A deficit of confidence
Google has a response to the most troubling aspects of its verification strategy, yet wherever there is a shortfall, it’s easy to spot a conspiracy. Why? Let’s examine the context in which Google operates.
The judiciary has determined that Google acted unlawfully to uphold a monopoly in the Play Store—it acted contrary to the needs of developers and users for years to establish Google Play as the sole practical venue for Android applications, and why? The Play Store is practically a chaotic jumble of promoted search results and recommended apps, many of which are little more than in-app purchase generators that provide Google with billions annually.
Google has ample motive to maintain the current situation (it might escalate the case to the Supreme Court), and now it has abruptly concluded that the security hazard posed by sideloaded applications needs to be tackled. The approach being taken positions Google advantageously at a moment when alternative app stores might finally stand a chance to prosper. This arrangement is quite favorable for Google.
Developers around the web are voicing concerns about sharing their personal details with Google. Nevertheless, Google has decided that anonymity poses too much of a threat. We have gained some insights into how Google intends to handle the data it gathers from developers. While information on Play Store developers is accessible publicly, the video clarifies that there will be no public directory of sideload developers. However, Google will retain this information, making it susceptible to requests from law enforcement or governments.
The current US administration has expressed strong criticism towards applications like ICEBlock, which it successfully removed from the Apple App Store. Google’s newfound centralized oversight of app distribution would enable similar forms of censorship on Android, and the actual identities of the individuals who developed such an application would also be stored in a Google database, ready to be subpoenaed. A few years back, developers might have placed their trust in Google with this information, but now? The trust is lost.
