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Can anyone say exactly what this would mean for F-Droid? For instance, not that I want this to happen but if F-Droid really wanted, they could conceivably get v

Can anyone say exactly what this would mean for F-Droid? For instance, not that I want this to happen but if F-Droid really wanted, they could conceivably get verified developer status. And then they could offer apps, which (again I don't want this, just asking), could also be distributed if verified. F-Droid would have to be verified and would only be able to distribute apps from developers that are also verified. And so conceivably you could still install apps from outside the Play store if they're verified. Unless the Play store is administering verification. I'm not saying that would work, in fact, I think in practice it wouldn't. I'm just trying to play out what that would look like to understand the specifics of how F-Droid is being effectively dismantled. But I'm all ears if someone has a different interpretation about how F-Droid lives through this. It would seem that it would only survive on degoogled phones.

marcprux 1y ago
We wrote about what it means for F-Droid at: https://f-droid.org/en/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration-decree.html https://f-droid.org/en/2025/09/29/google-developer-registrat... And it has been discussed in a couple of HN threads: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45409794 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45409794 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45507173 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45507173
- dang 1y ago
  Thanks! Macroexpanded: Google's requirement for developers to be verified threatens app store F-Droid - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45507173 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45507173 - Oct 2025 (152 comments) F-Droid and Google’s developer registration decree - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45409794 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45409794 - Sept 2025 (564 comments)
- shkkmo 1y ago
  > we cannot “take over” the application identifiers for the open-source apps we distribute, as that would effectively seize exclusive distribution rights to those applications. Since these are open source apps, couldn't f-droid maintain their own fork of each app with a different application identifier? It would give Google the ability to shutdown F-Droid at will by baning their account and thus far more power to control what F-Droid publishes and how it operates. However, it seems like anyone could fork an open source app and use their own account and setup their own unique identifier for their fork. No question this increases Google's power but it doesn't seem like it technically makes it impossible to operate a store like F-Droid.

marcprux 1y ago

We wrote about what it means for F-Droid at: https://f-droid.org/en/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration-decree.html https://f-droid.org/en/2025/09/29/google-developer-registrat... And it has been discussed in a couple of HN threads: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45409794 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45409794 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45507173 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45507173

dang 1y ago
Thanks! Macroexpanded: Google's requirement for developers to be verified threatens app store F-Droid - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45507173 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45507173 - Oct 2025 (152 comments) F-Droid and Google’s developer registration decree - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45409794 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45409794 - Sept 2025 (564 comments)
shkkmo 1y ago
> we cannot “take over” the application identifiers for the open-source apps we distribute, as that would effectively seize exclusive distribution rights to those applications. Since these are open source apps, couldn't f-droid maintain their own fork of each app with a different application identifier? It would give Google the ability to shutdown F-Droid at will by baning their account and thus far more power to control what F-Droid publishes and how it operates. However, it seems like anyone could fork an open source app and use their own account and setup their own unique identifier for their fork. No question this increases Google's power but it doesn't seem like it technically makes it impossible to operate a store like F-Droid.