Advocating for Android as a free, open platform for everyone to build apps on.

Keep Android Open

In August 2025, Google announced that starting next year, it will no longer be possible to develop apps for the Android platform without first registering centrally with Google.

This registration will involve:

  • Paying a fee to Google
  • Agreeing to Google’s Terms and Conditions
  • Providing government identification
  • Uploading evidence of an app’s private signing key
  • Listing all current and future application identifiers

Sign the open letter. And get active to help oppose the enactment of the policy in other ways listed on the website. Are there any more ways to oppose this?

    • pogmommy@lemmy.mlEnglish
      183·
      1 day ago

      I mean, Linux mobile is the only viable path forward, despite its poor present state

        • Anna@lemmy.ml
          8·
          1 day ago

          I hate to agree with you but I can’t deny the reality. Even with what FSF is trying it’ll be really hard for Linux phones to break into current market…

    • Shifty Eyes@leminal.spaceEnglish
      131·
      1 day ago

      GrapheneOS for now until Liberux NEXX becomes a thing or whatever linux phone with good enough security, privacy, and hardware. I’m most hopeful for liberux due to the hardware and the desktop mode so you can use it like a PC.

      • antipiratgruppen@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        5·
        1 day ago

        The link is currently dead, but it seems to be the official one.

        I couldn’t access their crowdfunding page either, so maybe they’re dead and gone?

        When searching for it, multiple sources mention there’s a risk of it being a scam, but it’s hard to tell:

        Update from 27 January 2025: Beware of possible fraud As user ElCanch0 writes in the comments of this article, there is a possibility that the Nexx or the upcoming crowdfunding campaign is a scam.

        On news.ycombinator.com, several critical voices point out inconsistencies. Raddish2 writes in the thread that the Liberux employees listed may not exist (he was unable to find any information online) and that the company address may be an ordinary residential building. The address given is not listed in the public cadastre, although Spain normally lists not only buildings but also their floor plans. However, user InceptTM points out that the people can at least be found on LinkedIn. Another user says that he asked around and found out that some people from the company were involved in the bank fraud of Rodrigo Rato, who was sentenced to four and a half years in prison in 2017.

        Source (Digitec.ch)

        Another source (Liliputing.com) mentioning the possibility of it being a scam.

        It’s also possible they just didn’t reach their crowdfunding goals, and had to end the project.

        If anyone here knows more about this, I’m interested!

        • Shifty Eyes@leminal.spaceEnglish
          1·
          16 hours ago

          Thanks for the info and details. I’m hoping its real but maybe its best to wait till the 2nd round of production or something, let the journalists and tech reviewers be the guinea pigs for the next crowdfunding.

          • antipiratgruppen@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            2·
            18 hours ago

            I still get “This site can’t be reached” (ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED). Not sure why, but maybe their domain is included in some blocklist I use in Adguard Home on my router? I haven’t checked that.

      • 1985MustangCobra@lemmy.caEnglish
        617·
        1 day ago

        lol. oh you sweet summer child. there is still going to be backdoors on that hardware. your never going to get true privacy with technology.

          • mmmac@lemmy.zip
            7·
            1 day ago

            Depends on your threat model to be honest. Android (grapheneOS) has significantly more security measures than a Linux phone. Android was designed with mobile security threats in mind from the ground up

            • Slysilvercat@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
              2·
              1 day ago

              I think I like the buy Google Pixel, to degoogle. Microsoft really should have done better wuth there platform. USA lost Nokia & Windows together.

          • 1985MustangCobra@lemmy.caEnglish
            42·
            1 day ago

            id rather not kneecap my UX on my mobile device for just more of the same issues but i get to have linux on my phone, and do mostly nothing.