- A site called “Keep Android Open” is counting down the days until Google requires app developers to verify themselves.
- The site claims that when this happens, your phone will cease to be yours
- There is also growing discontent over the upcoming change on Reddit
We’ve known for some time that Google plans to force app developers to self-verify by handing over their ID, even when listing apps on third-party stores, but anger over this coming change continues to grow.
Now there’s even a site called Keep Android Open, with a countdown to when the change will be adopted (currently 125 days) and an explanation of their problems with it.
The site claims that “your phone is about to stop being yours” because Google will be able to block you from installing apps that aren’t from verified developers. Google says this is intended to reduce the risk of people downloading malicious apps, and it will likely reduce that risk, but it also has obvious downsides.
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Since developers must submit their government-issued ID, pay a fee, and agree to Google’s terms and conditions, this will deter some potential developers, and it will also make it easier for governments to remove apps they disapprove of, since this requirement applies even to third-party app stores.
The site also claims that this is a betrayal of Android phone owners, since Google retroactively locks devices sold as open platforms.
Too complex a workaround
Now, there’s supposed to be a way to install unverified apps, but it’s a nine-step process that requires a 24-hour wait in the middle, and many Android users won’t even be aware of it. Additionally, as Keep Android Open points out, this process is done entirely through Google Play Services, meaning Google can change or remove this workaround at any time, with no OS updates required.
Many Android owners on Reddit seem just as unhappy, saying things like “it’s time for Linux phones”, “so the open ecosystem was just a phase”, and “yet another unnecessary requirement”. So it’s fair to say that this is not a popular change.
Unfortunately, there is no indication that Google will change course. As it stands, this change will happen in September. And unfortunately, it’s not even easy to vote with your wallet, since the main alternative to Android is iOS, which has always been very locked down in comparison.
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