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Google verification for Android apps outside the Play Store | TechCrunchtechcrunch.com/2025/08/25/google-will-require-developer-verification-for-android-apps-outside-the-play-store/
332 sats \ 3 comments \ @siggy47 23h tech
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36 sats \ 0 replies \ @StillStackinAfterAllTheseYears 21h
Google says this will help to cut down on bad actors who hide their identity to distribute malware, commit financial fraud, or steal users’ personal data.
I don't doubt that's true, just like the age requirements in the UK and other places will stop some kids from bad things. But in both cases, it's a baby with the bathwater situation, and getting rid of privacy and security measures for people who need them just sucks. There will always be small niche phones available that will allow full privacy, but Google's half of a two-headed monster in the field, and they've taken so many steps backwards recently.
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36 sats \ 0 replies \ @abhishandy 21h
By September 2026, any app installed on an Android device in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand will have to meet the new requirements. Starting in 2027, the requirements will begin rolling out globally.
Developers will have to provide their legal name, address, email, and phone number, which could push independent developers to register as a business for their own privacy’s sake.
Google notes that student and hobbyist developers will be able to use a separate type of Android Developer Console account when this system rolls out, as their needs differ from commercial developers.
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36 sats \ 0 replies \ @optimism 21h
I have a growing list of complaints about Google. Pixel 10 seems no longer open either, so I'm not sure how to defend against their de-FOSSing, since the alternative is even more of a walled ecosystem.
Developing hardware that counts on AOSP availability seems risky.
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