Add App Fair Retrospective, 2025

Author: fairapps

_posts/2025-02-19-softwarefreedom-podcast-interview.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ layout: post
 author: "Marc Prud'hommeaux"
 ---
 
-I was recently interviewed about the App Fair Project for the FSFE's [Software Freedom Podcast](https://fsfe.org/news/podcast/episode-30.en.html). I had a great discussion with Bonnie Mehring about many aspects of the App Fair's philosophy and mechanics.
+I was recently interviewed about the App Fair Project for the FSFE's [Software Freedom Podcast](https://fsfe.org/news/podcast/2025/episode-30.en.html). I had a great discussion with Bonnie Mehring about many aspects of the App Fair's philosophy and mechanics.
 
 <audio controls="" style="width:100%;">
     <source src="https://download.fsfe.org/audio/podcast/SFP030.opus?ref=player" type="audio/ogg;codecs=opus">

_posts/2025-03-24-total-disintermediation-for-app-stores.md

@@ -7,6 +7,18 @@ author: "Marc Prud'hommeaux"
 published: false
 ---
 
+The only path to digital sovereignty is through total disintermediation.
+
+As the digital gatekeepers have faced increasing scrutiny over their anti-competitive practices, the hope had been that the attention and potential for regulatory enforcement would help open up these ecosystems to interoperability, competition, and unfettered technological innovation. But in the realm of the mobile app store duopoly, the exact opposite has happened: rather than Apple becoming more open with iOS, Google is increasingly locking down Android by closing off the development of the Android Open Source Project and instituting a plan to force all developers worldwide to register with Google in order to be able to distribute their Android applications, regardless of their storefront or distribution channel of choice. The fact that Apple has gotten away with their flagrant violations of the EU's Digital Markets Act has clearly emboldened Google to take advantage of the timid and limp enforcement regime and rush to lock down the Android ecosystem. The impending requirement that all mobile apps will soon need to funnel through the approval of two for-profit US companies should be a cause for alarm, not just for competition concerns but also for digital sovereignty.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+OLD DRAFT:
+
+
 The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) aims to curb the power of digital gatekeepers and foster a more competitive digital marketplace. However, when it comes to Apple's App Store, the current implementation falls significantly short of the DMA's ambitions. The App Fair Project has concluded that nothing less than total disintermediation—removing Apple entirely from the app distribution process—will effectively enforce the DMA's goals.
 
 ## The Digital Markets Act: A Brief History

_posts/2025-10-06-FSF40-panel.md

@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ published: true
 
 I was honored to be invited as a [panelist](https://www.fsf.org/news/fsf40-foundation-panel) at the FSF 40-year celebration event in Boston this weekend. Along with Paige Collings, senior speech and privacy activist from the EFF, Devin Ulibarri, the executive director of Sugar Labs, and Greg Farough, the FSF's campaigns manager, we spent an hour discussing issues around software freedom and privacy, and answered a variety of interesting questions from the audience.
 
-<img alt="FSF40 panelists" src="/assets/images/fsf40-panel.png" />
+
+<img alt="FSF40 panel" src="https://static.fsf.org/nosvn/fsf40/celebration/panel-presentation_750x450.png" />
 
 Once they post video and transcription, I will reproduce it here, but until then I'll convey my notes in response to the opening question:
 
@@ -29,3 +30,4 @@ And last month, the other shoe dropped: Google announced that starting next year
 
 And so to answer the original question, "how has the freedom of users of mobile phones changed since in 2010", I'll summarize by saying: it went up, and then it went down. And that's where we are today.
 
+<img alt="FSF40 panelists" src="/assets/images/fsf40-panel.png" />

_posts/2025-12-29-app-fair-2025-retrospective.md

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+---
+title:  "App Fair Retrospective, 2025"
+date:   2025-12-29 12:00:00 -0400
+categories: news update
+layout: post
+author: "Marc Prud'hommeaux"
+---
+
+As 2025 draws to a close, it's a good moment to pause and reflect on a year that proved to be both challenging and energizing for the App Fair Project. Building on the momentum of [last year's retrospective](app-fair-2024-retrospective), 2025 saw the project deepen its advocacy work, expand its public presence, and respond to some of the most consequential shifts in the app ecosystem in over a decade.
+
+## Free App Stores and FOSDEM 2025
+
+At FOSDEM 2025 in February I presented "Free App Stores and the Digital Markets Act." The talk focused on how the DMA reshapes the legal and technical landscape for app distribution in Europe, and what those changes mean for free software, alternative app stores, and user autonomy. You can watch the presentation and read the transcript at [FOSDEM 2025: Free App Stores and the Digital Markets Act](fosdem-2025-free-app-stores-and-the-dma).
+
+Earlier I had the pleasure of being interviewed for the FSFE's Software Freedom Podcast by Bonnie Mehring[^fsfepodcast], where we discussed the App Fair Project, the role of regulation in restoring balance to app ecosystems, and why distribution freedom matters for both developers and users. Listen to the complete [Software Freedom Podcast interview](softwarefreedom-podcast-interview).
+
+[^fsfepodcast]: Software Freedom Podcast #30: The App Fair Project with Marc Prud'hommeaux: [https://fsfe.org/news/podcast/2025/episode-30.en.html](https://fsfe.org/news/podcast/2025/episode-30.en.html)
+
+## A Year of Public Engagement
+
+This year I joined the board of the [F-Droid project](https://f-droid.org). The App Fair Project takes much of its inspiration from F-Droid, and we regard it as a sister project with much wisdom and experience to share from its 15 years of providing free and open-source software to the Android community.
+
+In October, I joined a panel at the Free Software Foundation's 40-year anniversary celebration[^fsf40], alongside representatives from the FSF, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Sugar Labs. It was inspiring to reflect on four decades of free software advocacy, and to situate today's struggles over app stores and gatekeepers within that longer history. A write-up of the panel is available at [FSF40-panel](FSF40-panel).
+
+[^fsf40]: Free Software Foundation 40th Anniversary Celebration: [https://www.fsf.org/events/fsf40-celebration](https://www.fsf.org/events/fsf40-celebration)
+
+In November, I attended the Digital Markets Act enforcement symposium[^dmasummary], organized by the free-expression organization ARTICLE 19. I participated as a technical expert, helping to assess the issues and proposals raised by presenters at a time when regulators, advocates, and technologists are grappling with how DMA enforcement should work in practice.[^dmasummit] These conversations underscored that while the DMA is already having real effects, sustained technical and policy engagement is essential to ensure its goals are realized.
+
+[^dmasummary]: ARTICLE 19 DMA Report (PDF): [https://www.article19.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DMA-DIGITAL-FINAL-2025.pdf](https://www.article19.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DMA-DIGITAL-FINAL-2025.pdf)
+
+[^dmasummit]: Tech Policy Press: "What Europe's Digital Markets Act Has Delivered So Far and What Comes Next": [https://www.techpolicy.press/what-europes-digital-markets-act-has-delivered-so-far-and-what-comes-next/](https://www.techpolicy.press/what-europes-digital-markets-act-has-delivered-so-far-and-what-comes-next/)
+
+## Google's Developer Registration Decree
+
+One of the defining moments of 2025 came in August, when Google shocked the Android world by unilaterally announcing[^devreg] that all developers would be required to register with Google in order to continue distributing their apps on Android Certified devices, even outside of Google Play.
+
+[^devreg]: Android Developers Blog: "A new layer of security for certified Android devices," 25 August 2025: [https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-android-security.html](https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-android-security.html)
+
+This move fundamentally alters long-standing assumptions about sideloading and independent distribution on Android, and it prompted a series of posts in opposition, published through the F-Droid Blog. In September we posted ["Free App Stores and Google's Developer Registration Decree"](google-developer-registration-decree) and in October we published ["What We Talk About When We Talk About Sideloading"](sideloading), which resulted in an extraordinary amount of press coverage[^kaopress] and increased awareness of the issue. I was interviewed by a variety or tech publications as well as the popular Techlore channel[^techlore].
+
+[^kaopress]: Press reactions: [https://keepandroidopen.org/#press-reactions](https://keepandroidopen.org/#press-reactions)
+
+[^techlore]: The Fight for Android's Open Ecosystem: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnYSwX45ODA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnYSwX45ODA)
+
+In parallel, we launched [keepandroidopen.org](https://keepandroidopen.org) as a focused resource to document the implications of this policy shift, coordinate advocacy, and provide calls to action to resist the lockdown of Android.
+
+## Looking Ahead to 2026
+
+As we turn toward 2026, there is no shortage of work ahead. I'll be attending FOSDEM 2026 alongside members of the F-Droid team and board, and presenting on the main track: "Fear and Loathing in the App Stores: when FLOSS principles collide with the Gatekeeper interests."[^fosdem26]
+
+[^fosdem26]: FOSDEM 2026 Schedule: [https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/event/TYZH97-fear-loathing-app-stores/](https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/event/TYZH97-fear-loathing-app-stores/)
+
+The project will continue ongoing advocacy in support of strong DMA enforcement and continued opposition to Google's Android Developer Registration Decree and similar efforts that undermine independent app distribution. We will also continue to forcefully oppose Apple's "notarization" requirement for its third-party app marketplaces in the EU and Japan (as well as Brazil in the near future).
+
+_A founding principle of the App Fair Project is that you have the right to install whatever software you want on your computer, regardless of whether it is on your desk or in your pocket. Apple's "notarization" and Google's "developer registration" are two sides of the same coin: a ploy by the mobile duopoly to strengthen their gatekeeping and control what you are allowed to do with the devices that you own._
+
+We're also preparing the full opening of the App Fair submission process and launch of the appfair.net index, cataloging apps distributed through the App Fair Project and making them easier for users to discover. The technical pieces are mostly in place and we've been publishing a handful of sample apps throughout the year in an effort to make the pipeline stable and robust.
+
+## Closing Thoughts
+
+2025 reaffirmed that the fight for fair, open, and user-respecting app ecosystems is far from over, but it also showed that sustained advocacy, technical clarity, and community collaboration can make a real difference. I'm deeply grateful to everyone who supported the App Fair Project this year.
+
+Here's to carrying that momentum forward into 2026!