Nov 9, 2026, 1:55 PM#Android offers what #Apple never did: you are the one deciding what runs on your device.
Until now.
⚠️ Google’s developer verification scheme, with its 24h waiting period and app store fees of up to 16,000 USD a year, fades Android as an open platform. We question if Google is turning to Apple's business model.
WE cannot afford two Apples. WE need to correct this course.
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Nov 9, 2026, 2:08 PM@fsfe does it only seem to me or all this ranting and info in FOSS apps "so far has led to no action"? I don't see the general Google's intention changes at all or if there has been any significant push-back or compromise.
Nov 9, 2026, 2:11 PM@fsfe
We already have a duopoly which infringes massively on users rights, holds to no standards whatsoever. The current push towards more restrictiveness is only consequential.
This leads to the conclusion that we need not only to prevent a further restrictive push (aka apple 2) but start pushing further to force the duopoly to let us have the freedom to use whatever software we deem fit.
@fsfe Do you or will you accept code written by slaves?
@fsfe It's all converging to the worst outcomes, sometimes it's always been there, until discovered. Google to Apple practices, Apple to Google's. Open source converges to closed source unethical behavior.
Entropy in software goes toward disrespectful, arrogant, forceful sloppification. There you go.
@fsfe what can we do?!
Nov 9, 2026, 7:07 PM@fsfe Where is the 16k USD a year coming from? AFAIK, there's "only" a one-time 25 USD fee for registration, there are no annual fees, but maybe I am missing something.
Nov 10, 2026, 9:33 AM@fsfe I really appreciate the FSFEs work over the decades but the focus on proprietary mobile platforms while there are #FreeSoftware alternatives with openess and user freedom built in strikes me as odd.
Let's rather make sure those Free Software Android apps continue to run great on #MobileLinux (we don't need anything from google for that) and put the money into moving a platform forward that has freedom and openess built in from the ground up.
While I agree with this in spirit, I still think it's worthwhile to fight back against monopolistic practices. Because at the end of the day, even for Linux on mobile the greatest threat is mobile manufacturers not allowing you to unlock the bootloader, and your banking apps not working due to Google pushing hardware attestation (via Google Play integrity) as a security feature while it only serves to strengthen their monopoly.
1/2
Linux is cheap and accessible on laptops and PCs because anyone can install it on pretty much any device they come across, it's not the same on mobile phones and that's due to unjust monopolistic practices which had been left unchecked for too long. We need to fight back against this in a big way, no corporation should have the right to stop you from installing the apps of your choice on the device you own or prevent you from installing a different OS altogether if you want to.
2/2
Nov 10, 2026, 2:25 PMThe fact that anyone can install Linux on PCs and Laptops is the result of a decade long effort. It used to be as hard to find a working laptop than it is to find a well supported phone today. That's basically my point: Let's work toward making phones as easily usable as other devices running Linux. We've done it before, we can do it again.
This is giving me some hope, thank you....
I hope projects like https://librephone.fsf.org/ continue to make progress in this area by reverse engineering proprietary blobs and drivers. Also everyone working to make Linux on mobile a reality like @nura, @phosh, etc.... 🤍
Nov 10, 2026, 2:23 PMI'm all for fighting back against monopolies but I assume the @fsfe (as about everyone) needs to pick their fights so I'd rather see us work together towards a fully free and open source platform rather than worrying about what Google does next to close an already closed platform down further.
Also I think these things are sort of interconnected as well. Can you imagine Windows or MacOS doing the same thing not allowing users to install software of their choice? That's partly because of competition from Linux.
Either way I think it's insane that as OS get to have that much control over its users. Android is not free I know but this is still very bad, like there should be laws against these things.
I think it's all important, the legal fight and the work on Linux mobile.
Nov 15, 2026, 12:32 PM@fsfe Why rely on an american advertising company? Free operating systems for mobile devices exist.