Google is currently on the verge of massive court-mandated changes to the Play Store. After losing the antitrust case brought by Epic Games, Google also lost the appeal. As it explores further legal maneuvering, the firm may have to begin opening up its app distribution system by promoting third-party stores on Google Play and mirroring Google Play content in other storefronts. This will reduce Google’s monopoly power in Android apps, which is the court’s intention. However, the company’s new goal of locking down sideloading could maintain its central role in Android software.
F-Droid calls on concerned developers and users to contact their government representatives to demand action. Specifically, the site suggests invoking the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) to keep FOSS apps free from Google’s gatekeeping.
That calls for another question: would Google vet and mod content on other stores joining in? From their logic, installing apps from Epic Store is a sideloading too unless they themselves approve it, no? I hope that this act would be seen as a violation of a current decision, them going for a second round with EG.
That calls for another question: would Google vet and mod content on other stores joining in? From their logic, installing apps from Epic Store is a sideloading too unless they themselves approve it, no? I hope that this act would be seen as a violation of a current decision, them going for a second round with EG.