posted in Technology
Google plans to exempt sanctioned nations from Android developer verification
arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/07/google-plans-to-exempt-sanctioned-nations-from-android-developer-verification/
Ars TechnicaGoogle plans to exempt sanctioned nations from Android developer verificationSomeone in Cuba or Iran can keep installing APKs with no new restrictions, but devs will suffer.
Replying to @VITecNet@programming.dev
I’m checking if my VPN has exit nodes in Iran, Cuba, Russia, Belarus, etc
How would that help you?
The article says, "unverified apps will only be easily installable in the sanctioned countries where verification doesn’t exist."
So even if you used a VPN to trick Google into thinking you live in a sanctioned country, you wouldn't be able to distribute apps to those countries without breaking sanctions.
Replying to @modem_down@thebrainbin.org
I don’t want to distribute apps, I just want to be able to install whatever I want on the hardware I own.
Why do people seem to think ungoogled won’t just become ‘unverified’ and the world won’t just keep spinning as usual?
This sucks for anyone with a stock phone, sure.
Oh no, I can’t use my banking app!
Oh no! 🙄 Guess you’ll actively have to remember your balance. The horror.
Replying to @Trampampoline@sh.itjust.works
I already can’t access many (and growing to MOST) government services without my government’s “my gov” app.
The mygov app won’t install/run on my devices as it is not a stock Android OS.
I’m LITERALLY unable to gain access to many government services without having to run a less secure “stock” device.
This isn’t an “oh my, what an inconvenience” situation over here.
It becomes an actual life limiting event.
Replying to @snrkl@lemmus.org
What hellhole is this when the US typically has no such requirement?
If this is a country in the EU, y’all need to step up and tell US to fuck off,
Replying to @Trampampoline@sh.itjust.works
Denmark here. Both MobilePay (a national phone payment app that works for private to private where you just send to a phone number and in place of credit card payment in shops and webshops) and MitID (national authentication app used for logging in to everything regarding public services and quite a few private services too) have severe problems outside of Play Integrity. MitID straight up doesn’t work and MobilePay fails an integrity check once in a while forcing a reinstall.
These two apps are integral to life in Denmark. MobilePay has no backup measure but MitID has physical code viewers you can get. But that is not something the common user would go out of their way go figure out.
Replying to @VonReposti@feddit.dk
MobilePay used to work just fine for me, until a couple months back. My plan is to get some crappy used phone, install MobilePay on that and use RustDesk to gain access from my main LineageOS phone.
Thankfully over here we authenticate with banks, and the 2 banks I use work just fine with no play services.