Gina3d ago

🚨 Say that I were to give a talk to EU policy makers and OSS communities at a very big conference tomorrow..

and that I want to spend half of my talk on how Google is locking down #Android through:
1. Device attestation
2. Developer registration
3. Age/identity verification

What should I absolutely include? 👀

Input is welcome, sorry for the short notice. Plain language + realistic calls to action pls.

@fdroidorg @GrapheneOS @postmarketOS @Fairphone @appfair @fsfe @murena @volla @IzzyOnDroid

Show threadGina3d ago

Boosting and tagging is appreciated, DM's are welcome too.

I really want to get this right, so please only use verified information. And yes, I'll be mentioning https://keepandroidopen.org/ extensively.

(And yes I will also mention Apple and the role of the DMA, but only briefly. More info: https://mastodon.social/@kirschner/116440678455335985)

Keep Android Open

Your phone is about to stop being yours. In September 2026, Google will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with them.

Show threadGina3d ago

I'll start with the #opensource strategy and EU tech sovereignty package, and good things happening and alternatives being build etc.

Then mention how the mobile ecosystem is one of the last frontiers left critically assessed.

I'll share how Google is closing down Android (input welcome!). 

And that we need to promote, fund, regulate and perhaps even build open (EU) alternatives in the mobile ecosystem if we don't want to increasingly become captured by 2 US big tech companies.

Show threadGina3d ago

About age/identity verification through the new EU ID wallets, I'll mention something about the necessity of offering this through open apps / app stores. Google is all too eager to become a middleman for these services:

https://reclaimthenet.org/google-wants-to-be-the-id-checkpoint-for-europes-internet

Show threadDavid Ginn
@Gina It's funny how these things start out innocently, and then one day you realise one company has a monopoly. Legislation needs to be able to quickly address that once it's happened, because it's cleverly dressed up as convenience, and the public sleepwalks into it every time.
Jun 7 at 10:49amWeb
Show threadWhatisgoingon3d ago

@david @Gina 💯

I didn't saw it coming when it started but in hindsight we europeans were not ready for the VC funded Silicon Valley mindset.
Which is basically to steamroll everyone and their competition using obscene amounts of venture capital to force exponential growth. And once they own the ecosystem they transform from convenient and helpful to evil and extortionists.

And it seems we are still not ready but merely waking up.

Show threadDavid Ginn3d ago
@themipper @Gina I welcome the new European movement to develop alternatives, but we need to be mindful of what the large American tech firms did so we don't allow it to happen again. I'm hoping the diversity of viewpoints in the bloc helps to prevent that from happening. BUT, money makes people do strange things...