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Is Google going to make Android a nightmare? (arachnoid.com)
submitted 3 years ago* by to c/technology@beehaw.org
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The discussion I stumbled upon, about this SSH app for Android, is really worrying. Will Google really manage to make it impossible to root your phone?

But there's more to this, it's more complicated. In the Big Picture, Google has every incentive to make these changes — they lead to more security, and they're aligned with Google's corporate goals as well.

  • When talking to users, Google will emphasize control over hackers.
  • When talking to stockholders, Google will emphasize control over users.

Edit: I disagree with "they lead to more security". That's not "security", let's not turn words upside-down.

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[–] 11 points 3 years ago (2 children)

Aren't there over a hundred OEMs shipping models with their own Android builds? Google will have to convince every single phone manufacturer to lock down their devices the way it wants, which doesn't seem very easy.

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  • [–] 7 points 3 years ago

    Yes. Everyone can just release a tweaked Android version and Google can't really stop them.

    But if you plan to ship Google services (including the play store, which effectively makes a device an "Android device" in many users eyes) then you will have to be able to pass Googles verification suite.

    That's already the case today and adding new requirements to that in new Android versions happens all the time.

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