Privacy

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A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

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VLC - App stores were a mistake (archive.is)

submitted 7 months ago by ozoned to c/[email protected]

175 comments fedilink hide all child comments

VideoLAN @videolan App Stores were a mistake. Currently, we cannot update VLC on Windows Store, and we cannot update VLC on Android Play Store, without reducing security or dropping a lot of users... For now, iOS App Store still allows us to ship for iOS9, but until when?

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I don't think app stores are the problem. I think big company app stores are the problem, such as the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. I think something like F-Droid where you can add your own app sources or Droid-ify that has a ton of sources by default you just need to enable is the way to go.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (4 children)

The issue there is similar though - who controls Fdroid? They have the final say. Besides, 99% of users stick with the defaults.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago

Probably beating a dead horse, so... sorry, but look into the Gab fiasco or FreeTusky.

F-Droid does 'censor' or moderate their app repository. However, they do not control which sources or repos you may install from.

If there's an app you want that f-droid doesn't stock, see if the app has a private repo, like Bitwarden, or is in another repo, like IzzyOnDroid.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Fdroid has no say in what repos are added by the users.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago

That's right. Fdroid the app is just a program that accesses repositories. It's not even the only one, Aurora has a similar version of their own called Aurora Droid.

Fdroid the repo is a repository of FOSS apps maintained by the Fdroid team with apps they've reviewed and compiled themselves, to provide an element of trust that you might not get from every random developer.

There's no fool proof way of handling app trust other than developing your own understanding of the code. Otherwise you have to trust someone. Fdroid seem pretty trustworthy, more than the big corporations, and more than many unknown small time developers - however you can get app updates quicker direct from the developer, through the Fdroid app, if you're willing to trust them.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

Theoretically yes, but in practice for the vast majority of users it makes no difference. Very few people are going to go through the trouble of vetting another source, adding it, etc. That's what the tyranny of the default is all about.