I think the most fun part with Google is that if some wayward algorithm decides it doesn’t like you, along with nuking your app and developer account it will probably nuke your 20 year old gmail, your kids Google Drive accounts, your wife’s YouTube premium, the Adsense account of some company you worked for in 2008, and disable your Nest cameras.
And you’ll never reach a human to sort it out.
What Google is doing is shameful. One of the promises of Android was being more open than the restrictive Apple ecosystem.
Now that they reached penetration they do the switch - under the guise of security.
Just let me do with my hardware what I want to do it. Let it be my responsibility to install whatever I want (and stop calling it "side-loading", as if I am doing something shady from the "side").
We need to resist this! Alas, from the broader response it seems that most people just do not care.
AFAIK you can still install any random APK but the process will require enabling developer mode and one time 24 hour wait period. But the problem is many stupid Apps check that developer mode is on and refuse to work.
This is worse than Apple. With Apple you knew where you stood day 1.
Ah so the Do No Evil wasn't serious after all?! /s
It was indeed! And Google removed it in 2018.
"Don't be evil" would be some evil company's motto in like Lego Movie 3
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> We need to resist this!
I agree. What do you suggest? How can we contribute to the resistance?
This started with phishing, poor people being tricked to install apps that then drained their bank accounts. So to resist, maybe focus on that evil? Better international cooperation, better prosecution?
> This started with phishing
It didn't.
Phishing is just a pretext. Google didn't care about Phishing for the first 20 years of Android. Why do they now? Because it serves as argument to close their platform a little more (which is a trend that has been going on for years).
I do think it's about Google trying to squeeze profits out of Android, but is there more direct evidence of this? Cause I always have to wonder if it's something else like KYC/WEF.
or how about don't allow government and banks and telcos to use abusive apps to provide essential services?
those people fall for this because for everything poor people do, they need an app that is provided by sleazy vendors and that require tons of permission, and face scan and what not. they were primed so those business could save in operating costs.
that's the problem. won't solve it with slightly less sleazy vendors.
We can't even get India and Turkey sanctioned for evading the anti-Russian sanctions... good luck holding them accountable for the scam callcenters.
Shame isn’t an applicable concept for a corporation.
Maybe we need an economic system where it is. Shame should come packaged with legal personhood.
Better to pass state bills modifying all of that state’s articles of incorporation to compel adherence to B-corp standards.
Shame has ceased to be an applicable concept for anyone “important” enough to get free media attention.
Android users need to switch to Graphene.
Someone needs to create a Linux based mobile OS foundation - Google's domination is contrary to many large companies interests, and if Meta and many other such companies were approached, they may well donate large sums of money in their own strategic interests.
GrapheneOS is currently the blessed child. Like CyanogenMod previously. They are "permitted" to access to Google Play Services because their work hardening Android currently benefits Google.
Once Google feels like there is sufficient stability and compatibility with hardened memory allocator and tagged memory (and when they can get Qualcomm to support it across their range), they will make harder, until impossible, for Graphene.
An old article [1] but:
> Google’s Android—and [Open Handset Alliance] members are contractually prohibited from building non-Google approved devices
So to compete you'd have to create a compatible Google Play Services as well as find a supporting manufacturer. Samsung managed their own competing apps and store [2] for a while along with Tizen, likely for leverage or theoretical pivot. But has since dropped that effort.
[1] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/07/googles-iron-grip-on...
[2] https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/07/google-bought-of...
> Android users need to switch to Graphene.
Which supports only Pixel devices.
> Android users need to switch to Graphene.
Doesn't GrapheneOS supports only Google Pixel smartphones now? For most of the users, that would mean changing their phones beforehand. And if we're talking about common people (especially not in US), it's not even everyone who can afford that. Moreover, in my opinion, by buying Google phones you're feeding Google, and I, personally, would like to avoid that.
Yes but they have signed up with Motorola so that is changing
https://www.androidauthority.com/grapheneos-motorola-partner...
> Doesn't GrapheneOS supports only Google Pixel smartphones now?
For good reasons. Most other devices arent secure enough to guarantee privacy. Especially not if loaded with a custom operating system (most devices don't allow to verify the boot chain with a custom OS)
> And if we're talking about common people (especially not in US), it's not even everyone who can afford that.
You can get a new Pixel 9a here in europe for around 350€ and it will be supported at least until April 2032
> Moreover, in my opinion, by buying Google phones you're feeding Google, and I, personally, would like to avoid that.
Google phones are surprisingly open and work well. Google takes a pro-user stance here that is extremely rare in the ecosystem, so why not support this product?
It's alright, whatever the reasons might be, but let's not pretend there are no other ways out. I'm content with newest LineageOS on my 7 year old mid-range Xiaomi. I don't mind the loss of privacy guarantee. I don't have to spend any extra 350 euros and lose the headphone jack in the process.
So to avoid google's android I buy google phone to not run android?
> Google phones are surprisingly open and work well. Google takes a pro-user stance here that is extremely rare in the ecosystem, so why not support this product?
Because they will pull the rug here one day too. Why on earth should we trust them to keep this approach to their hardware?
Don’t defeat yourself in a one person battle.
After all, it might rain tomorrow - but you should still go outside today.
I keep hoping for something more radical like Jolla and SailfishOS taking off or postmarketOS becoming a true viable alternative but as things are looking like now there's a better chance we'll ditch phones altogether in 10 years when smart glasses will replace them instead.
> we'll ditch phones altogether in 10 years when smart glasses will replace them instead.
Billions are spend right now to make sure the glasses also run Android or iOS. So far, Google, Samsung, Magic Leap, RealWear and Vuzix are working with/on Android XR, and obliviously Apple is working on AR/VR iOS.
Meta and a couple of smaller startups are doing something in-house, but I don't give them much chances to get an ecosystem going.
Honestly don't think that would be so terrible, with how bad and locked down the mobile ecosystem has gotten.
Rolling the dice on a new technology could wind up being much more favorable.
What /new/ technology? The basically same platforms. Just smaller phones with more cameras recording everybody without consent.
I tried. But then I didnt get access to essential services like banking and national resources.
FWIW, I submitted an EU DMA complaint (Art 27 report) against Alphabet for unfair gatekeeping against third-party distributions like GrapheneOS via Play Integrity. More info: https://github.com/AlexAltea/blog/blob/master/posts/2026-06-...
Convincing developers, especially bank and gov apps, is near impossible and won't scale well. Going after Alphabet for not meeting DMA obligations seems the easier path. Might not go anywhere but worth a shot.
Is there something we can do to support your efforts?
Only two things come to mind:
1. Provide or find pro bono legal resources deeply familiar with EU DMA and similar antitrust regulations, willing to proof-check and improve this report, and perhaps advise on better channels to submit it.
2. Locate more affected end-users, including applicable members of the GrapheneOS Foundation and developers behind other distributions, make them aware of these efforts so that hopefully we submit a joint complaint. (Might get more traction, though AFAICT reporting is limited to EU citizens).
Happy to fork this into its own repository if it helps with collaboration.
> Convincing developers, especially bank and gov apps, is near impossible and won't scale well
Not impossible though, my bank and govt eID app did do safetynet, but after enough users complained in both apps you can now skip a warning and use it without issues
Graphene OS user here. Almost all of the apps I tried work fine. All the banking apps I use work. Have you tried reaching out to the app developer or the service and explaining what Graphene OS is and asking them to support it? I was able to persuade one app to do it.
[1] https://privsec.dev/posts/android/banking-applications-compa...
Problem is that all banks require a national centrale controlled service for login (BankID in Norway). And it is this service that I cannot get to work running GrapheneOS. It worked a couple of months ago, but not anymore. And all customer services and complaints are directed to your bank who 1) has no idea what i am talking about and 2) no control over BankID verification requirements.
I’ve nearly decided to switch back to the code brick instead of BankID app. It’s less convenient, but with the way things are going, I’m just not sure I want to exist in the digital world much longer.
Correction: i did get bank access. I just couldnt log into the bank without a google or apple controlled device.
lol, this problem stopped me from installing GrapheneOS early. But now.. I removed banking apps by myself because my state require room them to collect phone fingerprint and access to location EACH time they opened. So... looks like now nothing stops me
I know Graphene has innovative security measures, do you happen to know whether that includes anything wrt. phishing or social engineering?
(For those who haven't been following along: this whole affair started with phishing. People were social-engineered into installing an app and a little later their bank accounts were empty. A big issue in various poor countries.)
That's one of its primary arguments: besides the hardening against exploits, they're considered such a safe OS because you cannot access your data either and give the wrong app root access. Everything lives in a sandbox. Whether not being able to grant full access to e.g. adb shell, Termux, or Restic is what you want is a personal choice, but it adds a layer of security against any malware that tries to get you to grant them root access
This is also the argument they use to try to convince app vendors to add their keys to the allowlist, because the app makers can trust that their DRM will be active (if Netflix sets a "no screen recording" flag, you the user cannot circumvent it by e.g. reading /dev/fb0). It should have broader compatibility than other FOSS Android builds (when running the officially signed version of course, you can't compile it yourself and expect such apps to run there)
So it doesn't actually do anything to give control of the device back to the user?
One of the core tenets of truly free software is that I as user must be able to run, access, edit, and view everything.
It is not an OS with bubblewrap, you can still mess up your privacy / security if you want to, that includes phishing and social engineering.
Is anything bulletproof against the user signing away their data? I think the question was whether it has any measures in this regard, not whether it's impossible to get phished
> do you happen to know whether that includes anything wrt. phishing or social engineering?
Yes. For example if you install an apk from an unknown source (like a random website via browser or messenger) it will warn you what you are about to do and what effects that has.
You don't need to block stupid behavior. Just make sure users are well aware of their actions as long as they actually read warnings.
I would say Ubuntu Touch + a Fairphone. Graphene is too reliant on Google.
I get it, but it really sucks that Graphene only works on Pixel hardware. I switched to Samsung with my last phone.
Korean manufacturers are even worse when it comes to privacy violations.
I use a Samsung too. The bloat, dark patterns and enshitification with every update are even worse.
The only reason I have not switched Graphene is because for reasons I do not understand, Graphene OS is very closely tied with Google hardware.
I bought a /e/os Fairphone instead.
Give it a year, we may have GrapheneOS/Motorola then ...
* (March 2026) Motorola announces a partnership with GrapheneOS Foundation - https://motorolanews.com/motorola-three-new-b2b-solutions-at...
Those reasons are explained clearly and openly. Ironically, your /o/OS is way less open than GOS on Google hardware.
It's because only Pixel devices have proper hardware security to build anything secure on top.
Not really a solution at the moment if you do not want to give money to Google by buying a Pixel (hopefully the deal with Motorola will work).
Long term I would probably have more hopes in https://postmarketos.org/
Buy second hand
I wonder if it makes sense to create an independent hard-fork of AOSP in the future. But probably the only option to keep this somehow maintainable is to replace many android-specific components with other userspace linux components that are already well maintained (systemd, networkmanager, wayland)
Would this not require some control over the hardware? Which would be difficult for the FOSS community?
maybe not, heck people reverse engineered apple hardware and implemented it in various FOSS driver stacks
But yeah, vendors maintaining their drivers upstream in FOSS projects would obviously make it easer
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I use Android because it lets me install whatever I want on my phone, which it does not seem to me, controversial. The phone is either mine or it is not. I don't want Google's protection. Particularly, if I can't refuse it.
Well… you can run android without google? The problem is that essential security services require apple or google devices and you as a member of society need the security services.
Yet on LineageOS you're not affected. It seems you can build Android that isn't affected by Google, at least if you're willing to personally adjust the code to do what you want. You'd have to get exceptionally busy before it's not recognisable as an Android distribution anymore
> Well… you can run android without google?
You can only run LineageOS on smartphones that allow unlocking the bootloader (which is more and more rare), and properly release the kernel source-code (many still don't, especially low-end MTK-based phones...)
Let's call them anti-competition services since there's nothing in these increasing security.
We finally live in an age when I can tell a clanker that I want an app that does something that I need, connect the phone with adb and in half an hour have a working solution for my tiny problem while knowing little about android development. This is something google should embrace, not kneecap.
What's their interest in you building side-loaded apps instead of using their data hungry services?
It doesn't solve the current issue, but in case we don't manage to push back on this, some people might not know that there are various actual linux OSes for mobile:
- SailfishOS: still linux based and seems fairly community inclusive, but the UI part of the stack is closed source. Is the only one officially allowed to run android apps, via emulation. Has existed for a very long time, it's lightweight and I think the most stable/bug-free in this list.
- Ubuntu Touch: fully open source and community driven, it uses snap packages for security, you might be able to run android apps. Last time I run it also seemed fairly stable/bug-free.
- PureOS: fully open source and privacy focused. I think it's the only one that, released with the Librem 5, can avoid using proprietary blobs for interfacing with the hardware. Seems less stable than SailfishOS and Ubuntu Touch. You would need to buy a fairly expensive-but-old phone(librem 5) to run it.
- PostmarketOS: fully open source, focused on being lightweight and revive old phones, has a huge amount of phones it has been tested on, is based on Alpine.
- Mobian: mobile version of Debian, it's fairly new on this list.
There are many more linux mobile OSes, but as far as I know these are the main ones. There might also be some inaccuracies on this post, I tested some of these a long time ago, and I never actually run the last 2.
I understand the frustration (I'm an avid fdroid user across many many devices). But this article comes off as childish with the virus/trojan/"malware vendor".
With such an article, many (including perhaps google) get the ammo to disregard what fdroid says, by branding them as childish/not to be taken seriously. for eg: no reputable news org is going to post this.
PS: https://keepandroidopen.org/ is better done.
I thought the same thing but he apparently has a point. The stated purpose covers only a tiny sliver of the capabilities. The agreement points to the TOS where it (last time I looked) says service may be terminated at any time without stating a reason. Nothing guarantees it won't be used for things other than security. And finally he has a point where it also doesn't really do much for security.
If we ask their fine search engine, the AI helpfully explains malware to be software designed to gain unauthorized access to disrupt, extort payments and/or hijack devices.
If you still think the shoe doesn't fit, imagine what would happen if one managed to create an app with the same capabilities. Google would remove it immediately for being malware. Obvious malware.
I'd usually say it'd be far fetched
but I can totally see Google banning developers and removing their apps for political reasons, where some lobbying group bombs them with emails
because with this they're explicitly saying they're now choosing who gets to be in or out, there's no way for them to say we can't do anything about it
I do think this would improve security, but I also think it's sort of a Trojan horse to lock down the ecosystem
> several Russian mobile apps related to the Russian internet company VK were deleted from the U.S. tech giant's App Store.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/kremlin-demands-explana...
nothing guarantees the Microsoft/Apple/Ubuntu/RedHat will not push an update through their infrastructure to delete some software from your computer
all OSes have malware level capabilities. it's literally the definition of an OS
> Ubuntu/RedHat
That still wouldn't affect projects like Debian or Arch, but going even further, they can't push through updates anyway. Nothing forces me to install updates, it's an active choice to do so.
Isn’t Google going to do what Apple has been doing since forever? Or is Google somehow doing something worse?
I bought an android instead of an apple because I didn't want the kind of malware apple has always shipped with idevices
Apple's policies were established when you purchased the phone. Apps come through registered developers and their vetting.
Google has changed the game on something you already own. I'm sure their lawyers have done their homework, but in some jurisdictions this is certainly actionable.
Hundred billion would be a quarter's revenue, that can't be right. The lasest I've read is a threat of a fine of around 500mil wrt app store issues back in December, but nothing has been decided yet.
hundred billion?
I think the point they are trying to make is that in the terms of service Google says they get to define what is malware (halfway through article) so the author is trying to point out that exact danger: what happens when Google gets to randomly call things malware.
I have the opposite opinion, Google is doing a lot of garbage in the name of "Security", time to play their game and report their control on Android as security vulnerability
I just launched an app in the Google Play Store. I did find it a bit weird that I had to provide my physical home address to get my app listed. Not sure what I would do if someone turned up to complain. Make them a cup of tea?
well they can swat you, order pizza, send you packages (who knows with what inside), spread false info about you if you've given out more info etc...
all it takes is one guy who gets too mad for some reason
and it's gonna be a lot more costly for you to do anything about it vs. that guy who gets to be completely anonymous about it
Not sure how well swatting works in the UK, and pizza deliveries are all pre-paid.
But yeah, you could have a loony turn up.
How? I don't see the address published.
They can sue you and Google will give your address to the court, clearly. But swat? Send packages? How?
You need to put a literal physical address and not even a PO Box is allowed.
Don’t know about US, but in EU you legally have to publish your address and it will be shown on the store page if your app has ads or in-app purchases.
It's because of a law in California. Don't remember the reason behind it, but Google decided to apply it everywhere. It's also why I let my app die years ago instead of publishing the updated version.
This is so that you can be sued or prosecuted if the app is malicious.
There's no such requirement for publishing a website
There is - every server host does KYC and so does every domain registrar (by law). If you're found to have provided incorrect details, it allows them to immediately remove your server or domain without notice.
No there isn't, Google's requirement is to put that information publicly for everybody to see. That's not nearly the same thing as being available on court request.
With that policy, Google encourages stalkers and put developers in danger.
I'm still a little bit confused why the EU does not take action in this. This is definitely a monopolist overreach which has to be shutdown from the beginning
But they did. EU formally allows all these measures by Google in the name of "security" as described in Digital Markets Act Art. 6 (4) fourth paragraph.
https://www.eu-digital-markets-act.com/Digital_Markets_Act_A...
They're allowed to do it "to the extent that they are strictly necessary and proportionate ... provided that such measures are duly justified".
It remains to be seen whether the EU decides that this measure is strictly necessary, proportionate and duly justified. They sometimes do the right thing but I'm not getting my hopes up.
They'd have had to start with Apple which is more locked down and has comparable market power. Apple fans (iirc like 30% of the voter population) already scream bloody murder when compatibility increases due to legislation and Apple pushes some marketing about how terrible this is
We've accepted that OS vendors can do this for decades. I think that was our mistake: relying on Google as the only available vendor. We can't make a law that punishes Google for having been open all these years. Yes, of course I (like any 'HN' hacker, I'd think) would be in favor of forcing Apple to be open as well, but then it seems that the powers that currently run the EU (and a lot of voters) kinda likes their remote DRM attestation for this digital identification project that you'll soon need for anything not suitable for toddlers and not reachable via a darkweb
They did? There is the whole "alternative app stores" kerfuffle going on right now between Apple and the EU.
Indeed. I wonder if it falls foul of labour law. Blacklisting is illegal and whitelisting (certification) is normally done with multiple competing third party certifiers.
this is something the EU would love, it's part of the whole Transparency thing where you dox yourself to everyone
HNers (especially Americans) are super naive and think the EU is some bastion of freedom. no. it just wants to be a huge nanny state but in a wholesome way, where you can do whatever you want as long as it's approved
Does this mean that apks that i've built and installed through adb will stop working? That would be a real damn shame.
This would be the line for me. If at some point I'm unable to build an .apk and install it on my phone without Google letting me, I'm moving to Huawei.
Does Huawei not use android or Google play services?
It's Android but without Google's services, there's an alternative app store.
The irony of Chinese vendors providing a breath of fresh low-DRM air.
It seems like China is becoming the "freedom superpower" while USA is getting "corporate superpower" vibes. Huh
Partially true, HarmonyOS NEXT is its own thing, with a Typescript based language ArkTS.
https://developer.huawei.com/consumer/en/arkts/
And now they are adding yet another one, AOT compiled, Cangjie
Using Android fork has been a transition step.
Neat, thanks for this correction! Interesting, an entire new programming language.
Low DRM? I looked at Huawei devices because I figured they'd have to sell them here super cheap because of this downside most Europeans people will even see as a showstopper ("how will I install my precious WhatsApp??"), but
- they're among the most expensive (I could afford that if needed though)
- they don't allow hardware unlock (ehh.. what's the point, then, if I get a locked-down device with Chinese surprises!)
OK yeah I didn't know they stopped allowing to root. Normal levels of DRM then, my mistake, you're right.
No, Google is barred from providing any services to them by the US government.
not like that no, some US carriers don't allow them though like AT&T blocks you to google or apple phones. for them only pixel supports a way out with graphene.
No, they use AppGallery and HMS.
> In computing, a trojan horse or trojan is a kind of malware that misleads users as to its true intent by disguising itself as a normal program. [1]
Google is Trojans all the way down. What is the true intent of almost every Google product? Data harvesting.
Every single product is spyware of some kind. They've even managed trojanize TVs by subsidising manufactuers to ship their spyware.
related: https://keepandroidopen.org/ previously on hn
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47935853 (2 months ago, 889 comments)
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47139765 (4 months ago, 378 comments)
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47778274 (3 months ago, 68 comments)
My Android 15 handset doesn't have com.google.android.verifier process. It could be a Ulefone thing. They're especially pro-user (ex:root friendly).
Checked my Pixel 7 XL Pro and the app is installed and running (Version 1.0.866414232 com.google.android.verifier). I was able to force stop it, and disable it. Will check later to see if reenables itself.
Ex means "example" here right? Or do you mean ex as in the dictionary meaning of ex, as in, "formerly"?
So, what's a good Linux tablet? I was thinking of trying an old Surface Pro.
The frustrating part is that security features often look like malware from a technical perspective. The intent is different, but the capabilities can overlap.
This kind of speech will only go with fellow technical users, most folks buying phones at the usual phone operators won't care less.
I understand not being happy about what Google is doing, but it seems like F-droid can’t be trusted not to heavily spin things.
If the companies would keep their own word and never overreach maybe nobody would overreact. How many times did we hear in the past "It's just for..."
If companies play nice, people will stop making stuff up about them? I don’t believe that for a second, and it’s a poor excuse for making stuff up.
There is no spin here. Google is pulling up the ladder.
There won't be an open web, there won't be user installs, there won't be anonymity.
Everything will be identified, attested, and allowed only when Google permits it.
Nevermind them choking startups and small biz out of the oxygen they need to survive.
What are talking about? Android Device Verification has nothing to do with what websites browsers can access.
It does with reCaptcha: https://www.androidauthority.com/grapheneos-google-apple-app...
As android shows: they are doing it
Recaptcha already requires a Google-certified Android device today. That does heavily restrict what websites a browser can access.
we need to create a new os
I don't understand how this is legal in the EU under the DMA, does anyone know?
I already contacted the DMA authorities and complained how this has an effect on German diabetes communities and they replied that I am not the first one who approaches them on this and they are already investigating it.
Google is just trying how far they can push this.
Do you have any pointers on how to find the correct authority and reach out? I'd like to inform my EU audience.
Yes. From here: https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/contact-dma-team_en
Excellent, I emailed them too but no reply yet. Yeah, given that we should be able to choose what app store to install, this seems wildly illegal.
https://www.eu-digital-markets-act.com/Digital_Markets_Act_A... Art 6 (4). Read it to the end. That's how.
I don't get what part of that your think enables them to deny access to third parties distributing their apps on alternate stores. If you're referring to the last paragraph, that very explicitly says that any such security must be an optional setting that is not default. So unless users opt into verified only apps, Google can't force that, according to the DMA.
Maybe not, but reading their blog posts about ADV next to the DMA text, that's certainly the angle they are trying. And it will be years if it ever comes to a court hearing.
And the setting is "optional", just do the 24h-waiting song and dance to change it, or use ADB. /s
This is more than enshittification, it feels like purposeful brand destruction.
Are governments going to institute more lockdowns? Is this some topdown control thing?
I will root this POS android phone I have and forego any Google Play services and just use it as web browser and a phone. Fuck these guys!
So wait ... Google intends to enforce this on old versions of android?
how is graphene these days, or is there a better alternative that can run map apps that depend on google play services (like waze)?
I've already disabled Play Protect ages ago because it kept removing apps I had installed through F-Droid. Actually, I almost only install apps via F-Droid. I wonder if the ADV will install with Play protect disabled ?
> Disguising itself as the innocuously-titled “Android Developer Verifier” (ADV) process, this trojan horse runs surreptitiously in the background as a system service with full root privileges, quietly awaiting an activation signal. The service cannot be blocked, disabled, or removed. Unlike a commonplace bit of malware, this extraordinary strain won’t be detected and neutralized by Play Protect (the malware scanning and remediation service that is installed on all Android Certified devices). In fact, Play Protect is itself the vector through which this virus is transmitted and installed.
> That is because it is Google themselves who is propagating ADV. And once activated, this malevolent process has exactly one goal: to block you from running software by developers who haven’t been approved centrally by Google.
The rest of the article is a claim that Google's new terms of service amount to "malware is any software we [Google] don't like."
It seems like Google is aiming for its own walled garden.
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> How long before they designate all ad-blocking software as malware, block installation on all Android certified devices worldwide, and permanently designate all developers of this class of software as malware creators?
Classic slippery slope fallacy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slippery_slope
History shows that when a "slope" appears... regulation steps in, technology evolves to solve the problem, or the culture shifts to reinterpret the thing.
In almost every case, the feared "bottom" of the slope was never reached because humans constantly built ramps or bridges along the way.
> In almost every case, the feared "bottom" of the slope was never reached because humans constantly built ramps or bridges along the way.
Perhaps it happens because the slope is called out...
Much like the fallacy behind: "The Y2K bug was was a total hoax, you can tell because nothing much happened on 2000-01-01."
I alternate my thoughts frequently (which I believe is healthy), and sometimes I think we should let things take their course a bit more before reacting. It's certainly tiresome and can be pointless (some people claim 'hysterical') to fight lots of changes, not necessarily this one but some like it.
But I've come to realize there are serious downsides to letting things run their course too. Some changes are very hard to roll back (famous 'cat's out of the bag') just taking a lot of time to reverse if ever. For example, once there is a long term contractual agreement, if one parties decides to roll back they may just not be able to until the contract expires (like renting land; or worse, selling). A change in software systems for example that need backward compatibility can be quite difficult in technical and nontechnical ways.
I think people need to also keep some sympathy for the protests and let people protest more. I'm leaning more toward: if in doubt, provide visibility to a cause (even if not full support). It's okay to save yourself some energy (in particular for the most important causes). Some things might have to run their course for people to understand they were valuable, and we will probably have to eat some frogs as a consequence. Don't lose you sanity ;) (As the saying goes, "Don't you dare go hollow.")
There is precedent of Google making changes in light of "security" that break ad blocking Chrome extensions. See chome extension manifest 3.
So this concern cannot be dismissed with just "slippery slope falacy", it's a new vector of the same power grab strategy.
This is a useless argument since there is no way to measure what case is this and what is not.
You can say "Classic slippery slope fallacy." to whatever seems like that to you.
This is an antipattern to scientific thinking as you can frame something x and then say all x are like this, look I created this framework to think about x. But in reality there is no empirical basis for this thought. And it serves no purpose other than doing more argument or winning arguments.
In the end what you wrote equates to "I don't think all of this will happen".
Chaning many possibilities makes the outcome less and less likely obviously.
Also the same principle applies to most religions I know of, for example:
- Assume there is God
- Assume it did create universe.
- Assume x
...
Then this also fits the same pattern and be called the "x fallacy" but it is useless to create an argument like this. This is useless mainly because this thinking pattern is ubiquitous in any world view.
More productive discussion might be to pick some steps in the theory they chained together and argue on that imo.
"or the culture shifts to reinterpret the thing"
Yes. You see it already.
"Actually it is good that I can't run programs that haven't been approved by Google on my own device."
Is it a fallacy if you've said before that Google is aiming to create a walled garden, Google itself has already started saying it wants a walled garden and they've already implemented several such steps?
This is not malware. It's an official part of Google Play Services.
It all depends on how you define malware. If malware is software doing something that is contrary to the user's interests, then for many users it is indeed malware.
Too much hedging in this comment.
Malware is something that maliciously breaks your computer.
This maliciously breaks my computer so it's malware. There's no difference between this and the ILOVEYOU virus, except the delivery mechanism.
Can I install some software on your computer to send me over your bank details? It won't break your computer, I promise, it's not malware.
>this malevolent process has exactly one goal: to block you from running software by developers who haven’t been approved centrally by Google.
This claim is made by FDroid with no evidence. They make this scary claim which goes against everything Google has claimed so far. They are a biased party, and I can't trust their opinion. I would appreciate if they shared a more in depth investigation or a way to verify there big claim.
Trust is not binary; we can process data with a level of confidence. We do not need either Google or F-Droid to be sanctified before we evaluate their claims.
The claim is that a repeat monopolist is doing monopolist things. Feel free to make the case for the trustworthiness of Google's opposing claim, as I don't see anyone else doing that.
Google wrote their plans as blog posts.
But the plan doesn't include blocking developers who are not verified. You can still sideload such apps.
The point is that it is said to tamper with your installations. If it does, it is malware.
It doesn't tamper with your installations.
Oh? Maybe you could comment on what part of the f-droid article is wrong
False
Those are not mutually exclusive.
Which is malware.
The blast radius is far worse than any "malware" Google could protect you from.
TFA is playing it up, but it is arguable that this is a real virus, except the shady hackers are Google.
We experienced this with Anthropic, not the same blast radius obviously, but out of nowhere account was terminated. No support available. It was via someone’s 30+ year old classmate via LinkedIn the account got reinstated.
As a counterpoint to the right to the repair there should be a right to recover.
There was a more direct case where someone’s child had been interacting with Gemini inappropriately resulting in Google nuking the entire families Google accounts.
I still remember how uploading photos of man's own child created the catastrophic chain of events.
Kicker? The photos were requested by a doctor.
Ref: https://www.koffellaw.com/blog/google-ai-technology-flags-da...
That’s quite insane, especially considering how Google is pushing Gemini into every single product.
it's a nightmare.