Base Camp - Blog

True Life Poet Oct 21, 2026 4:18pm

F-Droid and WHO?

It's been MORE than 15 years, and F-Droid, and the like, are who made Android the go-to smartphone, while The Domestic marine ® can't understand why anyone allows a weapon of mass destruction WITHIN everyone's hand, especially when the Python Project was bought in the Netherlands, the new European manufacturing base to empower Ukraine and take-out Russia and China, but what happens to India?

Won't matter because programmers are NOT needed any longer and Google's smartphones will be implanted in our brains while the data centers become our new ball and chain?

Of course this all happened due to the culmination of corporatism and of course, the later occurs over my dead body, but how does that help YOU idiots?

f-droid.org/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration-decree

"...that you paid for.

Independent developers A teenager's first app, a volunteer's privacy tool, or a company's confidential internal beta. It doesn't matter. In 2027, none of these can be installed without Google's blessing."

"F-Droid, home to thousands of free and open-source Android apps, has called this an "existential" threat. Cory Doctorow calls it 'Darth Android'".

"Governments & civil society Google has a documented track record of complying when authoritarian regimes demand app removals. With this program, the software that runs your country's institutions will exist at the pleasure of a single unaccountable foreign corporation.

The EFF calls app gatekeeping 'an ever-expanding pathway to internet censorship.'"

"Google's 'escape hatch' is a trap door Google says 'power users' can 'still install' unverified apps. Here's what that actually looks like:"

"Delve into System Settings, find About Phone Tap the build number seven times to enable Developer Mode Dismiss scare screens about coercion Enter your PIN Restart the device Wait 24 hours Come back, dismiss more scare screens Pick 'allow temporarily' (7 days) or 'allow indefinitely' Confirm, again, that you understand 'the risks' Nine steps. A mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period. For installing software on a device you own."

"Worse: this flow runs entirely through Google Play Services, not the Android OS. Google can change it tighten it, or kill it at any time, with no OS update required and no consent needed."

"This is bigger than Android If Google can retroactively lock down billions of devices that were sold as open platforms, every hardware manufacturer on the planet is watching."

"The principle being established: the company that made your device gets to decide, after you've bought it, what software you're allowed to run. In software, this is called a 'rug pull'; but at least you could always install competing software. In hardware, it is a fait accompli that strips you of your agency and renders you powerless to the whims of a single unaccountable gatekeeper and convicted monopolist."

"Android's openness was never just a feature. It was the promise that distinguished it from iPhone. Millions chose Android for exactly that reason. Google is now revoking that promise unilaterally, on devices already in people's pockets, because they've decided they have enough market dominance and regulatory capture to get away with it."

"Ars Technica: 'Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy.'"

"But wait, isn't this...'...just about security?'""...still sideloading if you use the advanced flow?""...only a problem if you have something to hide?""...the same thing Apple does?""...just $25 and some paperwork?" "Fight back Everyone Install F-Droid on every Android device you own. Alternative stores only survive if people actually use them. Contact your regulators. Regulators worldwide are genuinely concerned about monopolies and the centralization of power in the tech sector, and want to hear directly from individuals who are affected and concerned.Share this page. Link to keepandroidopen.org everywhere. Push back on astroturfers." The "well, actually..." "crowd is out in force. Don't let them set the narrative. Sign the change.org petition and join the over 100,000 signatories who have made their voices heard. Read and share our open letter Tell Google what you think of this through their own developer verification survey (for all the good that will do). Developers Do not sign up. Don't join the program by signing up for the Android Developer Console and agreeing to their irrevocable Terms and Conditions. Don't verify your identity. Don't play ball."

"Google's plan only works if developers comply. Don't.

Talk other developers and organizations out of signing up. Add the Free Droid Warn library to your apps to warn users. Run a website? Add the countdown banner. Google employees If you know something about the program's technical implementation or internal rationale, contact tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work machine and a non-Gmail account. Strict confidence guaranteed."

"All those opposed…71 organizations from 23 countries have signed the open letter"

The Calyx Institutecalyx.org

The Digital Rights Foundationdigitalrightsfoundation.pk

Fundación Karismakarisma.org.co

VideoLANvideolan.org

ARTICLE 19article19.org

iodéiode.tech

Open Web Advocacyopen-web-advocacy.org

Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL)ansol.org

microGmicrog.org

F-Droidf-droid.org

Italian Linux Societyils.org

The Chaos Computer Club (CCC)ccc.de

XMPP Standards Foundationxmpp.org

Bravebrave.com

GrapheneOS Foundationgrapheneos.org

La Quadrature du Netlaquadrature.net

epicenter.works – for digital rightsepicenter.works

FUTOfuto.org

Digitale Gesellschaftdigitale-gesellschaft.ch

CryptPadcryptpad.org

European Digital Rights (EDRi)edri.org

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC)beuc.eu

The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE)fsfe.org

The OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF)osmfoundation.org

Rocky Linuxrockylinux.org

Codeberg e.V.codeberg.org

Fedimediafedimedia.it

Proton AGproton.me

KDE e.V.kde.org

GNU/Linux Valènciagnulinuxvalencia.org

Crypteecrypt.ee

FOSDEMfosdem.org

Open Rights Group (ORG)openrightsgroup.org

Ghosteryghostery.com

Data Rightsdatarights.ngo

GitHub Storegithub-store.org

Privacy Guidesprivacyguides.org

OW2ow2.org

UnifiedPushunifiedpush.org

Software Liberty Association of Taiwanslat.org.tw

GNOME Foundationgnome.org

Nextcloudnextcloud.com

FACiLfacil.qc.ca

Tuta Mailtuta.com

AdGuardadguard.com

Vivaldi Technologies ASvivaldi.com

OpenMediaopenmedia.org

Aurora Storeauroraoss.com

Rossmann Grouprossmanngroup.com

LineageOSlineageos.org

MetaBrainz Foundationmetabrainz.org

FULU Foundationfulu.org

Aprilapril.org

Fastmailfastmail.com

The Tor Projecttorproject.org

Techloretechlore.tech

The Guardian Projectguardianproject.info

Mollymolly.im

The App Fair Projectappfair.org

The Center for Digital Progress (D64)d-64.org

The Free Software Foundation (FSF)fsf.org

Digital Rights Watchdigitalrightswatch.org.au

Software Freedom Conservancysfconservancy.org

Technopolice Bruxellestechnopolice.be

Osservatorio Nessuno OdVosservatorionessuno.org

Obtainiumobtainium.imranr.dev

Forbrukerrådetforbrukerradet.no

JMP.chatjmp.chat

IzzyOnDroidizzyondroid.org

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)eff.org

/e/ Foundatione.foundation