Google Confirms Android Dev Verification Will Have Free and Paid Tiers, No Public List of Devs (arstechnica.com) 16
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: As we careen toward a future in which Google has final say over what apps you can run, the company has sought to assuage the community's fears with a blog post and a casual "backstage" video. Google has said again and again since announcing the change that sideloading isn't going anywhere, but it's definitely not going to be as easy. The new information confirms app installs will be more reliant on the cloud, and devs can expect new fees, but there will be an escape hatch for hobbyists.
Confirming app verification status will be the job of a new system component called the Android Developer Verifier, which will be rolled out to devices in the next major release of Android 16. Google explains that phones must ensure each app has a package name and signing keys that have been registered with Google at the time of installation. This process may break the popular FOSS storefront F-Droid. It would be impossible for your phone to carry a database of all verified apps, so this process may require Internet access. Google plans to have a local cache of the most common sideloaded apps on devices, but for anything else, an Internet connection is required. Google suggests alternative app stores will be able to use a pre-auth token to bypass network calls, but it's still deciding how that will work.
The financial arrangement has been murky since the initial announcement, but it's getting clearer. Even though Google's largely automated verification process has been described as simple, it's still going to cost developers money. The verification process will mirror the current Google Play registration fee of $25, which Google claims will go to cover administrative costs. So anyone wishing to distribute an app on Android outside of Google's ecosystem has to pay Google to do so. What if you don't need to distribute apps widely? This is the one piece of good news as developer verification takes shape. Google will let hobbyists and students sign up with only an email for a lesser tier of verification. This won't cost anything, but there will be an unclear limit on how many times these apps can be installed. The team in the video strongly encourages everyone to go through the full verification process (and pay Google for the privilege). We've asked Google for more specifics here.
Confirming app verification status will be the job of a new system component called the Android Developer Verifier, which will be rolled out to devices in the next major release of Android 16. Google explains that phones must ensure each app has a package name and signing keys that have been registered with Google at the time of installation. This process may break the popular FOSS storefront F-Droid. It would be impossible for your phone to carry a database of all verified apps, so this process may require Internet access. Google plans to have a local cache of the most common sideloaded apps on devices, but for anything else, an Internet connection is required. Google suggests alternative app stores will be able to use a pre-auth token to bypass network calls, but it's still deciding how that will work.
The financial arrangement has been murky since the initial announcement, but it's getting clearer. Even though Google's largely automated verification process has been described as simple, it's still going to cost developers money. The verification process will mirror the current Google Play registration fee of $25, which Google claims will go to cover administrative costs. So anyone wishing to distribute an app on Android outside of Google's ecosystem has to pay Google to do so. What if you don't need to distribute apps widely? This is the one piece of good news as developer verification takes shape. Google will let hobbyists and students sign up with only an email for a lesser tier of verification. This won't cost anything, but there will be an unclear limit on how many times these apps can be installed. The team in the video strongly encourages everyone to go through the full verification process (and pay Google for the privilege). We've asked Google for more specifics here.
They're up to something (Score:2)
If I had the gas this is a big fuck you to epic for side loading fortnite for so long. If I read this right that basically makes it impossible for a large company like epic to do that.
In theory they can with a paid account but as antitrust law is increasingly a fever dream Google will eventually tighten the screws. And I don't think it's something that will be that far into the
Re:They're up to something (Score:5, Insightful)
And at the same time they can get rid of popular youtube apps that avoid the advertising rubbish. There's no way NewPipe's developer can get a verified dev account.
If I can't run the apps I or others make without some stupid signing process, and side load what I want, what's the point of even using Android? Might as well go to an iPhone and have a fully curated "experience."
As for Europe, this is definitely malicious compliance. It does technically comply with EU demands even as it thumbs its nose at the intention of the regulation. The EU will have to continually fine-tune the regulation as Google is going to do its level best to end run around it every time.
Re: (Score:1)
If I can't run the apps I or others make without some stupid signing process, and side load what I want, what's the point of even using Android? Might as well go to an iPhone
100%. I passed on the initial iPhone because you couldn't develop for it. Then the "sweet solution" offered was iPhone-themed web apps. Finally Apple published a real SDK, but you had to pay annually, and get your apps approved.
I got a Nexus S and liked it. Learning to develop for Android was a chore, but I was able to run applications I'd written and share them with others. I couldn't have done that with iOS.
However, you can (a) download the iOS dev tools for free, (b) build iOS apps on a Mac and run
Re: (Score:2)
Actually I suspect this verification will roll out to all versions of Android currently pulling Google Play Services updates. In other words existing phones will see this rolled out sooner or later.
1..2..3 until adblocker devs are all banned (Score:5, Insightful)
What about a private list of devs that is leaked? (Score:3)
Complete with names, addresses, tax information, copies of photo IDs, and also the correlated advertising profile so that they can be offered a personalized advertisement for the perfect mattress?
Re: (Score:2)
Add bank account, social security number (or corresponding for other countries) and medical records to that list and you are cooked and roasted 7 ways from hell.
No, thanks. (Score:2)
Hopefully we won't see any of this shit in the EU.
And if they don't approve of your app? (Score:5, Insightful)
A free tier is great and all, but suppose I want to make an app for others to side load that Google disagrees with? They will obviously pull the verification and prevent anyone from using my app. And if an app becomes popular, reglardless of what app store it's in, Google can bump the developer to a higher paid tier and demand payment.
I have to hand it to Google. They've on-upped Apple on this. They can claim to government regulators they allow side-loading, while still maintaining absolute control over what people do with their phones and they've found a way to charge for every app even if it's not on their store. I fully expect Apple to do the exact same thing. Sweet sweet 30%. Although by manipulating the developer fees they basically charge anything they want.
All in all this is very disappointing and unacceptable.
The more important aspect is another one (Score:2)
They can just approve every apps, but they can just hand out the name and address of developers. That way if you have a fascist government, they can get the name and address from Google and "convince" the developer to withdraw their app.
We have seen that Big-"Tech" does not even try to stop fascism.
Blocks ad blocker apps (Score:2)
The Intersection of Profit and Fashism (Score:2)
Such a feature is wonderfully useful for Profits and Fashism. You can block out ad-blockers or other software that threatens business models.... and you can block software that tries to circumvent fashism.
If every app has a person attached to it, it's fairly easy to go against software that software that doesn't spy on the user. You just go against that person. It's a dream for both fashists and corporate lawyers.