Android has always stood for something important: ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ, ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น.
You could install apps outside the official store, use alternative repositories, and test your own software.
Googleโs upcoming developer verification policy is presented as a way to improve security against malware and scams.
And yes, ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐. Nobody serious should ignore that.
But the concern is simple: ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด?
If apps outside the Play Store depend on centralized verification, this can affect independent developers and open-source projects.
It can also affect students, hobbyists, alternative app stores, and users who bought Android because it was not iOS.
A safer ecosystem should not mean turning Android into a more closed platform.
We need better security, yes.
But not at the cost of ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ.
This is why I think the Keep Android Open initiative is worth reading and discussing: