GooglePlay reports latest F-Droid version of Aves Libre as potential malware

A small pop‑up became a big internet brawl: Google’s Play Protect flashed a “this could be dangerous” warning when someone tried updating Aves Libre (an open‑source photo gallery) via Droid‑ify from F‑Droid. The install still worked, but the comments did not chill. One side, led by bhhaskin, insists this was already fixed — “resolved two weeks ago” — and wonders why we’re relitigating it. The other side says it’s not just a glitch, it’s a vibe: a slow squeeze on alternative app stores, with Google’s scanner doing the dirty work.

That’s where the drama hit turbo. benatkin threw down the line of the day — “put the metaphorical kibosh on F‑Droid” — and capped it with “Google is not to be trusted.” Another commenter went full Black Mirror, warning that with new rules coming, one algorithmic false positive could lock developers out for good. The memes wrote themselves: “Play Protect protecting me from freedom,” “Malware detected: cat photos,” and “F‑Droid is Voldemort — He Who Must Not Be Installed.” Skeptics fired back with “take off the tinfoil, it’s already fixed.” But even the calm crowd agrees on the chill: a single red warning from Play Protect can scare off regular users and kneecap open‑source apps overnight. Glitch or glimpse of the future? Choose your fighter.