This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
More anti-trusts lawsuits please. Just put a fine of no lesser than a 100 Billion $ on these parasites.
Google and the Open Web
Embrace
Extend
Extinguish <-- we're here
Ah yes, the 4X buisness strategy. Building an empire through four core pillars:
eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate
The irony of having this in the middle of the article
LMAO
The capitalists will sell us the noose with which we will hang them? or however it goes...
That’s an American thing, not just Google. They only believe in a free market when it’s their products and services. Theft is fine as long as it’s only them.
When a Capitalist says “free market” what they mean is “free to monopolize.” It’s about keeping the pathway to feudalism free and open. The US is its temple, but Capitalism is a global cancer.
Something something... Capitalism
More like neofeudalism at this point.
And actual full on fascism to boot.
Please consider donating to PostmarketOS to build up a pure mobile Linux alternative that is completely free of Google's influence. It's the best long-term option we have.
Sailfish is also a great option too
Unfortunately, Sailfish OS uses a proprietary (closed source) android compatibility layer, as well as a closed source UI.
For the parts they have open-sourced, they implemented a CLA that contributors must sign. It's the HA-CLA-I-ANY license, which specifically allows them a perpetual Copyright and Patent license, and permission to re-license your code contributions to a more restrictive license which enables them sell or package it into a closed-source proprietary app.
Personally I'm be more comfortable supporting the development of PostmarketOS instead, since it is completely open-source with no CLA, meaning no chance of any rug-pulling in the future.
Now it's an international matter of national security. Let's go world, time to de-americanize your tech.
Yes, but, from the article: ”GrapheneOS also says governments and banks are increasingly adopting these verification systems for things like payments, digital ID apps, and age verification services.
“Instead of governments stopping Apple and Google from engaging in egregiously anti-competitive behavior, they’re directly participating in locking out competition via their own services,” Graphene said."
Exactly, it's not only about fighting Google, it's also about setting a better, more open standard for the rest of the market.
Recently my bank has rolled out a new mobile app now relying on Google wallet for NFC payment. I was able to use NFC payment on GrapheneOS on the old app, I can't on the new one. The online banking stuff still works (for now) but no more mobile payment for me. I didn't sign a fucking contract with Google, why would I hand over my payment data to them !
Graphene OS need to develop their own app store.
They already have one. Maybe they could partner with F-droid...
They do have their own App Store, it’s just only got like… 14 apps in it. Mostly just the stuff they’ve made them selves that they’re super confident in the security of, as well as a couple of other app stores like Accrescent
To start allowing submissions of any third party app to it would ether require them to do a ton of vetting to ensure it meets their standards, or for them to drop the standards for security and privacy for it. If you want more than that handful of defaults, Accrescent and the google play mirror are there ready to be installed
They need to start incentivizing developers to develop for their app store.
You need a lot of money for incentives. The bigger factor is large scale adoption among the corporate apps that others use (their privacy policies notwithstanding), which I realistically see never happening for Graphene, sadly. Sideloading is a decent alternative, I just don't know how long it'll be around for.
Sideloading only needs to be supported by the OS, and the developer. (am I wrong here?)
Why not just use F-Droid?
Maybe the EU can slap some fines on that? It's anti competitive and against the DMA i assume
The EU can fine them for things like this but it won't make much difference. To provoke long term change, we need a way to block them from our countries and that's impossible.
The current US government is strongly in favor of corporations screwing over individuals, so we aren't likely to get any help there. The EU and China are the only organizations that might be able to intervene. Unfortunately, they both seem more interested in the surveillance opportunities than in the good of their citizens.
We seem to be heading toward a two-tiered internet. One that will be accessible to everyone, but will be limited in terms of commerce and possibly content. One that will only be accessible to people who are willing to give up their privacy. That might actually turn out to be a good thing. Buying from the corporations could easily end up limited to the later group, which would encourage more people to shift their buying to other sources.
I completely agree.
...and as soon as OpenNIC takes their SSL/TLS Cert generator out of experimental and into something stable - we can start.
Privacy concerned people can start to rebuild the internet based on the original principles of "sharing information and ideas", rather than " maximizing engagement ".
edit: a word
I'm not sure if "rival" is the right term. Seems like Google would be very happy to be a monopoly.
Slowly bringing his palm to his forehead a raspy voice whispers “***No Shit ***MORONS”
I don't understand what Google would do this. I mean, you sell a phone that has an alternative operating system that runs well on it, and you sell more phones, right? Or do they actually sell phones at a loss? Is that what's happening?
Google is an advertising company. Everything they do is about collecting data to feed their advertising arms.
They don't care about HW. HW is just a "distribution line" for their software. They care more about people using their software and giving them data. Most Android phones sold are not Google's Pixels but third party vendors. If a particular device doesn't sell well they won't care as ling as the Google ecosystem gets strengthend.
It’s been incredibly clear for a long time that the combination of greed, stupidity, and selfishness does not care about making money based on consumer happiness.
Product is a higher quality so people will buy more? That could mean that someone else can make a better thing, and implies choice. Bettee to just assure that the competition doesn’t exist and then we can make shittier, cheaper things that cost even more.
Four day work-weeks are more productive and make people happier? It also means they’ll expect respect and we can’t have that.
Basing the entire world power supply on gasoline is clearly a terrible idea and we should be looking to have a diverse set of sources, many of which are renewable? How about we just make up a bunch of lies and propaganda so that we never need to change?
Sony had to come up with lithium-ion batteries for their products because battery manufacturers were plenty happy making lead-acid and telling everyone who wanted more to go fuck themselves.
The reason you don’t understand is because you assume that there’s a level of morality to capitalism and to corporate decision making. There is less than zero, it’s awful on purpose.
Hardware they sell is probably a loss or super low margin.
Most people don't care.
Hell I'm even the "weird one" only because I tend to use FOSS options when I can.
Who the hell would use YouTube over NewPipe??
I feel the days of free YouTube front ends is coming to an end. I'm honestly surprised they're still alive. Didn't they try to kill yt-dlp recently? Together with their playstore developer verifications, YouTube VPN restrictions, making life harder for Android derivatives, YouTube ad blockers, and on and on, I don't see a bright future for anything that piggybacks off of Google's back.
I hope every de-googled os goes completely open source supportive. And i hope people choose these os's over google or any other closed source/centralized company
Im just waiting for somebody to make a plan for resistance. So far the best I have seen is going to the doorsteps of google to cry and beg them to stop.
thats not my cup of tea
