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I can actually see where it can improve security against scammers trying to scam elderly and non-tech savvy people.

Scammer tries to get someone to install malware from their site
Victim isn’t familiar with sideloading, but scammer instructs them
Victim hits the first time 24 hour block and has to restart and wait
The restart alone breaks contact with the scammer, scam thwarted

For the rest of us that know our way around Android, it’s just a one time annoyance, after completing all the steps to enable sideloading, you won’t have to wait 24 hours anymore.

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pennomi@lemmy.world ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
It’s going to be effective, but it’s a sad world where you have to create a total nanny state because there exist a subset of users who are INCREDIBLY stupid.

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- PseudorandomNoise@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Is it still a subset when it’s the majority?
  
  And to be honest, the level of effort scammers are willing to go through is shocking, and AI’s just making it easier for them.
  
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  - ParlimentOfDoom@piefed.zip ⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Anything less than the whole is a subset, yes.
    
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  - freeman@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Evidence that any significant percentage of people, never mind the majority, is getting scammed? Then how many of them via app installs?
    
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  - Anivia@feddit.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    
    And to be honest, the level of effort scammers are willing to go through is shocking
    
    Is it? If you live in a country like India, then a single successful scam will be able to pay for years of living expenses
    
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  - CainTheLongshot@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Something about the smartest bears vs the dumbest humans.
    
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3abas@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Solution in search of a problem?

I have never seen a scam call involving sideloading an app on a phone… Why would they whenTeamViwer is in the Google app store?

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- over_clox@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Fuck I dunno, I haven’t used the Play Store since Covid lockdown. I rather prefer to sideload most apps and avoid Google for the most part anyways.
  
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Pika@sh.itjust.works ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Lets be real though, if they reached that stage, they have already blew through 4 other warnings about installing unsigned APK and enabled the browser or file manager to be able to install applications. It’s almost certain if they are that far deep/commited, they are going to call the scammer back if the scammer left a number.

Yes this might allow for a time delay where the scammers number could be disabled if reported by enough people but, I don’t think this is as secure as they are saying it will be.

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- over_clox@lemmy.world ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Sadly, there’s truth in everything you say. Scammers are gonna be scammers, and they’ll just find a new technique plus the long standing social engineering to continue their efforts to rip people off of whatever they can.
  
  Still, it’s something in the middleground, to help grandma be less likely to get scammed, while also giving power users an out and way to keep using their devices the way they want.
  
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- cageythree@lemmy.ml ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  
  Honestly, having to have the user type “I agree that I have verified the application i am trying to install is genuine and not a fraudulent app”
  
  Yeah, this would be the most promising approach IMO. Whenever I was forced to write something, I did pay more attention to what that said than if I ticked a box next to it.
  
  Maybe even have them write “I am not instructed to install this app by someone else. I am aware that following instructions to install an app this way often have fraudulent intentions”.
  
  (Also if the language was changed recently, it should ask to write it in all languages that were set within the last 14 days or so. Otherwise the scammer will have them switch the language so they don’t understand what they’re writing)
  
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Crozekiel@lemmy.zip ⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I’d believe that if most Pig Butchering scams weren’t using apps from Google Play already.

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- over_clox@lemmy.world ⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Fair enough, you have a point. Although, I do think the developer verification thing will make it easier for Google to weed out bad actor developers altogether.
  
  Sure there’s no perfect solution, but at least they’re trying to make it a lot more difficult for the scammers out there, while still leaving power users a path to keep using Android the way we want.
  
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  - Crozekiel@lemmy.zip ⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    I think it is absolutely delusional to assume any of this actually has anything to do with security or safety of users. Google just wants more power and control over, well, everything they can get.
    
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