Recently Google decided that in the future for an app to be installable on an Android device, the developer of this app needs to be ID’d and registered at Google. They claim this is in order to “to better protect users”. However, I think, this is a move to get more control over the Android ecosystem, and the data they can collect with it. If anyone who wants to develop an app for Android devices has to be registered with Google, this puts all the power of who to allow distributing an app to Google.

Furthermore F-Droid shows, that safe app stores can exist without registration, neither of users nor of developers. There is zero malware or spyware on the F-Droid store. What there is on F-Droid is thousands of beautiful, useful and, most importantly, safe apps. And this entire ecosystem is at risk, because Google wants to gain more control over its users and over the Android operating system.

  • JoeyJoeJoeJr@lemmy.ml
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    11 hours ago

    This is circular.

    if an attacker compromises the F-Droid app on your device, they can… load malicious apps onto your device

    Could be rewritten:

    if an attacker compromises your device, they can compromise your device

    You’ve already lost when they put the first malicious app on.