Verify my balls, Google.

Didn't realize the device in my pocket was google's

How are they going to enforce this? Is side loading getting some extra signing step only Google can provide?

I shouldn't need to go through Google at all to release an Android app if it's not on their store. This is bullshit

and just like that google expands their walled garden and becomes apple 2

remember when the internet was an open platform and computers were yours to run programs you wanted?

Any device with Google Play services will enforce this. Any device that does not have Google Apps and services will not enforce this.

In this case, China actually has a leg up over the West because they haven't had Google Play services for a long time.

Why am I using an Android device then? Also how would this even work with open source apps that people build from source?

I'll register an account and share my signing cert for y'all to use. I don't care.

You are going to learn.

If it starts for real, the freedom of Android is lost.

We need to sue them 1000 times and more before they can even start this.

if you've ever sent a nude, they probably can.

There dies the last remaining reason to use Android.

Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul

Or, said in the common corporate tongue, “embrace, extend, extinguish”.

And use what instead?

Man! These guys are literally recreating what made using Symbian a pain to deal with and what sparked its downfall. Even if it was somewhat warranted due to the legitimate malware but atleast you could still run Java and Flash apps with permissions just fine. Now the last reason to run android is basically disappearing and I'm kinda glad I degoogled my latest pixel as of late. But like I kinda also hate that we are moving into an era where you cannot even control what apps on your mobile device right now outright. It was already bad enough with the automatic opening of Google Play for sideloaded apps and now its only to get worse from there. Genuinely speaking android when it first came out was a breath of fresh air compared to symbian and iOS. It's kinda a shame that now it's losing what made it great to begin with.

Then they'll ban you for life like they do other people who violate their rules, and they're very good at banning people who try to open new accounts and banning people who have any links to you.

You say that like there's a better alternative

Fuck you

I guess it's time to switch to developing apps for Linux mobile distro

The only reason I like android is cuz I can make my own apks and use them without issue.

They're already starting to clamp down on sideloading. I use Aurora Store out of principle, but it's getting more and more common that apps will refuse to launch if not downloaded from the Play Store. I get the risk of sideloading maliciously modified banking apps or whatever, but surely you could just compare a checksum or something?