Google: Difference between revisions

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==Consumer impact summary==

Google has faced ongoing scrutiny related to data privacy, competition, and its dominant position in the market, such concerns have stretched as far back as 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Adam |date=5 Mar 2012 |title=Will We Ever Get Strong Internet Privacy Rules? |url=https://ideas.time.com/2012/03/05/will-we-ever-get-strong-internet-privacy-rules/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Time |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260205121437/https://ideas.time.com/2012/03/05/will-we-ever-get-strong-internet-privacy-rules/ |archive-date=5 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=6 Sep 2023 |title=REPORT: Google at 25: From “Don’t Be Evil” To ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ |url=https://techoversight.org/2023/09/06/google-at-25/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=The Tech Oversight Project |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251004223929/https://techoversight.org/2023/09/06/google-at-25/ |archive-date=4 Oct 2025}}</ref> The company has been the subject of various legal and regulatory challenges, particularly concerning antitrust issues, the use of personal data, and its impact on consumer choice.{{Citation needed}} The US government is currently engaged in an antitrust lawsuit against Google, with a decision expected early 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 Nov 2024 |title=Closing Arguments, November 25: Once, Twice, Three Times a Monopolist |url=https://www.usvgoogleads.com/trial-updates/closing-arguments-november-25-once-twice-three-times-a-monopolist |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=US v Google |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250906103632/https://www.usvgoogleads.com/trial-updates/closing-arguments-november-25-once-twice-three-times-a-monopolist |archive-date=6 Sep 2025}}</ref> {{UpdateNeeded|date={{subst:August}} {{subst:2025}}|reason=We need updates on this situation.}}

===User Privacy===

Google has faced ongoing scrutiny related to data privacy, competition, and its dominant position in the market, such concerns have stretched as far back as 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Adam |date=5 Mar 2012 |title=Will We Ever Get Strong Internet Privacy Rules? |url=https://ideas.time.com/2012/03/05/will-we-ever-get-strong-internet-privacy-rules/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Time |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260205121437/https://ideas.time.com/2012/03/05/will-we-ever-get-strong-internet-privacy-rules/ |archive-date=5 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=6 Sep 2023 |title=REPORT: Google at 25: From “Don’t Be Evil” To ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ |url=https://techoversight.org/2023/09/06/google-at-25/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=The Tech Oversight Project |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251004223929/https://techoversight.org/2023/09/06/google-at-25/ |archive-date=4 Oct 2025}}</ref> The company has been the subject of various legal and regulatory challenges, particularly concerning antitrust issues, the use of personal data, and its impact on consumer choice.{{Citation needed}} The US government is currently engaged in an antitrust lawsuit against Google, with a decision expected early 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 Nov 2024 |title=Closing Arguments, November 25: Once, Twice, Three Times a Monopolist |url=https://www.usvgoogleads.com/trial-updates/closing-arguments-november-25-once-twice-three-times-a-monopolist |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=US v Google |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250906103632/https://www.usvgoogleads.com/trial-updates/closing-arguments-november-25-once-twice-three-times-a-monopolist |archive-date=6 Sep 2025}}</ref> {{UpdateNeeded|date={{subst:August}} {{subst:2025}}|reason=We need updates on this situation.}}

In December 2024, Google announced to organisations that use its advertising products, that from 16 February 2025, it will no longer prohibit them from employing [[wikipedia:Fingerprint_(computing)|fingerprinting]] techniques.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Almond |first=Stephen |date=19 Dec 2024 |title=Our response to Google’s policy change on fingerprinting |url=https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2024/12/our-response-to-google-s-policy-change-on-fingerprinting/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=ico. |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128163957/https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2024/12/our-response-to-google-s-policy-change-on-fingerprinting/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2026}}</ref>

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In 2025, Google announced their [[Android Developer Verification]] program, which if executed will make it impossible to run apps by developers not personally identified and approved by Google.

==Controversies==

===Account lockouts===

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In May 2023, Google announced that [[Inactive account deletion|deletion of inactive user accounts]] would occur starting in December 2023, citing security reasons, noting that old and unused accounts are more likely to be compromised. Google claimed that "Forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, have not had two factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user," while saying that Google "has no plans to delete [[YouTube]] videos".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lawler |first1=Richard |title=Google might delete your Gmail account if you haven't logged in for two years |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/16/23725438/google-gmail-deleting-inactive-accounts |website=The Verge |access-date=21 December 2023 |language=en |date=16 May 2023 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260205121216/https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/16/23725438/google-gmail-deleting-inactive-accounts |archive-date=5 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Porter |first1=Jon |title=Reminder: Google is about to start purging inactive accounts |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/28/23979178/google-inactive-accounts-deletion-december-2023-psa-reminder |website=The Verge |access-date=21 December 2023 |language=en |date=28 November 2023 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251212230239/https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/28/23979178/google-inactive-accounts-deletion-december-2023-psa-reminder |archive-date=12 Dec 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Amadeo |first1=Ron |title=Google's new "inactive account" policy won't delete years of YouTube videos |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/05/googles-new-inactive-account-policy-wont-delete-years-of-youtube-videos/ |website=Ars Technica |access-date=21 December 2023 |language=en-us |date=17 May 2023 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251212092014/https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/05/googles-new-inactive-account-policy-wont-delete-years-of-youtube-videos/ |archive-date=12 Dec 2025}}</ref> The decision to delete inactive accounts has sparked some criticism and backlash. The cited security rationale behind such decision was ridiculed and was compared to a hypothetical scenario where a bank should be burned down if it is not secure against robbers.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Novet |first1=Jordan |title=Google's plan to purge inactive accounts isn't sitting well with some users |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/19/google-faces-criticism-of-plan-to-purge-inactive-accounts.html |website=CNBC |access-date=21 December 2023 |language=en |date

=19 August 2023 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250831223936/https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/19/google-faces-criticism-of-plan-to-purge-inactive-accounts.html |archive-date=31 Aug 2025}}</ref> Such policies could adversely affect those who had good reasons to become inactive for a long time, such as hospitalization, prison incarceration, and being in totalitarian countries which have prolonged internet shutdowns. Moreover, the Anonymous hacktivist collective has protested against the decision to delete inactive accounts multiple times, describing them as "harsh" and saying that the decision will "destroy history".<ref>{{cite web |date=18 July 2023 |title=Anonymous puts Taiwan flag, national anthem on 2 UN websites {{!}} Taiwan News {{!}} 2023-07-18 09:56:00 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4946597 |access-date=21 December 2023 |website=Taiwan News}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20231014070719/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4946597 Archived])</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=18 October 2023 |title='Anonymous' hacks Chinese government site to protest Israel–Hamas war {{!}} Taiwan News {{!}} 2023-10-18 19:03:00 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5022840 |access-date=21 December 2023 |website=Taiwan News}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20240221120716/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5022840 Archived])</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=8 December 2023 |title=Anonymous posts Taiwan flag on UN site {{!}} Taiwan News {{!}} 2023-12-08 17:26:00 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5055454 |access-date=21 December 2023 |website=Taiwan News}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20240228035811/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5055454 Archived])</ref>

===Anticompetitive practices===

Google has a great history of anticompetitive practices. For example, in 2020 the company was sued for practices involving pushing off relevant search results in order to favor advertisements and the inclusion of [[bloatware]] on Android devices.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=Eaton Business School|date=31 Aug 2021 |title=Google - A display of anti-competitive behaviour|url=https://ebsedu.org/blog/google-a-display-of-anti-competitive-behavior |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250523013602/https://ebsedu.org/blog/google-a-display-of-anti-competitive-behavior |archive-date=2025-05-23 |access-date=25 May 2026 |website=Eaton Business School}}</ref>

The [[Android Developer Verification]] program prevents sideloading and external app stores, such as [[F-Droid]] to be an available alternative to the Google Play Store.

===Google device repair program restrictions===

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===AI integrations in Google Search===

On may 19th, 2026, Google announced modifications for [[Google Search]] to include more AI integrations involving inclusion of [[Google Gemini]] Flash 3.5 and integration of AI agents. These changes have sparked several controversies, including for example critizicing the reliability of searching using AI because of hallucinations, inabilities of AIs to detect malicious web sites and possibilities to use AI to control results obtained on searches. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Yildrim |first=Ece |date=19 May 2026 |title=Google Search Is Dead. Welcome to the Era of the ‘Intelligent Search Box’ |url=https://gizmodo.com/google-search-is-dead-welcome-to-the-era-of-the-intelligent-search-box-2000760626 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260519204100/https://gizmodo.com/google-search-is-dead-welcome-to-the-era-of-the-intelligent-search-box-2000760626 |archive-date=2026-05-19 |access-date=21 May 2026 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Reid|first=Elizabeth |date=19 May 2026 |title=A new era for AI Search |url=https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/search-io-2026/#powerful-ai |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260519181835/https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/search-io-2026/#powerful-ai |archive-date=2026-05-19 |access-date=21 May 2026 |website=Google Blog}}</ref>

==Incidents==

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Google cites their own Developer Distribution Agreement (terms of service for devs), claiming that those apps are "disruptive", as if to imply hacking or cracking. Many people claim that's an invalid excuse, and that the ulterior motive was to increase ad-revenue.

===Phone number requirement for new accounts (2020)===

====Phone number requirement for new accounts (2020)====

Since 2020, Google has increasingly forced users to verify phone-numbers via SMS during account registration,<ref>https://support.google.com/accounts/thread/34403939/cannot-create-a-new-google-account-it-is-requiring-a-phone-number-forced-phone-verification</ref><ref>https://reddit.com/r/degoogle/comments/oanh2p/does_google_now_require_a_phone_number_to_make/</ref> in an effort to "mitigate spam, bot activity, and account abuse"<ref>{{Cite web |first=CLRN |date=2025-07-25 |title=How to skip phone verification while creating Gmail account? |url=https://www.clrn.org/how-to-skip-phone-verification-while-creating-gmail-account/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-05-05 |website=California Learning Resource Network}}</ref>. They have a system that immediately detects reuse of numbers, so no accounts can have the same associated number.{{Citation needed}} This, paired with [[YouTube#Forced sign-in|YouTube's sign-in requirement]], makes it impossible for users to share a single "guest" account, as is typically the case for families sharing a smart TV.

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Devices without [[Google Mobile Services]] or running [[wikipedia:List_of_custom_Android_distributions|custom ROMs]] are exempt.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |last=Anderson |first=Tim |date=2025-08-26 |title=Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/android_developer_verification_sideloading |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829170329/https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/android_developer_verification_sideloading |archive-date=2025-08-29 |access-date=2025-08-26 |website=The Register}}</ref> Critics argue this restricts user freedom, impacts independent developers, and may enable Google to block apps it disapproves of, such as ad-blockers, raising concerns about privacy and control over personal devices.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Anderson |first=Tim |date=26 Aug 2025 |title=Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/android_developer_verification_sideloading |url-status=live |access-date=26 Aug 2025 |website=The Register |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260119211440/https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/android_developer_verification_sideloading/ |archive-date=19 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |first= |date=26 Aug 2025 |title=Google will block sideloading of unverified Android apps starting next year |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/810335/google-will-block-sideloading-of-unverified-android-apps-starting-next-year |url-status=live |access-date=26 Aug 2025 |website=BleepingComputer |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250829215120/https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/810335/google-will-block-sideloading-of-unverified-android-apps-starting-next-year/ |archive-date=29 Aug 2025}}</ref>

==Lawsuit==

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==References==

[[Category:Google]]

[[Category:Google| ]]

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 ==Consumer impact summary==
+Google has faced ongoing scrutiny related to data privacy, competition, and its dominant position in the market, such concerns have stretched as far back as 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Adam |date=5 Mar 2012 |title=Will We Ever Get Strong Internet Privacy Rules? |url=https://ideas.time.com/2012/03/05/will-we-ever-get-strong-internet-privacy-rules/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Time |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260205121437/https://ideas.time.com/2012/03/05/will-we-ever-get-strong-internet-privacy-rules/ |archive-date=5 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=6 Sep 2023 |title=REPORT: Google at 25: From “Don’t Be Evil” To ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ |url=https://techoversight.org/2023/09/06/google-at-25/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=The Tech Oversight Project |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251004223929/https://techoversight.org/2023/09/06/google-at-25/ |archive-date=4 Oct 2025}}</ref> The company has been the subject of various legal and regulatory challenges, particularly concerning antitrust issues, the use of personal data, and its impact on consumer choice.{{Citation needed}} The US government is currently engaged in an antitrust lawsuit against Google, with a decision expected early 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 Nov 2024 |title=Closing Arguments, November 25: Once, Twice, Three Times a Monopolist |url=https://www.usvgoogleads.com/trial-updates/closing-arguments-november-25-once-twice-three-times-a-monopolist |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=US v Google |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250906103632/https://www.usvgoogleads.com/trial-updates/closing-arguments-november-25-once-twice-three-times-a-monopolist |archive-date=6 Sep 2025}}</ref> {{UpdateNeeded|date={{subst:August}} {{subst:2025}}|reason=We need updates on this situation.}}
 ===User Privacy===
-Google has faced ongoing scrutiny related to data privacy, competition, and its dominant position in the market, such concerns have stretched as far back as 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Adam |date=5 Mar 2012 |title=Will We Ever Get Strong Internet Privacy Rules? |url=https://ideas.time.com/2012/03/05/will-we-ever-get-strong-internet-privacy-rules/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=Time |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260205121437/https://ideas.time.com/2012/03/05/will-we-ever-get-strong-internet-privacy-rules/ |archive-date=5 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=6 Sep 2023 |title=REPORT: Google at 25: From “Don’t Be Evil” To ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ |url=https://techoversight.org/2023/09/06/google-at-25/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=The Tech Oversight Project |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251004223929/https://techoversight.org/2023/09/06/google-at-25/ |archive-date=4 Oct 2025}}</ref> The company has been the subject of various legal and regulatory challenges, particularly concerning antitrust issues, the use of personal data, and its impact on consumer choice.{{Citation needed}} The US government is currently engaged in an antitrust lawsuit against Google, with a decision expected early 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 Nov 2024 |title=Closing Arguments, November 25: Once, Twice, Three Times a Monopolist |url=https://www.usvgoogleads.com/trial-updates/closing-arguments-november-25-once-twice-three-times-a-monopolist |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=US v Google |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250906103632/https://www.usvgoogleads.com/trial-updates/closing-arguments-november-25-once-twice-three-times-a-monopolist |archive-date=6 Sep 2025}}</ref> {{UpdateNeeded|date={{subst:August}} {{subst:2025}}|reason=We need updates on this situation.}}
 In December 2024, Google announced to organisations that use its advertising products, that from 16 February 2025, it will no longer prohibit them from employing [[wikipedia:Fingerprint_(computing)|fingerprinting]] techniques.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Almond |first=Stephen |date=19 Dec 2024 |title=Our response to Google’s policy change on fingerprinting |url=https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2024/12/our-response-to-google-s-policy-change-on-fingerprinting/ |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=ico. |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260128163957/https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2024/12/our-response-to-google-s-policy-change-on-fingerprinting/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2026}}</ref>
@@ Line 34: / Line 33: @@
 In 2025, Google announced their [[Android Developer Verification]] program, which if executed will make it impossible to run apps by developers not personally identified and approved by Google.
 ==Controversies==
 ===Account lockouts===
@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 In May 2023, Google announced that [[Inactive account deletion|deletion of inactive user accounts]] would occur starting in December 2023, citing security reasons, noting that old and unused accounts are more likely to be compromised. Google claimed that "Forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, have not had two factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user," while saying that Google "has no plans to delete [[YouTube]] videos".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lawler |first1=Richard |title=Google might delete your Gmail account if you haven't logged in for two years |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/16/23725438/google-gmail-deleting-inactive-accounts |website=The Verge |access-date=21 December 2023 |language=en |date=16 May 2023 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260205121216/https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/16/23725438/google-gmail-deleting-inactive-accounts |archive-date=5 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Porter |first1=Jon |title=Reminder: Google is about to start purging inactive accounts |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/28/23979178/google-inactive-accounts-deletion-december-2023-psa-reminder |website=The Verge |access-date=21 December 2023 |language=en |date=28 November 2023 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251212230239/https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/28/23979178/google-inactive-accounts-deletion-december-2023-psa-reminder |archive-date=12 Dec 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Amadeo |first1=Ron |title=Google's new "inactive account" policy won't delete years of YouTube videos |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/05/googles-new-inactive-account-policy-wont-delete-years-of-youtube-videos/ |website=Ars Technica |access-date=21 December 2023 |language=en-us |date=17 May 2023 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251212092014/https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/05/googles-new-inactive-account-policy-wont-delete-years-of-youtube-videos/ |archive-date=12 Dec 2025}}</ref> The decision to delete inactive accounts has sparked some criticism and backlash. The cited security rationale behind such decision was ridiculed and was compared to a hypothetical scenario where a bank should be burned down if it is not secure against robbers.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Novet |first1=Jordan |title=Google's plan to purge inactive accounts isn't sitting well with some users |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/19/google-faces-criticism-of-plan-to-purge-inactive-accounts.html |website=CNBC |access-date=21 December 2023 |language=en |date
 =19 August 2023 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250831223936/https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/19/google-faces-criticism-of-plan-to-purge-inactive-accounts.html |archive-date=31 Aug 2025}}</ref> Such policies could adversely affect those who had good reasons to become inactive for a long time, such as hospitalization, prison incarceration, and being in totalitarian countries which have prolonged internet shutdowns. Moreover, the Anonymous hacktivist collective has protested against the decision to delete inactive accounts multiple times, describing them as "harsh" and saying that the decision will "destroy history".<ref>{{cite web |date=18 July 2023 |title=Anonymous puts Taiwan flag, national anthem on 2 UN websites {{!}} Taiwan News {{!}} 2023-07-18 09:56:00 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4946597 |access-date=21 December 2023 |website=Taiwan News}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20231014070719/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4946597 Archived])</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=18 October 2023 |title='Anonymous' hacks Chinese government site to protest Israel–Hamas war {{!}} Taiwan News {{!}} 2023-10-18 19:03:00 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5022840 |access-date=21 December 2023 |website=Taiwan News}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20240221120716/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5022840 Archived])</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=8 December 2023 |title=Anonymous posts Taiwan flag on UN site {{!}} Taiwan News {{!}} 2023-12-08 17:26:00 |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5055454 |access-date=21 December 2023 |website=Taiwan News}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20240228035811/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5055454 Archived])</ref>
+===Anticompetitive practices===
+Google has a great history of anticompetitive practices. For example, in 2020 the company was sued for practices involving pushing off relevant search results in order to favor advertisements and the inclusion of [[bloatware]] on Android devices.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=Eaton Business School|date=31 Aug 2021 |title=Google - A display of anti-competitive behaviour|url=https://ebsedu.org/blog/google-a-display-of-anti-competitive-behavior |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250523013602/https://ebsedu.org/blog/google-a-display-of-anti-competitive-behavior |archive-date=2025-05-23 |access-date=25 May 2026 |website=Eaton Business School}}</ref>
+The [[Android Developer Verification]] program prevents sideloading and external app stores, such as [[F-Droid]] to be an available alternative to the Google Play Store.
 ===Google device repair program restrictions===
@@ Line 76: / Line 81: @@
 ===AI integrations in Google Search===
 On may 19th, 2026, Google announced modifications for [[Google Search]] to include more AI integrations involving inclusion of [[Google Gemini]] Flash 3.5 and integration of AI agents. These changes have sparked several controversies, including for example critizicing the reliability of searching using AI because of hallucinations, inabilities of AIs to detect malicious web sites and possibilities to use AI to control results obtained on searches. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Yildrim |first=Ece |date=19 May 2026 |title=Google Search Is Dead. Welcome to the Era of the ‘Intelligent Search Box’ |url=https://gizmodo.com/google-search-is-dead-welcome-to-the-era-of-the-intelligent-search-box-2000760626 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260519204100/https://gizmodo.com/google-search-is-dead-welcome-to-the-era-of-the-intelligent-search-box-2000760626 |archive-date=2026-05-19 |access-date=21 May 2026 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Reid|first=Elizabeth |date=19 May 2026 |title=A new era for AI Search |url=https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/search-io-2026/#powerful-ai |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260519181835/https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/search-io-2026/#powerful-ai |archive-date=2026-05-19 |access-date=21 May 2026 |website=Google Blog}}</ref>
 ==Incidents==
@@ Line 134: / Line 138: @@
 Google cites their own Developer Distribution Agreement (terms of service for devs), claiming that those apps are "disruptive", as if to imply hacking or cracking. Many people claim that's an invalid excuse, and that the ulterior motive was to increase ad-revenue.
-===Phone number requirement for new accounts (2020)===
+====Phone number requirement for new accounts (2020)====
 Since 2020, Google has increasingly forced users to verify phone-numbers via SMS during account registration,<ref>https://support.google.com/accounts/thread/34403939/cannot-create-a-new-google-account-it-is-requiring-a-phone-number-forced-phone-verification</ref><ref>https://reddit.com/r/degoogle/comments/oanh2p/does_google_now_require_a_phone_number_to_make/</ref> in an effort to "mitigate spam, bot activity, and account abuse"<ref>{{Cite web |first=CLRN |date=2025-07-25 |title=How to skip phone verification while creating Gmail account? |url=https://www.clrn.org/how-to-skip-phone-verification-while-creating-gmail-account/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-05-05 |website=California Learning Resource Network}}</ref>. They have a system that immediately detects reuse of numbers, so no accounts can have the same associated number.{{Citation needed}} This, paired with [[YouTube#Forced sign-in|YouTube's sign-in requirement]], makes it impossible for users to share a single "guest" account, as is typically the case for families sharing a smart TV.
@@ Line 142: / Line 146: @@
 Devices without [[Google Mobile Services]] or running [[wikipedia:List_of_custom_Android_distributions|custom ROMs]] are exempt.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |last=Anderson |first=Tim |date=2025-08-26 |title=Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/android_developer_verification_sideloading |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829170329/https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/android_developer_verification_sideloading |archive-date=2025-08-29 |access-date=2025-08-26 |website=The Register}}</ref> Critics argue this restricts user freedom, impacts independent developers, and may enable Google to block apps it disapproves of, such as ad-blockers, raising concerns about privacy and control over personal devices.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Anderson |first=Tim |date=26 Aug 2025 |title=Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/android_developer_verification_sideloading |url-status=live |access-date=26 Aug 2025 |website=The Register |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260119211440/https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/android_developer_verification_sideloading/ |archive-date=19 Jan 2026}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |first= |date=26 Aug 2025 |title=Google will block sideloading of unverified Android apps starting next year |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/810335/google-will-block-sideloading-of-unverified-android-apps-starting-next-year |url-status=live |access-date=26 Aug 2025 |website=BleepingComputer |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250829215120/https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/810335/google-will-block-sideloading-of-unverified-android-apps-starting-next-year/ |archive-date=29 Aug 2025}}</ref>
 ==Lawsuit==
@@ Line 178: / Line 181: @@
 ==References==
 <references />
-[[Category:Google]]
+[[Category:Google| ]]