Google claims sideloaded apps are dangerous, but the Play Store is where the real scams live

Google is changing the way we install Android apps from developers that haven’t registered with Google. There will be ramifications for those of us who use Android with open-source apps and alternative app stores. Google says these changes are in the name of security, and that’s valid—but what about the far more numerous and far more dangerous threats that exist inside the Play Store?

The Play Store is hardly a safe place to look for software

It is not a store I trust my parents to navigate on their own

Starting soon, Android users will need to wait at least 24 hours to install apps from developers who have not verified themselves with Google. Google says this move is to protect against ransomware and similar scams where people are pressured over the phone to install illegitimate apps that grant someone else access to their device. Apps from developers…