Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading

9to5google.com wrote:

This new requirement sees Google create a new Android Developer Console for those that only distribute outside of Google Play. Students and hobbyists will get a separate workflow that differs from commercial developers.

---

https://boinc.berkeley.edu/dl/

More information / clarity from Google is needed before they shove this down developer throats.

I have to agree with the top comment on the article;

Top comment by Sominemo
Liked by 80 people
I'm struggling to see the benefit of this new policy. While it's presented as a security measure, the requirement to fill out these forms seems like a trivial barrier for actual malware creators, who will easily abuse the system. The real impact will be felt by legitimate developers who either value their privacy or don't want to be tied to Google's centralized ecosystem.

The latest development in Google's attempt to BLOCK "side loading" APK's...

This probably would be the end of BOINC on Android if I am reading this correctly.

Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google’s New Decree

F-Droid says Google's developer registration rule could end its open-source app store and strand users. Google defends verification as a security step.

Google’s new developer registration decree is sparking alarm across the open-source community, with the F-Droid project warning that the rules could effectively shut down its free and open-source Android app store. F-Droid is a non-profit project that distributes only free and open-source Android apps, reviewed to exclude advertisements and trackers.

In a post by F-Droid board member Marc Prud’hommeaux, the project said the decree would create a “choke point” that threatens thousands of open-source apps. He warned that if enforced, the measure could end F-Droid “as we know it today,” cutting off a trusted alternative to Google Play.

• New rules demand ID checks, app listings, and fees
  
• Open-source apps at risk
  
• Google cites a surge in malware from sideloaded apps
  
• The fight for app freedom
  

I suspect this will run into problems with EU and UK antitrust laws.