This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Google’s developer verification will only run on mainstream Android with play services. It’s not supposed won’t be running in standard AOSP so the easiest solution would be to switch to a custom ROM like GrapheneOS.
While true, the pool of unlockable devices are dwindling fast.
Contact your representative. And here's F-droid's article about it (including how to find your representative at the end of the article): https://f-droid.org/en/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration-decree.html
we need linux phones ASAP
Does anyone know if existing linux phones can run 2FA apps such as Duo or Google authenticator?
Why do you need the google Authenticator? Proton has it too. Which (from searching) looks like it’s compatible for the Ubuntu systems. But that’s just from the search. I ‘m personally just using it with a android right now. I am currently eyeing up the fairphone Ubuntu as my next phone
Why do you need the google Authenticator?
Systems at work use google authenticator for 2FA. Prior jobs have used Duo.
Google Authenticator is merely a generic TOTP token storage app. The person you're replying to was pointing out that Google Authenticator, specifically, isn't necessary. There are alternatives, and unless you're using a company-owned device that restricts the apps you can use there is no way for work to dictate which app you use for TOTP tokens.
Duo, Okta Verify, and other 2FA apps that use push notifications and such, are a different beast altogether.
European devs: Our laws will protect us!
Meanwhile, our laws:
Article 30
Traceability of traders
- Providers of online platforms allowing consumers to conclude distance contracts with traders shall ensure that traders can only use those online platforms to promote messages on or to offer products or services to consumers located in the Union if, prior to the use of their services for those purposes, they have obtained the following information, where applicable to the trader:
(a) the name, address, telephone number and email address of the trader;
(b) a copy of the identification document of the trader or any other electronic identification as defined by Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (40);
Let's hope that the rest of the world, specifically Europe smash this ridiculous proposal apart for what it is. Europe has already sorted out USB-C etc. Its not perfect and they don't get everything right, but certainly big enough to make stuff right.
They're too busy forcing chat control and age gates through our collective throats.
Yep. The E.U. has allowed itself to be dominated for too long by the US megacorps. It has the talent, ideas, and manufacturing to tell US firms to bugger off ... and the sooner, the better for us all.
Unless you want hillbilly outrage slop destabilising your continent, you better get control away from American tech companies.
I'm starting to think these for-profit companies only care about making money.
gulp You might be right
What pisses me off it that they say they do this for security. It changes absolutely anything.
They really think that malware developers will say "oh no! I need to submit a picture of an id card to sign my malware! It's literally impossible to submit a jpg of a stolen id card, I'm ruined and out of a job!"
What does it change? Waste 20 minutes of some malware developer while they register under a stolen id? They already have a system that scans for known malware and automatically remove it.
It's always security when someone wants to take our freedom away. Always security...
Not always. It can also be about the children.
That's also security.
Not really, it’s more about children not being exposed to things usually. Hence starting with age requirements for porn and they move forward to other things.
"Protecting the children from harmful content and predators", "protecting people from terrorists and criminals", "protecting users from hackers" are all forms of security, and are all used as arguments to erode freedoms.
It all boils down to: just give up this bit of freedom so we can keep everyone safe.
About keeping the children safe
Of course they know that. It's about power and money. After all, they already have a security program that filters out malware. If we believe their stated reasoning (which we don't), they're tacitly admitting that their current security program is a complete failure, and also that they will not try to fix it.
The justification is simple, I don't see the confusion, they want absolute power and for all alternatives to wither and die ? What is there not to understand ?
I am perfectly ok with android apps being required to be signed by not just a certificate (they always were just it could be self signed and just needed to match to upgrade without removing data) but a list of trusted entities.
As long as:
Without this it feels too much extending the monopoly despite being forced to allow 3rd party stores.
"Google stands for free and open internet"
https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/public-policy/keep-internet-free-and-open/
Aged like milk.
~~Don't be evil~~
Be evil when it makes money.
And of course the motto should have been, "Don't do evil." That would have been a respectable goal. But it wasn't, because even back then they only wanted to be slightly better than Microsoft.
