Google’s Sideloading Crackdown: Why It’s a Threat to Everyone’s Privacy and Freedom (the.unknown-universe.co.uk)

submitted 5 months ago by cm0002@toast.ooo to c/privacy@programming.dev

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Google is tightening control over Android under the guise of 'security,' but this crackdown on sideloading is a direct hit to digital sovereignty and FOSS. I've written about why this matters for our privacy and the future of open platforms. What do you think—is this the end of Android's 'open' era?

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[-] Dionysus@leminal.space 12 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

You don't side load games onto your PC from Steam. You don't side load games you got on disk.

You fucking install them.

That's what you did with Palm Pre apps, that's what you do with Linux apps, windows apps, Mac apps.

It's only Apple and Android phones that are exempt.

Fuck you for keeping this I play. Fuck the people who don't think it's a problem. And fuck you for not being loud about it to whatever half assed politicians you can make miserable.

[-] kyub@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 5 months ago

Yes, even the term "sideloading" is already a discrimination. Let us "install" (not "sideload") software from sources we want or trust. A smartphone is a computer, and there are lots of reasons to NOT use the Google-approved app store. Fight scammers by educating people, not by crippling core features of an operating system or alienating existing users.

this post was submitted on 01 Apr 2026

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