Technology

So I just read what they are going to do and this article is just clickbait. Basically they still want you to dox yourself but it'll still work like iOS Test Pilot. Google is still full of shit and lies but hey at least you don't have to pay them money until enough users download your app if you want more.

So it'll basically still kill apps like F-Droid or you downloading an app from the internet to run on your phone. You'll basically have to signup to install third party apps on your device per app in general and alot of the convenience and developer community will still just leave android as a whole.

All in all really bad decision on Google's part while also extending this to things like fireOS or whatever the fuck the Quest 2 and 3 will run as a skin of android. This will make sure they would be forever stuck on older versions of android; lest they have to contend with the new upcoming android features that will enforce this that will be baked into the operating system next year. Even without Google Play Services like I read.

Personally I don't think developers should have to sign up to Google and provide ID cards to basically have a limited amount of users use their specific app outside the app store.

Google obviously is feeling threatened by better apps that more people are using on platforms like F-Droid compared the outright subscription based shitware and adware on the playstore. Which is why they are doing this. But like platforms before like inturn Symbian. I personally think it'll fuck them over so hard that'll they'll never recover while China or whomever else makes a new platform for you to run android apps on for a time before going all proprietary fucked up Linux. Just like Android again.

Good news! But it doesn't change the fact that Google tried to do this in the first place.

For now. You just wait. Evil corp is gonna evil corp it all up.

Straight from the playbook. Announce something terrible, then back off with something bad. Everyone calls it a win.

See: Wizards if the Coast, Unity

No freaking way this was because of "feedback". This was because the European Commission will keep escalating their fines if Google keeps at it with the monopoly bullshit.

Google: "Based on this feedback and our ongoing conversations with the community, we are building a new advanced flow that allows experienced users to accept the risks of installing software that isn't verified.

And we will NEVER trust you again because we know you'll retry this next year or so in a few smaller steps that all have cutesy innocent names that are supposed to lull us in a false sense of security

Fuck Google, stop paying them for anything, stop using their services wherever possible.

Don't consider this a win, guys, this is more of an 'Oh shit, we're screwed if we follow through with this right now' moment, there's nothing stopping them from walking this back at a later, less turbulent date when no one's paying attention, and locking Android down anyways, as this directly reminds me of the situation which caused WEI to be scrapped.

Also, the EU pushing Chat Control through the back door might embolden Google to both try an Android lockdown just like was going to roll out before, and try WEI again, and get both actually pushed through somehow.

I wouldn't even be surprised if MS were emboldened to try to lock down PCs... Again....

Thank god. I would've ditched Android for good if this went through, and while it sounds like it would be annoying for casual users to enable unverified apps, at least we can still install them.

You would have ditched Android for ios if it were implemented?

Eh, I'm probably gonna ditch that smartphone thing anyways, at least for a while. Android becoming a closed-off garden was the last straw and I was kinda looking forward trying to go without a phone to test if I can adapt. I started leaving the house without my phone more and more and I kinda like it.

Sure, it's fun and convenient to have the Internet in my pocket. Heck, it's even required in some cases, but this digital mess we are currently in is too much for me. I remember how I was looking forward having one back then; I was really looking forward having acces to the Interney wherever I was, but nowadays I kinda miss being less conected from all the bullshit especially when outside.

I guess I could get a linuxphone one day if I miss having a phone (if I somehow manage to completely remove the smartphone from my life in the first place).

Google: “Based on this feedback and our ongoing conversations with the community, we are building a new advanced flow that allows experienced users to accept the risks of installing software that isn’t verified.

I've been side loading apks since I bought my first Android phones and am much more concerned about malware "safe" apps from Google's Play store. Google's quality control is shit.

We are designing this flow specifically to resist coercion, ensuring that users aren’t tricked into bypassing these safety checks while under pressure from a scammer.

Translation: if they want scamware, it better be from Google Play, where Google gets a 30% cut. On top of the cut they got for the phishing link in Google Ads.

And if anything thinks I'm being hyperbolic, go on Google Play and search for pretty much anything. Or turn off your adblocker.

That's not good enough. They're just going to keep lightly pushing against the bad publicity until everything not controlled by Google on your phone goes away.

We need an alternative made without googles shitty hands in the mix. This forced duopoly between Apple and Google sucks. No phone competition in the US also sucks. Overpriced Samsung or a Google phone, while companies Like Red Magic have fan and liquid cooled phones with huge batteries, more ram, and more storage, for less than a grand being sold around the rest of the world outside the US.

I'm just waiting for the moment Valve also decides to enter the mobile market :)

Easing is not removing.

Anything more than a warning and disclaimer popup is too much.

Good, but I still don't trust Google and I really want Linux (you know what I mean) on my next phone.

It's always the same, big shocking announcement, public outcry, pushing forward with a less shocking version, public acceptance, and then rolling out the rest of the initial plan. Why do we keep falling for it?

Users only need to eat half of a shit sandwich!

This is less terrible news, not good news.

… continues to make Play Integrity an integral part of Android and making all the stupid banking and govt apps requiring having it on your phone thus making it harder to de-google.

still no… fuck you.