Post #726821

2026-03-11 21:30 UTC

Big Tech is at it again. Some of you might have seen this already. Google has announced a new policy for Android app developers, which would require them to seek Google’s permission if they want to distribute their apps outside of the Google Play Store (on their own website or on alternative app stores). This would entail: 1) agreeing to their terms and conditions 2) paying a fee 3) uploading a government ID Which is wrong on so many levels. Nobody should be forced to register with Google if they don’t want to use their services. In doing so they would be extending their gatekeeping (tentacles) into distribution channels where they’re just not a legitimate authority. At Vivaldi, we believe you have the right to run whatever software you want on a device you own. That’s why we’ve co-signed this open letter, together with other 53 organisations, requesting Google to back off on the proposed policy before it enters into force. (Plus, they have have a pretty cool logo 😄) https://keepandroidopen.org/open-letter/

Replies (21)

@clmj@mastodon.social 2026-03-11 22:10

@Vivaldi this is bananas to me. Android's openness is its competitive advantage. If I'm going to be locked into a Google ecosystem, I may as well get an iPhone. This won't affect me as much, I'm either on Lineage or graphene but that's also just a locked bootloader away from being taken away. Thanks for fighting the good fight.

Open ##1076163
@SecondUniverse@autistics.life 2026-03-11 22:10

@Vivaldi Doesn't that fall foul of a ton of EU legislation that forced mobile OS vendors to open up to third party app markets?

Open ##1076164
@htpcnz@mastodon.social 2026-03-11 22:29

@Vivaldi funny how this get far less attention to here than whatever Microslop does, almost like most here moan about stuff cus they are forced use M$ stuff at work, but outside that, all their private devices are all from the overpriced cult of the choosen fruit. Where as the rest of us peasant masses use cheap windows devices just to run the Chrome browser or Chrome OS devices and cheap google Android devices for everything else. This isn't 2001 anymore.

Open ##1076170
@bonsai861@mastodon.social 2026-03-11 22:41

@Vivaldi Just in case they do, please can you prepare a Ubuntu Touch or SailfishOS app? Let me know which one so I can switch to that OS next.

Open ##1076171
@ZoidbergForPresident@kolektiva.social 2026-03-11 22:52

@Vivaldi I did not understood it that way, they'd ask a few to post the app OUTSIDE of their store? WTF...

Open ##1076172
@gimulnautti@mastodon.green 2026-03-11 23:10

@Vivaldi So they’re basically saying they ”own” Android. But the question is, as with any other rules, how are they going to enforce this? Do you get banned from the Play store? What else CAN they do?

Open ##1076175
@Ulrich_the_elder@thecanadian.social 2026-03-12 00:36

@Vivaldi I definitely do not want apple products and now I don't want android products. Is there a linux phone?

Open ##1076176
@leoschuldiner23@beige.party 2026-03-12 01:33

@Vivaldi I met Vivaldi browser thanks to Mastodon and it's been a great experience. Everything works perfectly and it has options and ingenious alternative uses and visual displays. Totally recommended.

Open ##1076178
@luiscarlosgonzalez@mastodon.social 2026-03-12 01:36

@alexchapman @Vivaldi Fuck america, fuck microtrump and goopublicns! that's all

Open ##1076179
@lisp_1@social.vivaldi.net 2026-03-12 01:52

@Vivaldi I guess it is back to the flip phone.

Open ##1076180
@anselmschueler@ieji.de 2026-03-12 02:43

@Vivaldi I'm a bit confused by what the social media buttons next to the signatories mean. They try to post something. But the post isn't about the signatory I clicked the button on. But the Mastodon buttons all post to different Mastodon servers. What's going on?

Open ##1076181
@forgetpassword@goingdark.social 2026-03-12 04:11

@Vivaldi you know what's better than signing an open letter Changing your licence to opensource i.e GPLv2/3 and MIT

Open ##1076182
@mcSlibinas@mastodon.social 2026-03-12 04:38

@Vivaldi let it die finally. I mean let google kill android. The sooner end - the sooner linux phone.

Open ##1076183
@jaharkema@mstdn.social 2026-03-12 07:18

@Vivaldi Follow them on @keepandroidopen

Open ##1076184
@connynasch@mastodon.social 2026-03-12 09:07

@Vivaldi I did not approve of google after they changed their methodology, quite a while ago. I moved away from their products as much as possible. 🤬

Open ##1076185
@FrutigerAero00@mastodon.social 2026-03-12 09:59

@Vivaldi Not only they do want to control apps but they want to close access to other download alternatives because they are seeing a lot of people against google. Google: you are with me or you are against me. They know their store is powerful and not having their apps in their store would make much less downloads.

Open ##1076186
@wbpeckham@techhub.social 2026-03-12 18:50

@Vivaldi I signed.

Open ##1076187
@FibroJedi@gamepad.club 2026-03-12 22:32

@Vivaldi a few of my regularly used apps are from F-Droid. Sometimes they've put notices up, or app devs have added banners about this. Devs want to contribute to people's lives in a positive way, without anyone knowing their true name, location or any other personally identifiable information. I don't think that's unreasonable. But I'm just a random and don't make the rules in how we should treat people 😏

Open ##1076188
@Petr90@mastodonczech.cz 2026-03-13 10:55

@Vivaldi 😀👍

Open ##1076189
@seanpm2001@techhub.social 2026-03-23 04:44

@Vivaldi Oh great. I heard about this, but I thought it was happening in 2027, January. I seem to have 3 less months of time to alternate from Android.

Open ##1076190
@jkambber@social.vivaldi.net 2026-04-22 10:18

@Vivaldi do normal users like us be able to give a hand on calling out Google?

Open ##2115159