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Big Tech is at it again.

Some of you might have seen this already. Google has announced a new policy for Android app developers, which would require them to seek Google’s permission if they want to distribute their apps outside of the Google Play Store (on their own website or on alternative app stores). This would entail:

1) agreeing to their terms and conditions
2) paying a fee
3) uploading a government ID

Which is wrong on so many levels. Nobody should be forced to register with Google if they don’t want to use their services.

In doing so they would be extending their gatekeeping (tentacles) into distribution channels where they’re just not a legitimate authority.

At Vivaldi, we believe you have the right to run whatever software you want on a device you own. That’s why we’ve co-signed this open letter, together with other 53 organisations, requesting Google to back off on the proposed policy before it enters into force.

(Plus, they have have a pretty cool logo 😄)

keepandroidopen.org/open-lette…


An Open Letter to Google regarding Mandatory Developer Registration for Android App Distribution

Open Letter to Google Regarding Mandatory Developer Registration for Third-Party App Distribution
keepandroidopen.org
This entry was edited (8 hours ago)
in reply to Vivaldi Browser

Miss Gayle
mastodon - Link to source
Miss Gayle
• •
Sounds like a lawsuit. A company can't charge a fee to people who don't want to do business with it. That is de facto racketeering, not to mention monopoly powers.
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J
mastodon - Link to source
J
• •
this is bananas to me. Android's openness is its competitive advantage. If I'm going to be locked into a Google ecosystem, I may as well get an iPhone. This won't affect me as much, I'm either on Lineage or graphene but that's also just a locked bootloader away from being taken away. Thanks for fighting the good fight.
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SecondUniverse (she/her/they)
mastodon - Link to source
SecondUniverse (she/her/they)
• •
Doesn't that fall foul of a ton of EU legislation that forced mobile OS vendors to open up to third party app markets?
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Vlad_3301
mastodon - Link to source
Vlad_3301
• •
Подержите тогда независимых маркетов, например F-Android.Хорошо, когда хотите пользоваться приложением, но не зависеть, откуда вы его установили. Ответственность берет и пользователь, а Гугл берет очень много.
Гугл становится уж совсем как Апл Маркет.
Then try independent markets, such as F-Android.
It's good when you want to use the app, but don't depend on where you installed it from. The user also takes responsibility, and Google takes a lot.Google is becoming just like Apple Market
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HTPC NZ
mastodon - Link to source
HTPC NZ
• •
funny how this get far less attention to here than whatever Microslop does, almost like most here moan about stuff cus they are forced use M$ stuff at work, but outside that, all their private devices are all from the overpriced cult of the choosen fruit. Where as the rest of us peasant masses use cheap windows devices just to run the Chrome browser or Chrome OS devices and cheap google Android devices for everything else. This isn't 2001 anymore.
This entry was edited (7 hours ago)
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Bonsai861
mastodon - Link to source
Bonsai861
• •
Just in case they do, please can you prepare a Ubuntu Touch or SailfishOS app? Let me know which one so I can switch to that OS next.
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Toni Aittoniemi
mastodon - Link to source
Toni Aittoniemi
• •

So they’re basically saying they ”own” Android.

But the question is, as with any other rules, how are they going to enforce this?

Do you get banned from the Play store? What else CAN they do?

in reply to Toni Aittoniemi

🌴 Seph 💭 👾
friendica (DFRN) - Link to source
🌴 Seph 💭 👾
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@Toni Aittoniemi @Vivaldi Browser Come September they're supposed to be pushing a 'security update' that will block any unapproved app from running on Android devices.
@Toni Aittoniemi @Vivaldi Browser
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Ulrich_the_Elder, 🇨🇦,🇺🇦
mastodon - Link to source
Ulrich_the_Elder, 🇨🇦,🇺🇦
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I definitely do not want apple products and now I don't want android products. Is there a linux phone?
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Leo Schuldiner🤘🏼
mastodon - Link to source
Leo Schuldiner🤘🏼
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I met Vivaldi browser thanks to Mastodon and it's been a great experience. Everything works perfectly and it has options and ingenious alternative uses and visual displays. Totally recommended.
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schuelermine
mastodon - Link to source
schuelermine
• •
I'm a bit confused by what the social media buttons next to the signatories mean. They try to post something. But the post isn't about the signatory I clicked the button on. But the Mastodon buttons all post to different Mastodon servers. What's going on?
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RED5HADES
glitchsoc - Link to source
RED5HADES
• •
you know what's better than signing an open letter
Changing your licence to opensource i.e GPLv2/3 and MIT
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mcSlibinas
mastodon - Link to source
mcSlibinas
• •
let it die finally. I mean let google kill android. The sooner end - the sooner linux phone.
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