I’ve always believed live music brought me closer to friends and strangers, and I’ve always wanted to run my own business. That’s why in 2021 I left my job as a corporate software developer to launch an app that connects people with nearby performances and fans, and helps artists and event organizers sell tickets to shows. In just three years, my app has connected thousands of music lovers with unforgettable experiences and new friends.
As a Nigerian immigrant, I’m thankful for the opportunity this country has given me to build a successful business. But now I’m worried about the future. My app is currently available in the Apple App Store, and I’ve long planned to offer it in the Google Play store — the world’s most popular Android-compatible-app store. Unfortunately, a federal judge recently ruled that Google’s search engine is a monopoly, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) has requested that the Android operating system be broken off from Google if the company doesn’t fulfill various conditions.
Separating Android from Google is a terrible idea — and it suggests a failure to understand why Android is such a valuable part of the mobile-app ecosystem. For developers like me, that value is clear: Android makes it easy to build and update apps, protect people’s privacy, and deliver great customer experiences. A Google-Android split would likely destroy those capabilities, impacting the entire app ecosystem and particularly harming startups and small app developers like me. Accordingly, I have several concerns I hope the DOJ — and the judge overseeing the case — will consider as they weigh Android’s future.
Android is the Google-made operating system (like Apple’s iOS) that makes different manufacturers’ smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets work. It’s an open-source platform, meaning its underlying code is publicly available. That allows developers to use it, at no cost, to develop apps for the world’s 2.5 billion Android-powered devices.
If Android were spun out into a separate company, its quality and security would likely suffer without Google’s expertise and financial resources. Google constantly updates Android to ensure new apps function properly and protect devices from new cyber threats. It’s hard to believe an independent Android could maintain Google’s technical and security standards, which nearly a third of the world’s population takes for granted. I’ve seen many independent open-source app libraries go broke — so it’s even harder to believe a standalone Android could maintain those standards and keep Android open-source.
That brings me to my next concern: that an independent Android would no longer be open-source. One of Android’s key benefits is the availability of its source-code and the ease with which developers can create apps for the platform. As a developer, I’ve been excited about joining the community of experienced Android experts who understand the system’s underlying code and provide amazing troubleshooting and update-management support. If Android were no longer open-source, that community would wither — and the tasks of developing and updating apps would become far more difficult and costly.
Finally, I’m worried a Google-Android breakup might lead to a chaotic, inefficient mobile app ecosystem populated by dozens of operating systems. Right now, developers can reach virtually all mobile device users by making iOS-compatable and Android-compatible versions of their apps. Dozens of operating systems would require building dozens of versions of our apps just to reach the customers we already can. We’d also have to manage dozens of maintenance and security systems — assuming the small players offered such systems. App development and marketing would become far more complex and expensive, crushing small businesses and discouraging startups. That could mean fewer apps, higher prices, and reduced consumer security.
I’m no legal expert, so I can’t really comment on Google’s search activities or what might be the right “remedies” for its behavior. But as an expert in software development, I can’t see how anyone could possibly be helped by jeopardizing the safety and functionality of an operating system that millions of people and small businesses rely on.
Chudi Iregbulem is the founder of Los Angeles, CA-based Beatmatch.
