Last month, “Google unilaterally decreed that Android developers everywhere in the world are going to be required to register centrally with Google.”

F-Droid and Google’s Developer Registration Decree https://f-droid.org/en/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration-decree.html @fdroid

PC Mag: F-Droid Warns Google’s New Rules Could Kill Third-Party Android App Stores https://www.pcmag.com/news/f-droid-warns-googles-new-rules-could-kill-third-party-android-app-stores @PCMag #Google #Android

  • Eagle0110@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    27 days ago

    What making things more secure? Google was absolutely NEVER concerned about the security and privacy of their user, it goes directly against their core interest as an advertising company. This move is 100% about taking control over their user and developers on their platform and is exactly 0% about doing anything to improve the security of their user.

    Google is not even trying to pretend otherwise, notice how Google is only requiring verification of the developer’s, and absolutely not doing anything about verifying the actual apps from those developers, just like they have not really done anything meaningful about security checking the apps submitted on their Play Store since ever.

    • Ferk@lemmy.ml
      0·
      27 days ago

      That’s why it’s a paradox. They are claiming to do something for security, where in actuality their stricter policies are doing the opposite. This move essentially renders apk’s built-in signing mechanisms worthless. Android is going down the path now of being as insecure as MS Windows when it comes to app installation.

      This is not gonna stop rogue apks from outside Google’s store, it’s just gonna make them less secure.

      This is not gonna stop alternative stores, it’s actually gonna make them more important for further security checks.

      This is not gonna give Google more control over Android, it’s gonna make it easier for abusers to gain control.