Well, that’s problematic. What happens to all the great apps in FDroid? A lot of us use Graphene, other android spins etc etc, but losing FDroid will make it much harder to get apps for these android-based systems…
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For me, I decided to ditch regular smartphones.
I’ve if Google will call it back we will still be under its monopoly.
If F-Droid will die, I will ditch Android fully. Even as virtual machine, since F-Droid is the main source of truly FOSS apps like Fennec.
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I would say keep using the Android phone you have. Use Fdroid and Aurora store/Obtanium. Block every app via Rethink DNS and only allow apps you trust. Essentially a firewall. no need to care about security breaches. Just unblock/re-enable Google Play services once a month to check for Android system updates.
Speaking this in the context of normal android phones not GOS.
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Google is accused of using security as a mask for what is really an attempt to consolidate monopoly power over app distribution at a time when its power is being suppressed by antitrust actions.
Not that I disagree with the article, but F-Droid apps are such an insignificant group I can’t imagine them posing much of a threat to the Play store. Isn’t Google just wasting their time with such a move? There’s nothing to gain here from what I understand.
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Security and privacy are not the same. The former is often used as justification for the weakening of the latter. Many of us here would rather use slightly less secure alternatives that are open source and privacy respecting versus the alternative.
Some say the proprietary apple ecosystem is the best choice for security, if security were the only metric this would be an apple fanboy forum. Except it’s not, this is privacy guides, and I think most people here are trying to wrest control of their data from surveillance capitalists and their corporations.
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I think the only thing Google will accomplish is encouraging more people to degoogle thier phones so they can use the apps they want to use.
How do you know that ? Could be a big number in asbolute.
I wish all developers and app makers provide an APK directly to install for those who still want to bypass Play Store. This can increase some risk but that’s where checksum comes in for folks to verify before installation in full.
GrapheneOS devs’ statement on the subject: F-Droid's delevoper statements about Google's registration - GrapheneOS Discussion Forum
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Let’s not kid ourselves here. When a boat sinks (AOSP), the group that has the rescue boat (GOS) isn’t going to be better off.
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all i did was shrug 
Interesting. So it’s not true that new restrictions will kill F-Droid, it’s just that they have to rename the app ID for apps they sign and then they can become “verified by Google™”. It might be annoying and disruptive, but doable.
this would require users of nearly 3,100 apps to be reinstalled for the package ID change, loosing all data in the process
we have absolutely no idea if Google would allow a single entity to verify such a large amount of apps
this is also ignoring the large amount of apps in the F-Droid archive, some of which do still have use, that would never be updated for such package ID change or verificaiton
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Also, F-Droid could be somewhat legally responsible for those apps, which could be very dangerous for them. I can already see the DMCA requests coming. The whole F-Droid philosophy is being open.
So…I can make a FOSS app but once it blows up in downloads, I must pay Google $25 to keep it?
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AFAIK you might need to provide some ids of the people downloading your app. Not sure how would that work.
Could F-Droid theoretically keep going if it limited its app distribution to degoogled android ROMs which don’t require Google’s new developer verification scheme? Or is the concern that if they were to do that, developers would be a lot less likely to want to make F-Droid apps for a now much smaller userbase? Or am I missing something?
Nothing is really stopping F-Droid from keep going. The biggest problem isn’t really on the F-Droid side but on the app developer. Who want to developing apps just for a few degoogled phones? Most of F-Droid’s users uses google’s services.
If we take chat control as a example what is the point developing a super secure chat if only a few degoogled phones can use it. Even if the developer get the verification from Google. Now the developer in the mercy of Google. What’s stopping Google from banning them in the future? It can even be by country to country bases. Or even worse if the app became illegal in some countries now the developer will most likely get doxxed by Google and risks fines or jail. You’re totally in mercy of Mr don’t be evil.
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Is there data on this?