New warning issued for millions of Android users
Millions of Android users now find themselves caught in the middle of an extraordinary dispute between Google, regulators and app developers. Make no mistake, not only does this signal a huge change for Android that there will likely be no turning back from, but it also narrows the gap with iPhone in more ways than one.
We’re talking about sideloading, the freedom to get and install apps virtually anywhere, a stark contrast to Apple’s walled garden App Store. Piece by piece, this freedom is being limited, with users having to actively change settings or ignore warnings to take risks that were once an integral part of the Android experience.
Just last month, Google made its latest move to crack down on sideloading, allowing app developers to force users to use the Play Store instead of third-party stores or direct installs. And Samsung, the major Android OEM, has gone even further, shipping phones with maximum restrictions set, which disable sideloading by default.
It was clear that Google was moving in this direction, but now there is no longer any doubt given the public statements of one of Google’s technical executives about the dangers of installing apps from external official channels.
Many hardcore users are unhappy with this twist: Android has been the anti-iPhone choice due to sideloading, among other things. It’s in the DNA. But it also runs the risk of exasperating regulators, who are on a mission to introduce choice even if that choice carries a host of hidden threats that most users can’t defend themselves against.
This debate has come to a new head this week, with Epic Games filing a lawsuit against Google and Samsung for automatically blocking sideloading within Samsung’s UI, which they claim is the result of collusion between Android and its main OEM, describing it as a “coordinated system”. attempt to block competition in app distribution on Samsung devices.”
Google hit back, with Vice President of Engineering Security and Privacy Dave Kleidermacher criticizing Epic’s lawsuit as a “meritless and dangerous move” and critically noting that “Google and the security community have been warning users for years about the real risks associated with downloading apps directly.” from the web… Saying this about accessing a game is deliberately misleading; it’s about user safety. And Epic’s lawsuit puts their business interests above user protection.”
Clearly, Google’s comments do not appear to be aimed specifically at Epic products, but rather at the broader risks arising from unregulated distribution of apps.
In response, Epic’s Tim Sweeney posted that “the 21 steps required to install the Epic Games Store on new Samsung Android devices are full of intentional dead ends and misleading scare screens that characterize Epic as an ‘unknown’ source (you all know us) and our software is dangerous (you all know it’s not).”
Google says it has nothing to do with Samsung’s decision to automatically block sideloading, and it actually makes total sense for the phone maker to do exactly that. Sideloaded apps are at a much, much higher risk of malware than those that have been subjected to Play Store scrutiny, although the latter are far from immune. And while Google’s Play Protect and new real-time threat detection will strengthen defenses, for the everyday user the risks of sideloading outweigh any benefits.
But Epic’s points get to the heart of the matter: there is no middle ground between the official Google (or Apple or Samsung) stores and the unregulated danger zone resulting from uncontrolled apps, promoted by phishing and smishing attacks, carrying dangerous cargo. There needs to be something in between, and by providing such a compromise, you can address other issues such as high app store fees.
Sweeney emphasized that “Windows and MacOS demonstrate multiple effective and proportionate approaches to blocking malware. None involve blocking safe software from reputable companies or describing known software as unknown as Google and Samsung are doing,” describing “Google’s scheme [as] dishonest and misleading.”
A middle ground would be excellent, or at least some form of accreditation for app stores in addition to the official ones. Most phones don’t have virus protection and aren’t designed for indiscriminate installations, so the PC/Mac model won’t work.
Apple is also facing regulatory pressure to tear down its walled garden, which has included semi-introducing sideloading in Europe. But the iPhone maker has issued stark warnings to users and regulators that doing so will greatly increase the threat to iPhones and their users.
Sideloading, it warns, opens up “new avenues for malware, fraud and scams, illicit and harmful content, and other privacy and security threats” and also “compromises Apple’s ability to detect, prevent, and take action against malicious apps on iOS and for support users affected by problems with apps downloaded outside the App Store.”
There are no easy answers here.
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