this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2025
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[–] seraphine@lemmy.blahaj.zone 78 points 3 days ago (19 children)
[–] hietsu@sopuli.xyz 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

We had a few good Linux phones back in the day but Nokia / Microsoft killed them trying to compete with iPhone OS and Android: Maemo / Meego were great but did not get a proper chance.

Jolla continued the legacy and Sailfish OS is still something worth checking out if you can find suitable hardware, or idk how complex it is to port it.

Seems to be new Jolla phone coming up at some point too: https://forum.sailfishos.org/t/next-gen-jolla-phone/23882

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[–] Blindsite@lemmy.today 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

They exist. People just don't buy them. But there is a Ubuntu phone port you can install on your phone as an alternative to android.

https://forums.ubports.com/topic/10762/status-update-on-the-next-noble-based-ubuntu-touch-release-february-2025

But yeah it can get complicated like any Linux community project and isn't at all mainstream.

People don't buy them because they don't fucking work.

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[–] art@lemmy.world 75 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I'm starting to think these for-profit companies only care about making money.

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[–] Zacryon@feddit.org 146 points 3 days ago (4 children)
[–] Hobo@lemmy.world 52 points 3 days ago (1 children)

~~Don't be evil~~

Be evil when it makes money.

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[–] MrSulu@lemmy.ml 62 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Let's hope that the rest of the world, specifically Europe smash this ridiculous proposal apart for what it is. Europe has already sorted out USB-C etc. Its not perfect and they don't get everything right, but certainly big enough to make stuff right.

[–] SpaceCadet@sopuli.xyz 42 points 3 days ago

They're too busy forcing chat control and age gates through our collective throats.

[–] kalkulat@lemmy.world 22 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Yep. The E.U. has allowed itself to be dominated for too long by the US megacorps. It has the talent, ideas, and manufacturing to tell US firms to bugger off ... and the sooner, the better for us all.

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[–] Reygle@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago

Graphene users REPRESENT

[–] Wispy2891@lemmy.world 57 points 3 days ago (12 children)

What pisses me off it that they say they do this for security. It changes absolutely anything.

They really think that malware developers will say "oh no! I need to submit a picture of an id card to sign my malware! It's literally impossible to submit a jpg of a stolen id card, I'm ruined and out of a job!"

What does it change? Waste 20 minutes of some malware developer while they register under a stolen id? They already have a system that scans for known malware and automatically remove it.

[–] fading_person@lemmy.zip 53 points 3 days ago (1 children)

It's always security when someone wants to take our freedom away. Always security...

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 29 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Not always. It can also be about the children.

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[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

Thing is, Play Store is already filled with malware or near-malware from seemingly verified developers. I ran into several scam clone apps just today. It's even snuck in through OEM apps.

Same on iOS, which supposedly verifies devs.

If 'verification' and curation is their idea of security, well... It appears their system is already overloaded, yet they want to expand it?

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[–] kadu@scribe.disroot.org 221 points 4 days ago (24 children)

Technically illegal where I live.

In Brazil you can't sell a device with a given feature and then remove said feature in a software update. Even Apple, known for never allowing downgrades, was forced to downgrade and pay a fine to a customer after his iPad 3 updated to iOS 7 and lost an iOS 6 feature.

In other words... every single Android device sold until today in Brazil allows sideloading. Even if a single customer uses a sideloaded app, removing the ability to sideload freely would be illegal, and because the original feature didn't require a developer signature it can't be enforced now.

The issue is, as always, if this went to court somebody would have to manage to explain to a tech illiterate judge what a "developer signature" is, how this relates to "sideloading" and so on.

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[–] octopus_ink@slrpnk.net 240 points 4 days ago (42 children)

Have we ever lived in a more stallmanwasright.jpg time?

[–] primrosepathspeedrun@anarchist.nexus 135 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (3 children)

Ah. Well. About software. Stallman was right about software

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[–] ezterry@lemmy.zip 44 points 3 days ago

I am perfectly ok with android apps being required to be signed by not just a certificate (they always were just it could be self signed and just needed to match to upgrade without removing data) but a list of trusted entities.

As long as:

  • I can install my own key on my phone (I'd I am trusted)
  • major distributors like fdroid and have a key installed without friction (like web CAs)
  • Google let's me mark their key as untrusted (I probably won't but I should be able to refuse things they trust (at install time, not disabling preloaded apps like settings)

Without this it feels too much extending the monopoly despite being forced to allow 3rd party stores.

[–] Paddy66@lemmy.ml 16 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Contact your representative. And here's F-droid's article about it (including how to find your representative at the end of the article): https://f-droid.org/en/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration-decree.html

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[–] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 36 points 3 days ago

The justification is simple, I don't see the confusion, they want absolute power and for all alternatives to wither and die ? What is there not to understand ?

[–] barnaclebutt@lemmy.world 127 points 4 days ago (6 children)

Isn't this illegal in Europe? Was that the whole point of forcing apple to allow alternative app stores?

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[–] daniskarma@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 days ago

Newpipe, now signed by Norman Reedus, verification picture and everything!

[–] ook@discuss.tchncs.de 135 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I am really glad to see these articles popping up now. Since the news broke a week back or so it was suspiciously quiet about this, despite lots of negative comments here.

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[–] blueworld@piefed.world 92 points 4 days ago (2 children)

For those in Europe, write your representatives.

Fro me f-droid's post: https://f-droid.org/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration-decree.html

What do we propose?

Regulatory and competition authorities should look carefully at Google’s proposed activities, and ensure that policies designed to improve security are not abused to consolidate monopoly control. We urge regulators to safeguard the ability of alternative app stores and open-source projects to operate freely, and to protect developers who cannot or will not comply with exclusionary registration schemes and demands for personal information.

If you are a developer or user who values digital freedom, you can help. Write to your Member of ParliamentCongressperson or other representative, sign petitions in defense of sideloading, and contact the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) team to express why preserving open distribution matters. By making your voice heard, you help defend not only F-Droid, but the principle that software should remain a commons, accessible and free from unnecessary corporate gatekeeping.

https://f-droid.org/2025/09/04/twif.html [^antifeatures]: F-Droid Anti-Features overview: https://f-droid.org/docs/Anti-Features/ [^howmanyusers]: How many F-Droid users are there, exactly? We don’t know, because we don’t track users or have any registration. “No user accounts, by design”: https://f-droid.org/2022/02/28/no-user-accounts-by-design.html [^sideloading]: ‘“Sideload” is a weird euphemism that the mobile duopoly came up with; it means “installing software without our permission,” which we used to just call “installing software” (because you don’t need a manufacturer’s permission to install software on your computer).’ — Pluralistic: Darth Androidhttps://pluralistic.net/2025/09/01/fulu/ [^playprotect]: “Google Play Protect checks your apps and devices for harmful behavior”: https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/2812853

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[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 82 points 4 days ago (15 children)

I will literally go without a smartphone if Google does this, this is insane I would have bought an iphone if I wanted a junk device I don't actually own.

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[–] cronenthal@discuss.tchncs.de 102 points 4 days ago (30 children)

There's never been a more urgent time to switch to Linux on pretty much every device.

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[–] DarkSideOfTheMoon@lemmy.world 63 points 3 days ago (8 children)

Open source community keeps trusting Google and they keep using the Embrace, Extend, Extinguish https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend,_and_extinguish

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