Not sure where #Google asked for feedback about their developer verification program, but they surely didn't talk with #FLOSS devs, civil society, privacy organisations or their #Android users

[fdroidorg@floss.social]

Not sure where #Google asked for feedback about their developer verification program, but they surely didn't talk with #FLOSS devs, civil society, privacy organisations or their #Android users

#FDroid did since September, and interacted with folks in the Fediverse, forum, email and in person

They all voiced one opinion: "developer verification must be stopped"

@marcprux has written an open letter, signed by likeminded organisations who want to #keepandroidopen

Click: https://f-droid.org/2026/02/24/open-letter-opposing-developer-verification.html

[fdroidorg@floss.social]

Post translated in #Romanian and #Chinese, more to come.

[moepmoep@social.tchncs.de]

@fdroidorg @marcprux

Maybe of interest to you?
@mailbox_org
@hetzner
@GrapheneOS

[liaizon@social.wake.st]

@fdroidorg cc @hongminhee this might be useful a call to action to translate to Korean

[un_bourguignon@piaille.fr]

@fdroidorg
Do you remember the first slogan of google ? The "don't be evil" ?

Google is clearly evil now.
@marcprux

[nimx@mastodon.social]

@fdroidorg @marcprux we love you f-droid

[c_merriweather@social.linux.pizza]

@fdroidorg

Thank you F-droid, for providing alternatives to Google crap.

@marcprux

[micdan@mstdn.party]

@fdroidorg @marcprux that's why I stopped using Google's totalitarian software

[alt43@mastodon.social]

@fdroidorg @marcprux
Google gained insights from the installations it was losing to other app stores

[zetabeta@mastodon.social]

@fdroidorg @marcprux
google probably asked those developers or half developers who pay huge load of dollars by advertising, or those who are shareholders.

[ohir@social.vivaldi.net]

@fdroidorg China already has many stores. And all are subject to their regulation Google is now copying.

China is turning the screw on app distribution in the country

China announces new regulations requiring all app providers to register business details

Android Police (www.androidpolice.com)

[brent_bartlett@mas.to]

@un_bourguignon @fdroidorg @marcprux They got rid of that a long time ago. If they were serious about not being evil, they would've made themselves a public benefit corporation

[rick_d_card@mastodon.social]

@fdroidorg @marcprux Right from the start I would look up an app and then find a place I could download the apk file and install it myself. All you have to do to is find the android setting that says, "install from other sources" and yer set.

[liaizon@social.wake.st]

@LeelaTorres @hongminhee I meant the blog post from @fdroidorg as well

[goatwildernesscollective@social.librem.one]

@fdroidorg @marcprux Android app developers relying on google play services voluntarily over such a long time i would say have been complicit, that was the starting point to what we see now progressively less Open.

[adventure_tense@mapstodon.space]

@fdroidorg @marcprux
I hope that Google changes its mind, but as a shareholder company, they aren't a community. So I don't hold out too much hope.

But what I do hope is that AOSP eventually forks from Google, and other Open source mobile OS's start growing their market share away from Google. Its time for these options to go mainstream. We need F-Droid to be there for this.

Eventually we need an OpenAPK standard to build around that is not reliant on Google.

[wittyuniversity@mstdn.social]

@fdroidorg will F-droid still be available via sideloading when Google's developer verification kicks in?

[johan_barelds@mastodon.nl]

@fdroidorg @marcprux
Promote and accelerate development in more independent OSes and strengthen the use of F-Droid. The time is ripe.

[idaho@mas.to]

@fdroidorg @marcprux Didn't google announce that they'll still allow unsigned apps but you'd have to jump through some more hoops to do so?

[fdroidorg@floss.social]

@wittyuniversity Nope, we will not be verified developers!