People should be able to write software for Android, and distribute it outside Google’s Play store, without having to:
- pay Google
- give government ID to Google
- agree to Google terms and conditions
People should be able to install the software they want on their phone, from sources other than Google’s Play store, without having to jump through Google-imposed hoops.
e.g. via F-Droid.
We’ve got until September this year to stop Google squeezing the open Android ecosystem.
From the FAQ page
What’s the concern here?
The problem is that “not going anywhere” doesn’t mean it won’t get severely restricted, and that they’re still gonna force devs to verify before being able to distribute an app.
It doesn’t mean that it will be severely restricted either.
What’s wrong with making devs verify? How does that hurt the end user if side loading still works?
These questions are always asked in the opposite direction. What’s right with making devs verify? What does it gain an end user?
You think AI app slop is good? Cause that’s all you’ll have if literally anyone can just put an app into whatever store they want.
This isn’t about the play store: it’s about installing anything at all. I couldn’t care less if AI slop is on the play store though to answer your question
So let the app stores sort that out. If Google wants signing on play store then fine. Don’t force it on people who don’t want it.
Because it exposes devs of projects that may not want to be exposed such as ICE trackers. Furthermore it gives Google veto power over whst you can sideload
Source?
The source is Google themselves doing exactly this.
If someone makes an app and I want to install it, that’s between me and the developer.
It’s just okay to you if an unwanted third wheel wants the power to choose which developers apps I can install? They also conveniently collect a fee for it.
It’s a curated app store. App devs are still free to just not put it on that store and host it themselves. You can definitely keep it between you and the dev.
This is not about Google Play it’s an OS level thing.
Oh, I misunderstood.
I do wonder how long until someone figures out a way around it though.
But this has nothing to do with a curated app store? Nobody is complaining about play store verification. Google is planning to block “unverified” developers’ apps from being installed at all, from any source.
Nobody saying it definitely will be either, but that there’s a possibility and that’s what the concern is.