2mo ago

Google Play’s latest security change may break many Android apps for some power users. The Play Integrity API uses hardware-backed signals that are trickier for rooted devices and custom ROMs to pass.

www.androidauthority.com

Google Play’s latest security change may break many Android apps for some power users

2mo ago

www.androidauthority.com /google-play-integrity-hardware-attestation-3561592/

Android @lemdro.id

Blaze (he/him) @piefed.social

2mo ago

www.androidauthority.com /google-play-integrity-hardware-attestation-3561592/

14 comments

Google’s primary aim with these changes is to improve app security for everyone
Bullshit. Google's primary aim is to make sure that Android builds which aren't Google-approved and may not integrate Google's profitable services as deeply are not commercially viable.
Remember to leave one-star reviews for any apps that use this shit.
- I mean, both things can be true? I know banks are pushing on Google to improve Android security, to avoid malicious apps with root access from messing with banking apps.
  The fact is that a rooted phone can definitely be less secure if the user doesn't 100% know what they're doing, in the same way that always logging in as root on a Linux system can be.
  
  I mean, both things can be true?
  I don't think that's true. They could both be aims, but one would be secondary (or at least not primary).
  I don't think they're both true at all though. I don't believe for a second the risk posed by/to users invested enough to root their phones is high enough to warrant this nonsense. The cynical/profitable explanation seems a whole lot more likely, imo.
  
  GrapheneOS is more secure than Google stock.
  
  I know banks are pushing on Google to improve Android security, to avoid malicious apps with root access from messing with banking apps.
  How do you know this? Do you have a link to a source that says it?
  I've tried (not especially hard) to find sources in the past citing actual incidents where end-user devices running non-stock Android or with root access led to bank fraud or data breaches. I didn't find anything to suggest that's a problem in the real world.
  The main malware problems I have seen reported for Android are:
  Malware in the Play Store. This is the only way I've seen Android malware in the wild, on a family member's device.
  Zero-click exploits. The best prevention for these is an up-to-date OS. On an older device, that means a third-party build that won't pass Google's checks.
Bunch of fucking losers. They're so goddamn pissed that I'm still using my P3XL instead of buying their ever evolving lineup of phone.
- It's unlikely they care much about a handful of people staying on old devices nor make all that much direct profit from phones sales. People who use old devices usually don't spend huge amounts in the mobile ecosystem anyway.
  What they really don't want is OEMs selling non-Google-approved Android phones to the mass market. If important apps won't run, those devices won't sell.
"While I wouldn’t say Google is actively hostile towards these power users"
i sure fuckin would. there has been a huge surge on degoogle and related subs after trump, and they want to stop this.
So, it's not just banking, payment apps etc. but all of the apps will eventually go there? Does this mean all of the custom ROMs have to become more device specific like GrapheneOS rather than just the devices using the same peripherals to solve an issue like this? (if it's solvable by devs)
Apparently older devices that don't get updates with their stock ROMs will also face problems because of this, even though they can be used as up-to-date with custom ROMs.
Is Google play even required...?
- If you want most commercial apps, yes.
  
  Well, most apps work fine with microg.

14 comments