I don’t think Safe Browing and Scam Detection are the same as this. Both those features (last I used them) allowed individuals to bypass them instantly when the individual chooses to do so.
This essentially says “if you want to download a non-Play Store app you can’t for 24 hours”. Is it the end of the world to wait? Probably not, but it is still annoying that Google is dictating how I use my own device.
Also, even if you want to require identification, they are less intrusive ways to do it. Just do a Github verification and allow trustworthy projects (open-source, >years, >stars)
F-Droid would still work as before on none Google certified system and I supose that people who really care about FOSS will use these system anyway
I think the issue is that it will reduce the potential user base for developers significantly, which may lead to people not wanting to spend time developing apps.
Do you mean user base for F-Droid it self or user base for apps that are only published on F-Droid?
Many apps I see on F-Droid are already only available through F-Droid and maybe Github.
And the people who also publish on the Google Store (which makes it very hard to get an anonymous account) will probably go through ID verfication.
Most developer’s aren’t anonymous anyway, and have their real name at least on their copyright statement.
I don’t want to defend Google in any way, I just say that it will not “destroy FOSS on Android”
That’s absolutely not true for most FOSS développers. Especially for small projects.
I meant the apps. If GrapheneOS only has around 300k users and you add the users of the other non-Google Android systems, I wonder if that may not be enough to make it worth developing something.
Hello everyone, I’m trying to understand this Google App Verification bullshit, and hoped someon here can help me. Here’s my understanding:
Some scenarios:
1- Mark has a Samsung phone and wants to install Obtanium or F-Droid on it. He will have to go through the process. (because Obtanium’s or F-droid’s developers chose not to comply with Google developer verification bullshit)
2- Markwent through the process. Now he wants to install apps via Obtanium/F-droid. Does he have to go through the process again for every app installed via obtanium/fdroid (IF that app’s developer also refused to comply)?
3- Mark is using GrapheneOS. Wants obtanium/frdoid. It’s cool. business as usual no process needed. (process is not needed, neither for obtanium/fdroid NOR for any app installed through Obtanium).
Is this correct?
According to what Google currently says, no; the 24-hour waiting period is one-time.
Yes. GrapheneOS will not be adding this “feature”
Correct.
If the setting has been enabled indefinitely, no (you have a choice between enabling it indefinitely or for 7 days).
You’ll still see a warning for every unverified app though. For Obtainium, this will apply to every app that refused to comply with the verification program. For F-Droid, this will apply to every app (except reproducible builds) regardless, because they distribute their own builds while reusing upstream package names.
Correct, this is a Google Play feature, not part of AOSP, so alternative Android distros are not affected (and if it was in AOSP they could just remove it).