> While a fully functional version is available on F-Droid, the Play Store edition is subject to Google's imposed limitations.
-
While a fully functional version is available on F-Droid, the Play Store edition is subject to Google's imposed limitations.
I think that's the cause and solution rolled into one sentence right there. Use F-droid instead of Play Store.
-
While a fully functional version is available on F-Droid, the Play Store edition is subject to Google's imposed limitations.
I think that's the cause and solution rolled into one sentence right there. Use F-droid instead of Play Store.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Unfortunately I think this is going to be an inevitable problem with any software repository. F-Droid just expects users to go to the repository and inspect the code if they have concerns, or to trust the developer. Google can verify their own code isn't malicious. They can't verify the code of potentially millions of apps submitted to the Play Store that will inevitably ask for access to your entire filesystem, if given the option. Because let's face it, the majority of mobile apps these days are just spyware whose primary purpose is hoovering up as much data as humanly possible to sell to data brokers.
-
Unfortunately I think this is going to be an inevitable problem with any software repository. F-Droid just expects users to go to the repository and inspect the code if they have concerns, or to trust the developer. Google can verify their own code isn't malicious. They can't verify the code of potentially millions of apps submitted to the Play Store that will inevitably ask for access to your entire filesystem, if given the option. Because let's face it, the majority of mobile apps these days are just spyware whose primary purpose is hoovering up as much data as humanly possible to sell to data brokers.
I agree, at least partially. I do think that in most cases, this will actually protect not-so-tech-savvy users from installing spyware.
What i do not like is the "babysitting" approach which is now really bad on ios and android. They act like all users are babies who can't be trusted with making their own decisions. If I trust the app developer and I am aware that it has access to all files and what that means, I should be able to decide to use my smartphone that way, not the billion dollar corporation behind the app store.
However Google can and should protect me by making this decision process easier and more informed, for example by showing what permissions are requested and maybe even a flag which indicates permissions that are not needed for any core functionality. I think that most users should be able to tell malicious permissions apart from actually needed ones.My messaging app wants access to all my files? I don't think so.
My popular open source file synchronization app requests the same? Sure, go ahead. -
I agree, at least partially. I do think that in most cases, this will actually protect not-so-tech-savvy users from installing spyware.
What i do not like is the "babysitting" approach which is now really bad on ios and android. They act like all users are babies who can't be trusted with making their own decisions. If I trust the app developer and I am aware that it has access to all files and what that means, I should be able to decide to use my smartphone that way, not the billion dollar corporation behind the app store.
However Google can and should protect me by making this decision process easier and more informed, for example by showing what permissions are requested and maybe even a flag which indicates permissions that are not needed for any core functionality. I think that most users should be able to tell malicious permissions apart from actually needed ones.My messaging app wants access to all my files? I don't think so.
My popular open source file synchronization app requests the same? Sure, go ahead.They act like all users are babies who can't be trusted with making their own decisions
Because most of them can't.
