This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
There's no such thing as "side loading", they literally made up that term some years back in a release of android tools (adb).
It's just installing software.
The weirdest part to me: this comes after the EU determined that Apple's locked store is too restrictive, and Apple agreed to allow 3rd party stores. Why the hell would Android go in the opposite direction? Will this put them in violation of the same EU regulation?
Oh they allow alternative stores now, too; you can install Epic for example. I wonder if that'll be subject to these new rules as well?
Presumably, they'll get a 100 000 dollar fine, and that'll be it.
I really wish I wasn't so dependent on certain financial apps. How much happier I would be to just give Google the finger and switch to Lineage, Graphene, or something like that. Unfortunately, a lot of must-have apps for me to even be able to live in my country, practically speaking, are incompatible with anything other than official iOS and Android.
Why not get a bank pass for this kind of stuff, and do banking on websites if you need to?
Typically, the website says "please confirm authorisation on your mobile phone".
Not all banks. Many provide a scanner for the user.
Unfortunately it doesn't really work that way where I'm from.
Couldn't you get like the cheapest android phone just for these apps specifically? Or do people need to do banking stuff on the go?
This is something I am considering. Could even put it in a Faraday bag when I'm not using it.
How is it even legal for a company to decide what you can or can't install in your own device?
For the same reason they can make you click agree to terms before you can do anything with the device.
Terms of service are unenforceable as nobody reads them.
A contract cannot be valid if one side has not read it. If one side cannot guarantee the other side has read it, it's their onus.
Also, clicking a button that says "I accept" isn't signing a contract. If it doesn't have your signature or a certified digital signature, it isn't a contract.
It's just an "I told you so" that allows them to kick you out, like the rules at the entrance of a restaurant. It doesn't give them the power to sue you or anything like that. It's just covering their asses with legalese excuses.
Any legal practice that claims otherwise are just legal mercenaries for the wealthy.
Because anti-trust has not been enforced this century, with the exception of Lina-Khan's work as the FCC director.
Companies have been pushing the boundaries further and further for decades, with almost no push back.
I reckon that means it is not actually your own device.
Legal is just whoever has the most resources.
The US supports monopolies as long as they have a backdoor. It was the same with Microsoft in the 90s.
What if I disabled Play store and use Aurora and Fdroid for everything? Am I safe until I can afford to replace?
I think it's on Google Play services so you need a rom with microG services.
I hate Google. They need to be broken down.
̶S̶̶i̶̶d̶̶e̶̶l̶̶o̶̶a̶̶d̶̶i̶̶n̶̶g̶ Installing
Reckon we are gonna need to see some how to guides for adb. I presume its like the linux terminal?
It's software that runs in the terminal. It just lets you pass on commands to your device that go beyond what the graphical interface can do (or allows you to do, really).
It's pretty easy to use, you just need a USB cable. But it is a cli like terminal so you do want to search for how to use it and not just guess because you can delete files accidentally easier. But you always just start with 'adb devices' and that just lets you know if it's working.
Great. So half my software won't work.
Google, just call it what it is. Ad blocking prevention.
I have the new Jolla Phone preordered and I'm excited to see how it plays out. Maybe 2026 is the year of the Linux Phone
We will get that reality with SteamOS supporting mobile devices whether gov likes it or not. These laws are SO god damn stupid.
And that's why I'm installing /e/OS in my Fairphone 6, and shifting to Linux based phones.
Even now Google is removing everything that is a choice to avoid their massive surveillance machine, apps started complaining about removal of UnifiedPush:
Fuck Google.
Motorola is making a graphene OS phone soon.
If they don't cancel the partnership over ~~age verification~~ digital IDs
Ummm... Isn't this precisely against the whole EU's make sideloading (ie. installing) as easy as main app store installing thing?
Taking steps backwards...
Apple shat all over those regulations with their implementation and got away with it so now Google are doing the same
