It’s the “Google Play Services” that will obligate the developers to identify with their national ID and pay a fee. Many developers already announced they will stop updating their FOSS apps, and others have warned that their app might stop working because they do not agree to Google’s terms.

So, if Google Play Services is sandboxed or not installed on your device, you’re device is safe from Google’s mayhem.

(I chuckled at your “always been an ARMs race” 😂)

I see. Valve’s Android virtualisation is called “Lepton” and it’s a fork of Waydroid.

I wonder where they’re going with this. I know Valve is a game platform. From that I suspect that they will use Lepton to bypass the Google Play ecosystem and have their own Android Lepton Play store.

But wouldn’t it just be Android games on Linux, and not other apps?

But, wouldn’t we (or you) miss the Android apps? Interesting though if we could make that happen.

I think our best chance to have less influence from Google would be legislation from the EU. (Government of France 🇫🇷 is based: they’re going Linux).

I read on the keepandroidopen github that the “advanced flow” (for “side-loading”) is delivered through Google Play Services, not the Android OS, meaning Google can modify, restrict, or remove it at any time without an OS update and without any user consent.

So, yes, I think you’re right, GrapheneOS, PostmarketOS, /e/OS and the likes would be safe (for now) since they don’t have the “Google Play Services”. I read MicroG is a way to get core functionalities of the Play Services API.

For Linux phone, the Jolla phone has peeked my interest. But I would be missing Android apps, unless there is virtualization to run those??

If you find spirit, you can complain to your competent authorities in your region: https://keepandroidopen.org/cta/#consumers

So, in this case a Linux phone would be best?

Anyway, I’ll get a phone with a different OS than Google Android. But I’m not sure about Linux yet. I like my Android FOSS apps.

Thanks. I will do those things.💪

In addition to GrapheneOS (Motorola/ Google Pixel), I was considering brands made in the EU: Jolla phone with Linux or FairPhone with eOS.

And here there’s a list of regulators to which you can complain: https://keepandroidopen.org/cta/#consumers

So sad. Hmm, a different OS? PostmarketOS? eOS? Try if those support your device.