this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2026
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Privacy

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Mandatory Developer Registration? Hardfork Android (keepandroidopen.org)
submitted 1 day ago by VanillaWasp@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/privacy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
34 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

With the upcoming changes to how Google handle's app verification, the future of the android ecosystem looks pretty grim.

While there are calls to petition and protest, it is long past time to take our phones out of the hands of google and into the community.

With the mass tech layoffs, the ai storm taking jobs,etc, there are more than enough skilled devs with free time to make this happen. We as the community need to support them financially.

Please help spread the message in your various channels. If you're technically capable enough, start the process!

https://keepandroidopen.org/open-letter/

https://f-droid.org/en/2026/02/24/open-letter-opposing-developer-verification.html

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[–] bitwolf@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

Wouldn't funding MicroG be the better call to action?

AFAIK this restriction will be part of Google Play certification and not AOSP itself.

That means we'd need the ability to unlock bootloaders to be maintained, and a good comparable open source abtraction to Google Play Services so users have a soft off-ramp from the Google Play ecosystem

[–] NotANumber@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 hours ago

Believe it or not but the Pixel phones are some of the easiest to unlock and flash. You install graphene OS just through a web browser it's that easy. It is somewhat ironic given this move.

[–] x00z@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago

Aren't they also trying to break AOSP? I thought GrapheneOS said something about how Google has been trying to work against them.

[–] lambalicious@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Technically the correct first thing to do is to make the manufacturers release the relock keys for relocking the bootloaders of extant hardware (say, the Moto G6 for an example). Having MicroG or whatever is not much useful if there's not going to be a feasible phone on which to install, so getting extant phones to become relockable with AOSP distros would be priority. And the way the economy si going and the RAM chips are not, forcing everyone interested to have to buy a whole new phone is not a smart choice.

Once the relock keys are out, fund All the Things. Lineage, Calyx, MicroG, what have you.

[–] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 hours ago

Technically the correct first thing to do is to make the manufacturers release the relock keys for relocking the bootloaders of extant hardware (say, the Moto G6 for an example).

Yeah, but that's not profitable, so they won't.