Considering that Google has stated their intent that Chrome OS and Android are moving toward a single unified platform, they will essentially be fucking up the laptop/desktop market as well.

The only remaining good thing about Google is their Project Zero. They have become the same shit as every greedy company.

I've been using Android phones since the OG Droid (2009) because I could install software on it. My next phone will be an iPhone if this doesn't change.

I've seen this website before haha

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.

Google is killing Android. Along with the side-loading changes, I'm losing the desire to keep using it, as it's no longer an open OS.

What's the point of those changes? Does Google want to maintain its revenue from Play Store? Feels like a bad long-term decision, especially when Apple is releasing excellent phones.

This battle was lost a looong time ago. The effort it takes to keep up with all the shenanigans of Google and that play store is way worse than these new changes.

This is worst thing ever happened to humankind.

For what it is worth, I submitted a (totally, different, "handwritten", personal) complaint to the UK's CMA about this a few weeks ago, when it was first announced.

I received _the_ most boilerplate "Thanks, bog off" response imaginable, which I presume is a good thing...

  Dear $NAME, 
  
  Thank you for your correspondence.
  
  We value people contacting us with information. This helps us to tackle anti-competitive behaviour and protect people and businesses from being disadvantaged by unfair practices.  
  
  What happens now?
  
  Our Digital Markets Team will now analyse your enquiry using our published prioritisation principles (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-prioritisation-principles). The Digital Markets Unit (DMU) will oversee a new regulatory regime, promoting greater competition and innovation in digital markets and protecting consumers and businesses from unfair practices.
   
  The CMA will continue to use its existing powers, where appropriate, to investigate harm to competition in digital markets. Please be aware that the CMA has no powers to take action or open a case on behalf of an individual customer or business (for example; to pursue compensation, refunds, or to intervene or adjudicate in disputes).
  
  We prioritise the cases that are most likely to make a real difference for people and the UK economy based on our available resources and the likelihood of a successful outcome.
  
  Can I get an update on my enquiry? 
  
  We are unable to give you an update on your enquiry.
  
  We find all enquiries useful to inform our current and future work. However, we offer no guarantee as to where or how your enquiry may be used.
  
  We do publish details of our cases on our website. You can subscribe to email alerts which will inform you when new information has been added.
  
  Will the CMA investigate my enquiry?
  
  We review all the enquiries that we receive. This helps us to understand:
  whether different industries in the UK economy are competitive
  if competition law is being broken
  if shoppers or businesses are being disadvantaged.
  
  Even if we don’t immediately investigate your enquiry, it may lead to us taking further action in the future.
  
  Do I need to do anything else?
  
  You do not need to do anything. If we need further information, we will contact you.
  
  Thank you again for taking the time to contact us.
  
  Yours sincerely
   
  Carol Sampson (she/her) | Enquiries Admin Officer | Strategy, Communications and Advocacy | Competition and Markets Authority
  The Cabot | 25 Cabot Square | London | E14 4QZ

So, I naïvely think one way to push this higher up the priority list and get the UK's regulator to act at least would be to look at those prioritisation principles and make the point that it falls high up them. One of them is "The CMA’s work should ensure that competitive markets provide choice and variety and drive lower prices"; another is "the CMA’s actions should empower competitive, fair-dealing businesses to compete, including by addressing the behaviour of a small minority of businesses that try to harm consumers, restrict competition, or prevent markets from functioning properly".

It's pretty clear to me that Google's direction won't be going down this route, and in many ways I wish I knew about these before submitting my complaint. If you're reading this in the UK, consider looking at those guidance points and hamming home explicitly how this move by Google breaks those points – which, frankly, it clearly does (it is going to reduce choice and variety; it is also explicitly restricting competition and harming consumers!)