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Posted by LorenDB 10/29/2025

Keep Android Open(keepandroidopen.org)
2693 points | 889 commentspage 7
zoobab 10/29/2025|
The European Commission public consultation is closed. Maybe that would be worth adding a note.
dude0101 10/29/2025||
Seriously, is this launched by Google to keep people from doing something real? Kindergarten...
novoreorx 10/29/2025||
Don't be a jerk, if you sign this, you should sign "Make iOS Open" first
utopiah 10/29/2025|
Why? iOS never pretended to be open.
warkdarrior 10/29/2025||
So what? I don't care what iOS or Android pretend to be, I care that they are not open.
Garvi 10/29/2025||
If people working for Google had a conscience, they would be working to break the system from within. At this point it's leaving the confines of anti-consumerism and entering into a gray area of basic human rights abuse. It's clearly a cartel market with the other big players (Apple and others to a lesser extend) that needed to be broken 10 years ago(if it were possible).

It reminds me a bit of the book "The Constant Soldier", depicting Auschwitz guards and staff enjoying their carefree holiday at a nearby lake resort, before going back to burning people. Might seem like hyperbole, but I think we're rushing towards an ugly plutocracy.

criddell 10/29/2025|
Going full on Godwin today?

People working for Google are not Nazis and people using Android phones are not like Auschwitz prisoners. That's a really terrible analogy.

runiq 10/29/2025||
Unfortunately the feedback period for the European Digital Fairness Act has been closed since October 24th. Does anyone know of another way to appeal to my European overlords^H representatives?
aembleton 10/29/2025|
Write to your mep
cryptoneo 10/29/2025||
The play store ID process is ridiculous, their AI is making up BS why it wouldn't let your documents pass, clearly no human in the loop.

In the EU we can report this to: comp-market-information@ec.europa.eu

State that: Google is abusing its dominant position on the market for Android-app distribution by “denial of access to an essential facility”. Google is not complying with their "gatekeeper" DMA obligations (Article 5(4), Article 6(12), Article 11, Article 15)

Attach evidence.

Financial penalty is the only way to pressure this company to abide law.

aprilfoo 10/29/2025|
The EU's DMA team replied to a previous inquiry:

> [...] the Digital Markets Act (‘DMA’) obliges gatekeepers like Google to effectively allow the distribution of apps on their operating system through third party app stores or the web. At the same time, the DMA also permits Google to introduce strictly necessary and proportionate measures to ensure that third-party software apps or app stores do not endanger the integrity of the hardware or operating system or to enable end users to effectively protect security. [...]

They seem to be on it, but no surprise: it's all about Google's claims for "security" and "ongoing dialogue gatekeepers".

Freedom to use own hardware or software, no.

pmdr 10/29/2025||
Google is evil. Every single one on here arguing "but muh security improves" is against freedom of computing, plain and simple. There's no middle ground.

Google & others have slowly turned down the freedom dial over the years and we let it happen. People working for Google let it happen. I'm not aware of any inside movement protesting this like they protested against various social issues.

Security that you can't turn off is basically a prison.

didacusc 10/29/2025||
It's finally the time for Sailfish OS / Linux Smartphone OSes!
WhoSaidWhat2 10/29/2025||
You should have all embrace Windows Phone with all of its early issues.
npodbielski 10/29/2025|
Will this impact forks od AOSP? Like lineage os or graphene os?
555244466 10/30/2025|
I'm not familiar with lineageOS but with GrapheneOS any off the apps don't have privileged permissions this includes the Google play services. Google play services works like a normal app via Sandboxed Google play compatibility layer. The layer teaches the play services work like a normal app in standard app sandbox. Because of that, the check of side loaded apps whether or not have been verified by a ID via privileged GSM services are not possible. https://grapheneos.org/features#sandboxed-google-play
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