Keep Android Open!
I believe Android must stay open and free. We do own our devices.
How Google seems to fight against censorship in Russia… using it worldwide
Here’s why it’s a paradox of tolerance issue.
In Russia (even you’re personally against any censorship and wars), you see this Google decision in a different point of view. Although I’m still against closing Android, it has some benefits for Google and (i think so) some tiny benefits for citizens: e. g., one year ago the state MAX messenger appeared in Russia, and so RKN blocked Telegram and WhatsApp.
MAX deployed in the App Store, Google Play Store and Russian RuStore (which btw was actually made from F-Droid by closing its source and enhancing its UI to look more modern). According to experts, MAX is a spyware and potentially could even be more general malware: e.g. it shots the screen every 5 min (!) and sends it on server, even you’re scrolling other apps, it listens your mic always, and also potencially it can execute something received from its server. Of course, Apple banned it, and so Google did too. But of course RuStore still installs that easily, just tick “I am sure what am I doing, allow RuStore to install apps”, and you’re able again to install MAX.
In contary to Chinese WeeChat, Russian MAX even hasn’t win any market concurrency, it’s just happened to Russians when most of people lost their ability to contact with families through the net (Whatsapp and Telegram got banned in three months), and got massive advertisement (propaganda) about new messenger. (Which of course is not private and ALSO seems not safe even for loyalties, because it is NOT e2e, made fastly and cheaply, but seems to have strong user integrations with state-level authentication and other state services…)
And I’m sure authoritorian regimes are looking for Russian experience. And it’s terrible example for most of people in the world.
And honestly I don’t even know is there any better solutions rather than (potentially) ban any custom stores in Android: I am sure it’s a kind of monopoly turn (or duopoly, speaking precisely), and what if some day Google would turn evil completely, and would do the same thing MAX is doing right now, but I’m sure at least there should be any option for Open Source, at most it would be nice if Android would be owned by community, or non-commercial foundation just like Linux is.