#Android verification is coming: #Google confirms timeline & supported app stores

Almost 20 years ago, Google pitched Android as the more open alternative to Apple's walled garden. Last year, Google announced it would begin erecting its own walls through #developer #verification. The company has issued an update on its plans, affirming that the verification system will begin rolling out in select countries later this year. We're also learning which app stores are participating in verification & the timeline for key features like the recently revealed "advanced flow" for bypassing verification.

Google has claimed that developer verification is a necessary change to #smartphone software distribution, pointing to the increased prevalence of #scams that trick Android users into installing #malware apps. Google's solution requires verifying the identities of developers outside the Play Store just like it does for devs publishing on its platform.
#privacy #security

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/06/google-shares-updated-timeline-for-rolling-out-android-developer-verification/

What's with the uptick in overly friendly Mastodon accounts that quickly want to pivot to Telegram? They all seem to follow the same script looking for Johns to sell services to.

Needless to say, I politely decline.

If they were legitimate they'd be on OnlyFans or one of its competitors not pinging random accounts here.

This is good fodder for my cyber security and scam awareness presentations, but economically I don't see how we are worth the effort. Has the Fediverse grown that much?

I'd like to understand how these groups are organized and operate from the inside, to get a fuller picture of what's happening here. Are there any YouTube interviews or podcasts that cover this?

#askfedi #scams #cybersecurity #scam

Does anyone else here toy with scammers -- at least occasionally -- to figure out what their strategy is?

I'm no "Mike Rafone," but I do give occasional presentations on how normal people can make life harder for cyber criminals. So, it's good for me to play along sometimes to keep abreast of current trends.

Tangentially, and someone recommend a good book or scholarly article on now cyber criminals are structured and what the economic inputs and outputs look like? Literally the commission structures and how much these people have to spend in order to get 1 victim and how many victims per month is typical for a given style of scam. If that sounds like "Gang Leader for a Day" but for modern cyber crime, that's exactly what I want to read.

"Know thy enemy" and all that.

#scams #cybercrime #cybersecurity #economics