1y ago

Google mocks Epic’s proposed reforms to end Android app market monopoly

arstechnica.com

Technology @lemmy.zip

BrikoX @lemmy.zip

1y ago

Google mocks Epic’s proposed reforms to end Android app market monopoly

arstechnica.com /tech-policy/2024/04/epic-submits-wish-list-of-google-reforms-ahead-of-games-store-android-launch/

33 comments

Any idea how this demand is different from the current state of Android?
Under Epic's terms, any app downloaded from anywhere would operate identically to apps downloaded from Google Play, without Google imposing any unnecessary distribution fees.
Last time I used it, I downloaded all my apps through F-Droid, and I didn’t think they were paying Google anything?
- They probably mean, for example, not having to prompt the user to allow installs from "unknown sources", allowing alternative app stores to update apps and themselves automatically in the background like Google Play does, allow installations from alternative stores with one tap without extra user interaction, etc.
  
  I must have had an extension at the time, but it sounds like F-Droid does automatic updates for anything Android 12+ now?
  https://f-droid.org/de/2024/02/01/twif.html
  I guess the nag screen can be scary, though. Good point
- There are differences between play store and other store. For instance, on fdroid you have a pop up asking each and every time if you want to install or update the app after pressing install button. Play store you just click install and let it do its work in the background.
  I don’t think fdroid can update app by itself in the background. Play store can.
  I mean third party store doesn’t have access to some of the api play store have, things you don’t care but that is important to normies and that would induce reduced profit from epic store.
  
  You don't have that popup on NeoStore and other alternatives, because they use Android's new APIs. F-Droid (the app) somehow gets nowhere. Still can't export/import package sources either.
- In addition to what atocci said, apps not downloaded from an app store by default have limitations on their access to accessibility services.
  
  Huh. That’s a weird restriction that definitely gives credence to their case
  Are accessibility services only part of Google Play and not AOSP…?
  Edit: FalseMyrmidon pointed out an article about the restriction below
  https://www.androidpolice.com/android-13-blocks-accessibility-services-sideloaded-apps/
  Which states it’s only for side loaded applications, not for applications downloaded through a separate app store, so this wouldn’t affect Epic
  It’s also important to note that Google is only restricting sideloaded apps. If you use an alternative app distribution platform like F-Droid or the Amazon app store, you won’t run into the accessibility services restrictions
F-Droid supports adding third-party repos, no need to create another app, right? Right?
- F droid is dificult, the landing page is senseless and searching isnt intuitive. Feels a bit disjointed
  
  They probably don't have a designer, but as a platform they're actually solid. App devs can't pull a switcheroo like uploading malicious apk because they can only upload source code (which will be made public), not binary. You can be sure apps you download there 100% generated from the published source code, unlike downloading from, say, release page on some random github repo.
  
  Use Droidify or Neo Store. Both are in F-Droid repo, and both are better IMO.
  
  If they only learned a bitfrom Flathub.
"Epic’s filing to the US Federal Court shows again that it simply wants the benefits of Google Play without having to pay for it," Google's spokesperson said. "We’ll continue to challenge the verdict, as Android is an open mobile platform that faces fierce competition from the Apple App Store, as well as app stores on Android devices, PCs, and gaming consoles."
Is this the mocking? Its not a very good mocking!
Man, I never bought an iPhone because I despise apple and their closed ecosystem, so I was with android since the start.
But google has made me want to not buy android phones for over a decade, but what else is there
- Ars is usually better than this. The title for this article makes no sense.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
This would benefit both mobile developers and users, Epic argued in a wide-sweeping proposal that would greatly limit Google's control over the Android app ecosystem.
US District Court Judge James Donato will ultimately decide the terms of the injunction.
"Google must also allow developers to communicate directly with their consumers, including linking from their app to a website to make purchases and get deals," Epic said in a blog post.
"Google would be blocked from using sham compliance programs like User Choice Billing to prevent competing payment options inside an app or on a developer’s website."
If Donato accepts the terms, Google would be violating the injunction order if the tech giant fails to prove that it is not "treating Epic differently than other developers" by making it "disproportionately difficult or costly" for Epic to develop, update, and market its apps on Android.
According to Inc, Epic told Game Developers Conference attendees that its app-distribution platform will be the "first ever game-focused, multiplatform store," working across "Android, iOS, PC and macOS."
The original article contains 548 words, the summary contains 171 words. Saved 69%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

33 comments