I’m seeing a bunch of posts about how Google has decided to stop allowing side loading on Android phones. But the EU relatively recently forced Apple to do the exact opposite. Won’t they just do the same thing for Android phones? Sure, people outside the EU market will lose this ability as a default, but presumably you can just order a Euro phone on ebay if you are outside the EU.
So why is everyone panicking? I think Google is definitely being shitty by trying to do this, and I support the development of other open source alternatives. I like the fact that this could be a big wakeup call for that effort. But I am wondering if this is also not as big of a deal as everyone is making out.
Despite what your favorite tech blog might’ve said, the EU hasn’t forced Apple to allow sideloading (more than is already allowed in the US and most of the rest of the world).
They forced Apple to allow third-party app stores (apps where you DOWNload other apps). Google is planning on doing exactly what Apple is doing in the EU, but globally.