certified because it doesn't license Google Mobile Services.
- this might be the thing that makes me install it
  
  I did so at the Weekend and I wont Go Back.
- just last month there was news about some changes in Android that will make it harder for alternative distributions..... go figure
- I highly doubt it

So I guess my next phone will be a Chinese phone. Even if it spies on me, I'll have the freedom to install whatever I want from anywhere.
The Chinese have a golden window of opportunity. Let's hope they don't mess this up.

Fuck google, verify my ass motherfuckers

Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul
Or, said in the common corporate tongue, “embrace, extend, extinguish”.

If I understood correctly they use DMA as an additional justification. Thank you, EU parlament.

devils.

Will, what's the point now? Fuck it get an Apple. Why not.
EDIT This is going to be the future for us. Stop sideloading apps, then lock the bootloader.

goddamnit I JUST bought a new Fairphone 5 and opted not to go for e/os variant, because I was worried of incompatibility issues.
Guess I'll have to learn how to replace my phone OS in 2026...

will I be able to install the Google Play store on graphino S
- Right now? Yeah, its very easy to do, and there's a download link for it included in GrapheneOS's preinstalled app-store.
  I am however worried that eventually Google will make running custom software (apks, alternate firmwares) so difficult that development for those will stop long term.

I sent Apple to hell because of dumb "you can't change UI to your liking", guess Google is next
*yes, this was seen miles away. I work with a laptop most of the time, so phone doesn't matter much for me, apart of a box that rings a few times a year
**Yes, both companies are run by greedy dumbfucks. I am getting tired and angry that finding companies that are different takes actual dedication. It should not be this way

Time to build more PWAs please?

I've nothing to add but upcoming every comment.

112 comments