It's been MORE than 15 years, and F-Droid, and the like, are who made Android the go-to smartphone, while The Domestic marine ® can't understand why anyone allows a weapon of mass destruction WITHIN everyone's hand, especially when the Python Project was bought in the Netherlands, the new European manufacturing base to empower Ukraine and take-out Russia and China, but what happens to India?
Won't matter because programmers are NOT needed any longer and Google's smartphones will be implanted in our brains while the data centers become our new ball and chain?
Of course this all happened due to the culmination of corporatism and
of course, the later occurs over my dead body, but how does that help YOU idiots?
f-droid.org/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration-decree
"...that you paid for.
Independent developers A teenager's first app, a volunteer's privacy tool, or a company's confidential internal beta. It doesn't matter. In 2027, none of these can be installed without Google's blessing."
"F-Droid, home to thousands of free and open-source Android apps, has called this an "existential" threat. Cory Doctorow calls it 'Darth Android'".
"Governments & civil society Google has a documented track record of complying when authoritarian regimes demand app removals. With this program, the software that runs your country's institutions will exist at the pleasure of a single unaccountable foreign corporation.
The EFF calls app gatekeeping 'an ever-expanding pathway to internet censorship.'"
"Google's 'escape hatch' is a trap door Google says 'power users' can 'still install' unverified apps. Here's what that actually looks like:"
"Delve into System Settings, find About Phone Tap the build number seven times to enable Developer Mode Dismiss scare screens about coercion Enter your PIN Restart the device Wait 24 hours Come back, dismiss more scare screens Pick 'allow temporarily' (7 days) or 'allow indefinitely' Confirm, again, that you understand 'the risks' Nine steps. A mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period. For installing software on a device you own."
"Worse: this flow runs entirely through Google Play Services, not the Android OS. Google can change it, tighten it, or kill it at any time, with no OS update required and no consent needed."
"This is bigger than Android If Google can retroactively lock down billions of devices that were sold as open platforms, every hardware manufacturer on the planet is watching."
"The principle being established: the company that made your device gets to decide, after you've bought it, what software you're allowed to run. In software, this is called a 'rug pull'; but at least you could always install competing software. In hardware, it is a fait accompli that strips you of your agency and renders you powerless to the whims of a single unaccountable gatekeeper and convicted monopolist."
"Android's openness was never just a feature. It was the promise that distinguished it from iPhone. Millions chose Android for exactly that reason. Google is now revoking that promise unilaterally, on devices already in people's pockets, because they've decided they have enough market dominance and regulatory capture to get away with it."
"Ars Technica: 'Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy.'"
"But wait, isn't this...'...just about security?'""...still sideloading if you use the advanced flow?""...only a problem if you have something to hide?""...the same thing Apple does?""...just $25 and some paperwork?" "Fight back Everyone Install F-Droid on every Android device you own. Alternative stores only survive if people actually use them. Contact your regulators. Regulators worldwide are genuinely concerned about monopolies and the centralization of power in the tech sector, and want to hear directly from individuals who are affected and concerned.Share this page. Link to keepandroidopen.org everywhere. Push back on astroturfers." The "well, actually..." "crowd is out in force. Don't let them set the narrative. Sign the change.org petition and join the over 100,000 signatories who have made their voices heard.Read and share our open letter Tell Google what you think of this through their own developer verification survey (for all the good that will do). Developers Do not sign up. Don't join the program by signing up for the Android Developer Console and agreeing to their irrevocable Terms and Conditions. Don't verify your identity. Don't play ball."
"Google's plan only works if developers comply. Don't.
Talk other developers and organizations out of signing up. Add the Free Droid Warn library to your apps to warn users.Run a website? Add the countdown banner. Google employees If you know something about the program's technical implementation or internal rationale, contact tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work machine and a non-Gmail account. Strict confidence guaranteed."
"All those opposed…71 organizations from 23 countries have signed the open letter"
The Calyx Institutecalyx.org
The Digital Rights Foundationdigitalrightsfoundation.pk
Fundación Karismakarisma.org.co
VideoLANvideolan.org
ARTICLE 19article19.org
iodéiode.tech
Open Web Advocacyopen-web-advocacy.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL)ansol.org
microGmicrog.org
F-Droidf-droid.org
Italian Linux Societyils.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC)ccc.de
XMPP Standards Foundationxmpp.org
Bravebrave.com
GrapheneOS Foundationgrapheneos.org
La Quadrature du Netlaquadrature.net
epicenter.works – for digital rightsepicenter.works
FUTOfuto.org
Digitale Gesellschaftdigitale-gesellschaft.ch
CryptPadcryptpad.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi)edri.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC)beuc.eu
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE)fsfe.org
The OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF)osmfoundation.org
Rocky Linuxrockylinux.org
Codeberg e.V.codeberg.org
Fedimediafedimedia.it
Proton AGproton.me
KDE e.V.kde.org
GNU/Linux Valènciagnulinuxvalencia.org
Crypteecrypt.ee
FOSDEMfosdem.org
Open Rights Group (ORG)openrightsgroup.org
Ghosteryghostery.com
Data Rightsdatarights.ngo
GitHub Storegithub-store.org
Privacy Guidesprivacyguides.org
OW2ow2.org
UnifiedPushunifiedpush.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwanslat.org.tw
GNOME Foundationgnome.org
Nextcloudnextcloud.com
FACiLfacil.qc.ca
Tuta Mailtuta.com
AdGuardadguard.com
Vivaldi Technologies ASvivaldi.com
OpenMediaopenmedia.org
Aurora Storeauroraoss.com
Rossmann Grouprossmanngroup.com
LineageOSlineageos.org
MetaBrainz Foundationmetabrainz.org
FULU Foundationfulu.org
Aprilapril.org
Fastmailfastmail.com
The Tor Projecttorproject.org
Techloretechlore.tech
The Guardian Projectguardianproject.info
Mollymolly.im
The App Fair Projectappfair.org
The Center for Digital Progress (D64)d-64.org
The Free Software Foundation (FSF)fsf.org
Digital Rights Watchdigitalrightswatch.org.au
Software Freedom Conservancysfconservancy.org
Technopolice Bruxellestechnopolice.be
Osservatorio Nessuno OdVosservatorionessuno.org
Obtainiumobtainium.imranr.dev
Forbrukerrådetforbrukerradet.no
JMP.chatjmp.chat
IzzyOnDroidizzyondroid.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)eff.org
/e/ Foundatione.foundation
Bravebrave.com
Aurora Storeauroraoss.com
OpenMediaopenmedia.org
iodéiode.tech
epicenter.works – for digital rightsepicenter.works
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC)ccc.de
XMPP Standards Foundationxmpp.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwanslat.org.tw
Crypteecrypt.ee
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL)ansol.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC)beuc.eu
KDE e.V.kde.org
La Quadrature du Netlaquadrature.net
GNOME Foundationgnome.org
FOSDEMfosdem.org
LineageOSlineageos.org
Open Web Advocacyopen-web-advocacy.org
/e/ Foundatione.foundation
Fundación Karismakarisma.org.co
Privacy Guidesprivacyguides.org
The Tor Projecttorproject.org
Ghosteryghostery.com
FUTOfuto.org
Data Rightsdatarights.ngo
The Center for Digital Progress (D64)d-64.org
VideoLANvideolan.org
Italian Linux Societyils.org
Vivaldi Technologies ASvivaldi.com
Nextcloudnextcloud.com
GrapheneOS Foundationgrapheneos.org
Obtainiumobtainium.imranr.dev
The Digital Rights Foundationdigitalrightsfoundation.pk
Technopolice Bruxellestechnopolice.be
FULU Foundationfulu.org
Open Rights Group (ORG)openrightsgroup.org
Digitale Gesellschaftdigitale-gesellschaft.ch
Digital Rights Watchdigitalrightswatch.org.au
Fedimediafedimedia.it
Mollymolly.im
The Free Software Foundation (FSF)fsf.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi)edri.org
Osservatorio Nessuno OdVosservatorionessuno.org
Techloretechlore.tech
Aprilapril.org
OW2ow2.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)eff.org
JMP.chatjmp.chat
Rocky Linuxrockylinux.org
Tuta Mailtuta.com
ARTICLE 19article19.org
microGmicrog.org
Rossmann Grouprossmanngroup.com
F-Droidf-droid.org
IzzyOnDroidizzyondroid.org
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE)fsfe.org
UnifiedPushunifiedpush.org
Forbrukerrådetforbrukerradet.no
The App Fair Projectappfair.org
Software Freedom Conservancysfconservancy.org
FACiLfacil.qc.ca
The Calyx Institutecalyx.org
CryptPadcryptpad.org
The Guardian Projectguardianproject.info
The OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF)osmfoundation.org
Proton AGproton.me
AdGuardadguard.com
Codeberg e.V.codeberg.org
GitHub Storegithub-store.org
MetaBrainz Foundationmetabrainz.org
GNU/Linux Valènciagnulinuxvalencia.org
Fastmailfastmail.com
Read the full open letter and thank the signatories →
What they're saying
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