šØ UPDATE: Google has clarified that non-custodial wallets are not meant to be in scope of its Play Store policy in response to our reporting.
The policy will be revised accordingly.
Discussion
Crisis averted? Let's not get complacent. Check out nostr:nprofile1qqs83nn04fezvsu89p8xg7axjwye2u67errat3dx2um725fs7qnrqlgzqtdq0 and start finding replacements for your Google apps
Donāt fall for it! They are using the Anchoring Technique here!
How it works
1. Start with an extreme proposal that you know will cause outrage or seem unacceptably harsh.
2. Let the public, media, and opposition react stronglyāthey spend their energy arguing against this extreme version.
3. Later ācompromiseā with a less extreme versionāwhich was your real goal all along.
4. Because people compare it to the original extreme, the new version feels reasonable in contrast.
5. Public attention dies down, and the ācompromiseā is accepted with much less resistance.
This works because of contrast effect and anchoring bias: people judge the acceptability of a proposal relative to the first thing they heard, not in absolute terms.
Political examples
US
ā¢ Patriot Act (2001) ā Early drafts reportedly contained even more sweeping surveillance powers. The public and Congress objected, some parts were removed or watered down, but the final law still massively expanded government surveillance powers, which might not have passed if proposed directly.
ā¢ Trump immigration ban (2017) ā Initial executive order banned entry from several Muslim-majority countries, creating huge backlash. A ārevisedā version narrowed the scope, but still achieved significant restrictions and passed Supreme Court review.
ā¢ Ronald Reaganās tax reforms (1980s) ā Proposed deep cuts to social programs and very large tax cuts; after backlash, some cuts were softened, but large portions of the tax reductions remained.
Europe
ā¢ UK āSnooperās Charterā (Investigatory Powers Act) ā Initial proposals included very broad state hacking powers and indefinite data retention. After criticism, some limits were added, but the core surveillance framework stayed.
ā¢ Franceās labor law reforms (2016, El Khomri law) ā Started with very pro-employer changes (e.g., making it easier to fire employees). After nationwide strikes, some harsh provisions were removed, but major employer-friendly changes remained.
ā¢ EU copyright directive (2019) ā Article 13 (now 17) initially had even stricter upload filter requirements; final version was slightly softened after protests but still introduced upload filtering in practice.
Whats there to fall for? Either the wallets will be available or they wont.
Google might require that non-custodial wallets collect the user's email address - and verify that it's a real address. So not full KYC with passport photos and so on.
And over time, they might gradually make that stricter
Can you read? The post says they're not. And google already has the email since you need a google account. Its a google email. And what might happen down the road is irrelevant. They might ban all wallets in the future. They might do all kinds of things. But the have nothing to do with this. Besides, how many people who actually care about these things get their wallets from the Playstore or even Aurora?
All Bitcoin wallets that mainly depend for their downloads on that centralized spy "Pay Store" [where we pay with our usage data] would be well advised to invite their users to install them from the apk, from nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnddaehgu3wwp6kyqpqvyw6twg3kwef27wdffsxawmvcycy407cehx3kj8xn0v0v5nwrgpsxqwzyw or, even better, nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7qghwaehxw309aex2mrp0yhxummnw3ezucnpdejz7qpq0r8xl2njyepcw2zwv3a6dyufj4e4ajx86hz6v4ehu4gnpupxxp7s85uvay
Google and Bitcoin are mutually exclusive universes.
The problem is the term "custodian". What does it even mean with regards to bitcoin? Laws and regulations are using it to try and shoehorn bitcoin into their flawed model. I think title to ownership is the real thing that "custodial" wallets are managing.
stuff like aqua wallet and misty breez staying in the google play store hinges on upholding the lie that the liquid network is non-custodial
Not really relevant, but couldnāt resist ā¦ and great job!
Interesting.
To steps forward and one step back. Thats how they do it. Slowly but surely tightening the nose.
Itās good to be prepared though. Things will definitely get that bad.
Stay paranoid, my friends š§”š
app stores and bootloader locking,
like walls dividing gardens from the world.
For now.