F-Droid says Google's new rules intentionally block free and open-source apps

"Google does not own your phone. You own your phone."

by · TechSpot

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Sounding off: The war between F-Droid and Google is escalating again. The open-source Android app repository says Mountain View is quietly restructuring the mobile software ecosystem in ways that could marginalize independent distribution and weaken the broader FOSS movement – all while presenting its Play Store rules as consumer "safety" protections.

Despite Google's claims to the contrary, F-Droid continues to accuse the company of attempting to turn Android into a walled ecosystem of government-vetted apps. F-Droid representatives recently said Mountain View is misleading users, because its assurances that app sideloading will remain fully supported are false.

For more than a decade, F-Droid has offered a curated catalog of free, open-source Android software. Every package is reviewed to ensure it contains no "anti-features" that work against user interests. Each app is signed with F-Droid's own cryptographic key, and all source code is openly published.

The current flashpoint is Google's new Android developer verification process – introduced as a security measure. F-Droid says the plan contains structural flaws that would make independent app installation effectively impossible, gutting third-party stores and threatening open development.

Google addressed concerns from F-Droid and other key members of the Android community. The company stated that app sideloading remains a core element of the Android ecosystem, while simultaneously confirming some of the worst fears about its developer ID plan.

However, F-Droid remains unconvinced. It says the search giant is deceiving users.

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"Google's message that 'Sideloading is Not Going Away' is clear, concise, and false," the organization said.

The new developer verification "decree" effectively ends unrestricted app installation on Android. Users can no longer freely choose the software they want to run on their devices, and developers lose an easy way to test or share their code outside Google's approval whims.

F-Droid also noted that "sideloading" is a misleading term, since downloading and running new software on a device is customarily called "installing." The term "sideload" was coined to imply that apps from third-party stores are inherently unsafe, risky, or even malicious.

By the commonly accepted definition, sideloading means transferring apps from a web source not pre-approved by a vendor. By this standard, Google's claims about sideloading are false. Google will soon require every app developer to register with the company, pay a fee, provide a government-issued ID, and agree to "ever-changing" terms and conditions to share their projects with the public.

The developer verification plan applies to every Android Certified device worldwide, covering more than 95 percent of all Android devices outside China. Even when users access third-party stores such as the Samsung Galaxy Store, Epic Games Store, or F-Droid, every Android smartphone will fall under this new policy imposed by a competing corporate entity.

F-Droid emphasizes that app safety, one of Google's main justifications for the developer verification program, is yet another false claim from the former "don't be evil" champion. The Play Store routinely delivers fake security apps, malware, and other significant security threats to billions of users worldwide.

F-Droid said Google should stop forcing developers and users to adapt to its monopolistic practices and instead focus on improving its own safeguards. The organization again called the developer verification plan an existential threat to both free software distribution platforms and potential Play Store competitors. Concerned users are encouraged to join the Keep Android Open initiative, as even Google will backpedal when facing pressure from sufficiently large, well-organized groups.