this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2026
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What does this mean for GrapheneOS and similar degoogled android versions?
Nothing changes for now but other moves by Google clearly show they are trying to kill 3rd party ROMs by locking down Android's code. In my opinion, unless EU steps in and mandates phone manufacturers and Google to support google free apps we're fucked.
EU wants phones to be locked down so they can then make Google implement mass surveillance for "national security" reasons
The EU has no interest in allowing privacy on devices, since it is increasingly attempting to control alternative narratives. We're in touching distance of the Fourth Reich now.
Europe has explicitly no problem with this. They showed they have the power to censor Russian media but refuse to do this with European far-right, they just want the local fascists to win.
This describes the EU, in a nutshell https://theuaob.substack.com/p/the-comprador-calculus-why-europes The fascists have already won.
Even the premise is too generous:
How on Earth is the literal cradle of Fascism and colonialism built on peace and sovereignty? The EU is built on neoliberalism and anticommunism, it cannot be built on peace or sovereignty.
Remember that the EU arose in part from the institutions set up to deter the same type of nationalist fascism rising again, such as the ECSC. Sadly, we may have encouraged Russian -funded American -spread international fascism in its place, although they don't seem to control the EU yet.
Fascism is not even Russian funded or American spread, Europe is perfectly capable of growing its own fascism as we saw 100 years ago, sadly we're going down the same road.
American billionaires literally funded the US fascism and have made it public policy to support fascistic governments and groups within the EU. See the US sec of state endorsing Orban this week as evidence.
Honeslty think you ae a bot in here to spread shit and be divisive for the sake of it.
Nah, you're just eurocentric and believe the myth of the European garden vs the world jungle, whose roots are white supremacy. Not everyone who disagrees with you is a bot, I'm not calling you an Interpol agent.
You can't distinguish between europe and the EU. Europe has a colonial history. The EU was formed with peace and stability in mind.
The atrocities committed by european states across the centuries should be remembered and reparations made to the best possible degree.
The stability that the EU brought to the region should be remembered, lauded and fought for.
Sorry I dont subscribe to your view that once any rvil has taken place in a land that those people can never then be a force for good.
Capable and seen in the past, yes, but the current wave of it is indeed funded and spread by Russians and Americans.
Criticizing European colonialist roots makes me an asset? Welp, guess I should instead join the massive far-right crowds in Spain chanting that Muslims should be expelled and that Spain brought culture and technology to its colonies in America
The EU was founded on peace. Post world war 2 , right up until now was the longest period of peace on the continent in moder history.
You do you man, but parroting divisive talking points just to be doing it is asset work.
Damn, you should totally tell the million Algerians murdered by France leading up to 1962 that Europe was peaceful, maybe nothing would have happened. You should also tell Iraqis about how we totally didn't join the invasion of their country on this very century, Yugoslav people how Europe didn't bomb them, and Libyans that Europe didn't bomb them either
Where did the EU bomb? We are not France, and criticisms of their actions and territorial claims are legitmate.
Military intervention in Libya. Belligerent NATO states: Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States. Most of those are EU countries.
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. Aviation: French, Italian, UK, Belgian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Norwegian, Spanish, German
NATO isnt the EU.
I listed you the countries...
Would not be sure about that. There has been steps in opposite directions in the past. Remember the regulation regarding 3. party app Stores on IOS, or even further back in the past the "Free Brwoser Choice" in MS-Windows.
It is surely called competition law?
I'm dumb But using grapheneos How would them locking down the code affect graphene?
Some apps require google play, like android auto and maps.
I'm using grapheneos with open street maps, so I don't think there would be any problem with that. There is a work around to load some apps that require google play with out a google account. I'm guessing that is what would be affected.
Graphen is based on AOSP - Android Open Source Project. As the name implies, that's the part of Android that's Open Source. Google publishes this code, Graphene OS people modify it and release. All bugfixes, security fixes and new features go there. Google first stopped accepting contributions from other devs and now they are limiting how often will they release AOSP and how often will they publish security fixes. This makes development of Graphene OS more difficult and it looks like Google's ultimate goal is to make Android closed source. Graphene OS doesn't have the resources to develop Android by themselves so this would probably kill the project.
While it does not affect them directly, it is unlikely most app developers will give significant effort to only support a small percentage of Android users running custom ROMs. So while GrapheneOS users will be able to install apps, there will likely not be that many apps to install.
Edit: What I mean is that most applications will have to choose to either agree to google terms and identify themselves, or develop only for custom ROMs, or stop developing altogether. And I don't think many will choose the 2nd option. Also, 1st option may not be available if google does not like your app.
The european movement away from american stuff however is increasing, I’m hopeful that Jolla, Fairphone and the ROM world will actually increase in importance and numbers
It's the other way around. GrapheneOS users will be able to install all the apps but stock Android users will not be able to install apps from F-Droid and other alternative sources*. F-Droid will lose access to about 99% of the market.
*Technically it will still be possible for open source devs to distribute apps to stock Android users but it will require handing Google your personal information and setting up way more complicated build configuration.
Please see the edit with clarification, since I guess I wrote it poorly and multiple commenters did not get my point.
Yeah, uh, no alarm bells in the market watchdogs? None at all?
I'm writing this on a GOS Pixel tablet with only free/libre installation sources. There are quite enough applications to install.
Please see edit of my comment. Since it seems my point did not get across, I elaborated. Of course there are plenty right now since there are no barriers yet.
GrapheneOS is not limited by Google, as long as the bootloader is unlockable and Google contnues releasing the sources. Longterm, the GOS project needs to support alternative hardware platforms.
There are Linux tablets, so if Android is dead open source developers will support these.
I think the problem is your second assumption of "will continue releasing sources" is the one to fail.
Hence, a new OEM.
The OEM makes the hardware tho. How does that help if Google stops releasing the Android source code?
If Google goes closed source and nobody sustainably forks Android we can go back to Linux. This should bring tablet (don't care for phones) support to genuine usability rather soon.
It means they fork and they're going to need funding to keep up with security work at least.