Starting September (this year), Google will require every Android app developer to register centrally, provide government ID, and submit signing keys.

[permafriday@indieweb.social]

Starting September (this year), Google will require every Android app developer to register centrally, provide government ID, and submit signing keys. Apps from unregistered developers will be blocked on all certified devices worldwide. This threatens F-Droid, open-source distribution, and user autonomy. @keepandroidopen @pluralistic https://keepandroidopen.org

[mrt181@mastodon.social]

@permafriday @keepandroidopen @pluralistic enter this into Google search, let it trend:
how can I ditch android before september 2026 for an alternative?

But the majority doesn't care

[epic_null@infosec.exchange]

@PhoenixWright @permafriday @keepandroidopen @pluralistic When you are clearly being pushed down a slippery slope, you should not be talking about the rose branch held by the pusher.

[buschnick@mastodon.gamedev.place]

@permafriday @keepandroidopen @pluralistic ... and is a strong incentive to go with a web app instead of a native one. Arguably the way the ecosystem should have evolved in the first place. So let's hope that this move will just destroy demand for native apps.

(It's still a bad move that Google should be sued for)