I've been saying for many, many years that #Google needs an Ombudsman (or Ombudsperson if you prefer) -- or actually a team of them. And Google/Alphabet needs this more now than ever, especially due to their AI push. But someone being honest with users and their issues with Google is the last thing that CEO Sundar wants.

Sidenote: I just did a Google Search query for:

google ombudsman

After the usual bland AI Summary, there's a link to the Google Payments complaints policy, and then the next link on the first page of results is one of my own blog posts on this topic. Some things never change.

Some readers insist my use of NotebookLM to turn essays into AI-hosted podcasts 'dilutes authenticity'. I call it diversification.

People consume ideas in different ways: some read, some listen. The AI hosts don’t just parrot—they interpret, misread, and occasionally out-think me.

https://philosophics.blog/2025/11/01/the-heresy-of-notebooklm/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social

#ai #google #notebooklm #podcast #technology #boundaries #limits #humancondition #channels #distribution #promotion #blog #nomusic #video #philosophy #communication

»Sideloading - F-Droid wirft Google Falschaussage vor
Die Macher von F-Droid teilen weiter gegen Google wegen der kommenden Entwicklerregistrierung aus: Google verbreite Falschaussagen.«

Ich halte mich mit meinen Kommentaren mal raus, denn Rechtlich habe ich so gut wie keine Ahnung aber ich stehe auch 101% hinter @fdroidorg und hoffe dass das positiv für sie entwickelt.

📱 https://www.golem.de/news/sideloading-f-droid-wirft-google-falschaussage-vor-2510-201639.html

#android #google #frdoid #apps #app #opensource #falschaussagen #mobile #smattphone #sideloading

because am one of those liberal arts #woke weirdos, this screenshot Michal posted of the #Azure outage totally reminded me of the Charles II of Spain #incest chart.

seriously, why the fuck are #Google and #Amazon affected by the #Microsoft outage if not for the Silicon Valley #techbros version of incestuous relations, but make it data centers (aka the cloud)?

source:
https://mstdn.social/@rysiek/115458568971262124

Alt...

list of companies affected: Microsoft Azure Microsoft Copilot Microsoft Entra Microsoft Outlook Microsoft Store Bing Minecraft Visual Studio Team Services Xbox Network Alaska Airlines Amazon Amazon Web Services Arbiter Sports Astound BandLab Barracuda Networks Blackbaud Canvas by Instructure Capital One Chime Chipotle Cloudflare Costco FACTS Google Google Cloud Go To Groupme Halo Infinite Heartland Helldivers 2 Home Depot Hotschedules iSolved HCM Kroger MyChart mrcooper Rackspace Raptor Technologies Rec Room Renweb Sea of Thieves Sophos Walmart Wolters Kluwer Xfinity by Comcast Zoom

Alt...

the infamous Charles II, el Hechizado, of Spain incest/inbreeding chart. it’s too complex to write up, so scoot over to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Ancestors_of_Charles_II_of_Spain Habsburg family tree https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habsburg_family_tree#

What a story...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/29/google-amazon-israel-contract-secret-code
#amazon #google #cloud #israel #cybersecurity #geopolitics @geopolitics

@nixCraft This is a good idea BUT

Alternatives exist like #lineageos #grapheneos and a bunch of others that will allow you to actually own your device and it's data, that will allow you to sideload apps until your heart is content, that will empower you to screw Google.

If you continue to not be able to sideload because of #Google, use that as motivation to explore these #opensource alternatives. #SetYourselfFree

#Google trips over its own words, when they sell you #Android it's the best computing device in the world that does everything. After you bought it Google doesn't let you do anything *you* want to.

#Sideload is a made-up term. Putting software on your computer is simply called “installing”, regardless of whether that computer is in your pocket or on your desk.

What Do You Talk About When You Talk About Sideloading?

What does Google?

Here's #FDroid: https://f-droid.org/2025/10/28/sideloading.html

Good morning to everyone who says “searching” and not “googling”. 🤝

#Google #Technology #Search #BigTech #Tech

Anyone have suggestions on where to get affordable, new Chromebooks in bulk for a school (and no, there's no choice for the brand of hardware)?

#Technology #Computers #Education #ChromeBooks #Google

With each iteration of #Android, we're forced to jump through more insane hoops to access our own data in the internal Android/data hierarchy. And now #Google is going to make anonymous sideloading almost impossible, in another of their continuing nods to fascism (including $20 million toward the destruction of the East Wing of the White House and the construction of the Epstein Memorial Balling Room).

Then there’s the #tech companies — #Google, #Apple, #Microsoft, #Amazon, & #Meta.

The tech companies themselves have been awfully quiet about the project they’re helping to underwrite. Just to make sure they hadn’t missed it, MJ sent a photo of the demolished #EastWing — & requests for comment — to representatives of all of these companies. A Microsoft spox confirmed the company had made a contribution but offered no further comment. None of the others responded.

#ballroom #bribery #extortion

#BigTech Helped Bankroll the #EastWing Destruction

#Meta, #Amazon, #Microsoft, #Apple, & #Google have a lot riding on their relationships with the #Trump admin. They all cut checks for the ballroom.

#TechBros #plutocracy #billionaires #corporations #corruption #bribery #extortion #law #antitrust #regulations #AI #energy
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/10/white-house-east-wing-destruction-google-meta-apple-microsoft-amazone/

Every time I see a #YouTube creator who announces they are giving up their regular job to work full time on YT, I cringe. Because at any time, for any reason, #Google/YT via their total control of YT algorithms, could destroy the lives of those creators and their families by devastating their income. And with YT on an AI creation binge, you can bet this is only the start of horrific declines for all but the most top-tier creators. Don't fall for this.

BREAKING: The $22 million #Google paid Trump is being used to demolish
the White House East Wing, as Trump raises price of his Nazi Ballroom
to $300 million

Buying expensive hardware from #Google has become a fool's errand. You know why.

I find myself treating #Google AI Overviews in Search like the obnoxious jerk kid in a high school classroom who always has some almost always stupid or intrusive personal remark to make in response to any question any other student has. That is, ignore him 100% of the time.

Must-read "The mad king's digital killswitch"
https://pluralistic.net/2025/10/20/post-american-internet/#huawei-with-american-characteristics
#apple #google #microsoft #amazon #trump #geopolitics @geopolitics

More Google Misinformation

Enter the query:

outer limits producer

in #Google Search.

See the name "Leslie Stevens" come up. Yeah, his name is right for the original series. That's his as in he. Who is the photo of the woman Google presents next to his name? Damned if I know. Nice job, Google. Keep the misinformation coming.

#Google #AI Overview claims a dinosaur could grow to 1216 meters in height -- a quarter of Mt. Everest

https://infosec.exchange/@saraislet/115402142264594496

Alt...

Sure.

Inside the web infrastructure revolt over Google's AI Overviews

https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/10/inside-the-web-infrastructure-revolt-over-googles-ai-overviews/

#Google #AI

Alt...

Yep.

in particular i'd like to see how they will cope with the lack of "apps" for their system.

#smartphone #internet #android #google #SailfishOs #jolla

nixCraft 🐧 wrote the following post Wed, 15 Oct 2025 14:05:03 +0200

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) today announced "Librephone," a new project aimed at achieving complete mobile phone freedom for users from Google and Apple. The initiative will work to reverse engineer obstacles until its goal of a fully free mobile phone environment is realized. Can they be successful where industry leaders like Ubuntu failed previously?

https://www.fsf.org/news/librephone-project

#linux #opensource

#Google Calendar invitations are now being used to send out PayPal phishing scams. Also, about half of the phishing and gambling promotion emails I get now are being forwarded to me by Gmail even when they end up in the Spam folder in Gmail. Frankly, Gmail is showing signs of falling apart. Sure, bring AI into Gmail, and let the basic functions rot. Great work, Google.

As a non-programmer/coder, i played around with https://jules.google.com/ , connected it with my github account, let it write some simple code for me, it worked the first time, improved it a bit etc. Actually good to experience in practice this "vibe coding" and Jules is very friendly. I even used the (free) Google API for Gemini, runned the code in Colab etc. No endorsement/advice whatsoever, please ask real coders for that 🙂. But i understand the hype better now.
#AI #Google #vibecoding #Jules

Looks like #Google "updated" #YouTube again — now player has semitransparent and rounded (Luquid Glass inspired?) controls and also videos won't play with enabled #uBlock (even with enabled "Quick Fixes" filter).

One way to play video from YT — mpv/yt-dlp, lmao

P.S. Downvote button was added by myself with "Return YouTube Dislike" extension for Firefox (Librewolf, btw).

Alt...

Screenshot of new YouTube players interface with rounded and semitransparent buttons, looks like inspired by Liquid Glass.

Has Google Books killed its free API?

You used to be able to call https://www.googleapis.com/books/v1/volumes?q=isbn:9781408864401

and get structured information about a book. Now it returns a 429 and asks for credentials.

#Google #Books #API

So here's a tech nightmare nobody's talking about:

Google's rolling out their new developer verification rules for Android starting in September 2026. Every app then needs to be registered with Google, even if you're sideloading or using alternative app stores like Samsung's Galaxy Store. 📱

Sounds reasonable until you realise: Huawei can't comply because they're literally banned from doing business with Google under US sanctions.

So what happens to the millions of people using Huawei watches and fitness bands with their Samsung or other Android phones? Currently Huawei Health is installed via the Galaxy Store for people using these devices on Samsung phones. But this means the Huawei Health app gets blocked. Your fitness tracker stops working. All your data, all your workouts, all that expensive hardware, gone.

Probably also not just Huawei either. Any Chinese manufacturer under US sanctions could face the same problem. Google's created a collision between US geopolitical trade policy and their verification system that's going to break legitimate use cases for millions of users.

And Samsung? Total silence. They can't push back without risking their relationship with Google, so they're just staying quiet and hoping someone else fixes it. (EU maybe? 🤔🇪🇺)

Google keeps saying Android is "open" but they're asserting control over every single app installation on certified devices. The Galaxy Store doesn't give you any protection here either, Google's verification requirement applies there too.

We're about to find out what happens when geopolitics meets app distribution policies, and regular users are going to be the ones who suffer.

#Android #Google #Huawei #TechPolicy

@anthropy @micr0 AFAICK the Apps by @e_mydata ain't specifically locked to their Services and you can much easier configure your own @nextcloud / #Nextcloud server instead.

• And even if not it's way easier to yeet them, put on @fdroidorg and get the official apps that way than it is to #degoogle #Fairphone|s.

I wished fairphone would make #eOS and #LineageOS the default and charge extra for #GooglePlay / #Google'd devices instead of the other way around.

• Sadly the only other #vendor that I know that has a device that isn't a #downgrade to my #Faprphone3plus is #Teracube with their #Teracube2e....

In fact I wish for #SmallerSmartphones instead of #Phablets.

Cuz I'd rather have a "#THICC #CHONKER" than a flimsy glass-sandwich...

@micr0 I am down to the point that I'd want to ask @fairphone whether they'll unpatch whatever the fuck signature / debeloper cert requirements #Google will put into #Android in their ROMs if not offer fully #degoogled devices from the get-go!

When I bought a #Pixel phone, I've spent three times as much as I usually spend. I figured out it's justified, since I'm finally going to have a phone with good software support (#GrapheneOS).

Over the last 6 months, #Google:

1. locked down the device tree,
2. increased embargo to security updates to 3 months,
3. broke battery charge limiter.

Won't recommend this to anyone.

#Android

Broken links aside (fix incoming), #FDroid raises the case against the #Google developer forced registration once again.

We'll skip the small talk, go read, and better yet, spread this wide and far: https://f-droid.org/2025/09/29/google-developer-registration-decree.html so people are made aware, actions can be taken and #Android is kept truly open!

@tinker

Yes! 💙

I used to put Made w/ #LibreOffice on the bottom of all my #memes the free alt to #MSOffice that doesn't steal your data (like #Google docs does)

We need more usage, promotion & funding to open source software

Still waiting for libreoffice to release a version for tablets or 2in1s so i can use my pen. i do a lot of sketches & on the fly notes in powerpoint & notes

i need libre to make this 💙

#BreakTheOligarchy #WT7

@loki_the_halbgott

Sadly it does because it will necessitate "#Developer #Verification" for EVERY #apk / #xapk file regardless of source.

• So even @fdroidorg and other #3rdPartyAppStores and even single #Developers wanting to #install their own #Apps (aka. "#Sideloading") will be subject to it because without a #Google-issued #Developer #Certificate, they won't eve able to install their own #App|s on their own devices!

This is worse than #Apple because Apple doesn't mandate #Devs to #selfdox for simply shoving a self-signed App on their #iPhone or #iPad!

• In fact tools like #AltStore automate that process for #iOS!

Without #Regulators like @BNetzA & @EUCommission forcing them into compliance this will only get worse!

• Meanwhile Malicious Actors just use straw people, cuz it'll be trivial for someone posing as a delivery person to quickly copy/scan the ID of some elderly person when claiming they got a delivery for them that'll require age verification (i.e. adult games, porn, alcohol and tobacco), and they'll likely mistake it as something like a gift order by some relative...

@adisonverlice the problem is that this is mandatory "#SelfDoxxing" and puts genuine #developers at risk whilst also empowering malicious actors.

• In fact I know multiple developers that'll refuse to do this shit as a matter of principle - myself included!

IDK if you've read and/or understood the original post by Google, but this will apply to EVERY ANDROID DEVELOPER regardless if they ever put their #Apps on #GooglePlay or prefer to distribute manually (requiring device owners to manually "allow 3rd party app sources") or whatever.

• It's the sheer principle!

I'm not shure if @LineageOS / #lineageOS, @e_mydata / #eOS or @GrapheneOS / #GrapheneOS will go out of their way to disable this since I assume this is enforced with the "#GooglePlay Services Framework" but I'm convinced #Google will mandate it for every Google Play - enabled & -certified device!

THIS is #extortion and #blackmail by #Google and I'd like to ask if anyone else wants to file protest at @BNetzA & @EUCommission if not file charges against #Google for said felonious blackmail...

• #NotLegalAdvice but if Google wants to #ban #3rdPartyAppStores by criminalizing #IndieDevelopers outside of #GooglePlay and call it "#Sideloading" I feel obligated to consider said charges because what Google does is literally commit #ComputerSabotage against my own devices...

Seriously, I hope @fdroidorg / #Fdroid and other #3rdParty #AppStores actively consider this #AntiCompetitive action by Google as an act of #sabotage.

• NOONE can claim Google are "the good guys" when they are subject to #CloudAct and enforce #cyberfacist bs like that.

It's time for #Android to be #Forked - maybe call it "#RobotMobile" or something...

@lauren

Yay🎉
I've tried to get people to discuss this for a another reason: 𝘼𝙡𝙡 #liberal #media is on #Youtube

how long will the appeasers of #Google stand up to #TACO, or will they cave & take down or shadowban💙Us "domestic terrorists"? (his fascist admin use that term for lib media & YT is already #shadowbanning #blue 💙voices)

I just learned about #peertube which is the 1st potential alt to YT, but that's only IF💙We make it one

Further thoughts from me on this😊

https://open.substack.com/pub/worldtravelerall7/p/operation-engage?r=56nrnz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

***** WARNING REGARDING GOOGLE/ALPHABET *****

#Google (#Alphabet) is reinstating the worst of #YouTube creators who were "permanently" banned for COVID-19 and election integrity misinformation. Alphabet is now saying "Biden made them do the bans."

Clearly, billionaire CEO Sundar -- who we've seen palling around with Trump of course -- has gone full MAGA. Google is purposely conflating -- that is, purposely confusing -- necessary moderation to protect people and elections from masses of misinformation designed to mislead them, often in devastating ways -- from censorship created to suppress specific valid points of view.

There is an enormous difference -- Sundar and his Alphabet minions know this full well. They also know that their Gemini AI is a source of often dangerous misinformation on a planetary scale, and it's likely this has also entered into their recently (in a letter to Congress) announced changes.

Given Google's enthusiastic embrace of MAGA, I do not consider my past statements applauding the security and privacy of user information at Google to be reliable guidance moving forward from now. I have no confidence that Sundar would not quickly (or ultimately) agree to virtually any demands made by the Trump administration, however invasive or illegal they might actually be.

I do not have specific recommendations for alternatives to Google or their services, so please don't ask me for them! But I do recommend keeping the obvious shift in Google's behavior in mind, and you would be wise to assume that they are fully and completely in bed with fascist Trump in many ways -- or soon will be -- absent clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.

If Google/Alphabet wishes to discuss any of this with me and point out any errors in my analysis, they know my email address.

Take care, all.

L