Android Lockdown Imminent

What does it mean when Android gets locked down? I was always told the benefit to Android over Apple’s iOS was the ability to side-load apps. Android was the technologist’s choice, even though developers are deep adopters of the Apple ecosystem. Android was supposed to be open, free from the walled garden, and completely your own. That seems like that is going the way of the dodo bird.

It was inevitable, but I want to make sure this is not an “I told you so” post. I am honestly a bit of a fan of operating systems. I personally have devices that run ChromeOS, Windows 11, iOS, Ubuntu, and Android itself. I would have MacOS if the Mac mini had not become a fan favorite of AI enthusiasts looking to run ClawdBot. But, like I have always said, the Google Play store is a bit of the Wild West. Android is a major purveyor of malware. But locking it down and requiring an ID going forward on app development? That’s the fix?

Google locking down billions of devices retroactively that were originally sold as open source is troubling to say the least. How does that affect foreign countries developing apps in opposition to oppressive governments? Is this now mandatory fee of $25 something a young third world developer can float? So much for the democratizing power of technology.

Yes, there seems like a way to force side-load apps buried in the settings menu going forward, but when will that be deactivated? It definitely makes it difficult to distribute your own apps unless people know specifically how to do it, which means only the most die-hardest of all technologists will be using it. Of course we know how that will play out one day.

Like I say, never invest in Google products, they are not responsible enough to keep the good ones available.