Google's Android platform: not so open after all

By Ryan Paul

Google vowed that its Linux-based Android mobile platform would empower enthusiasts and amateur developers, but today we have seen compelling evidence that this is an empty promise. Third-party Android application developers, who have grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of SDK updates, were shocked to discover that Google has been secretly making new versions of the Android SDK available to the Android Developer Challenge (ADC) finalists under non-disclosure agreements.

This was revealed yesterday when Google employee David McLaughlin accidentally sent notification of a new SDK release to a public Android mailing list. The message, which was intended only for ADC Round two entrants, says that SDK build 84853 is available through the private ADC download site. McLaughlin later apologized for mistakenly sending the message to the wrong list. ADC Round two participants have confirmed that they have access to updated SDK builds but declined to provide further details because they are bound by non-disclosure agreements. We have contacted Google and asked for additional details, but we have not yet received a response.

While most of the Android community was forced to use an outdated version of the SDK from February and were left to wonder if they would ever see another SDK release at all, a small assortment of 50 gagged developers were given priority access to much-needed improvements and bug fixes that Google has apparently been keeping secret. This revelation has compelled some to question the search giant's motives and wonder whether Google is really committed to making Android an equal-opportunity platform for enthusiast developers. For many of the critics, Google's secrecy and unwillingness to communicate is ultimately more troubling than the lack of SDK updates.

"I don't think the biggest issue here is who has and doesn't have access to the SDK. I think the main issue here is communication or lack thereof. Google embraced the development community and touted how they were going to build this platform with the help of the development community. Somewhere along the line, this 'seemed' to change. I say seemed because this could have always been part of Google's strategy," wrote third-party developer Ken Adair in a message to the Android discussion list. "The problem is they have failed to nurture the relationship with the development community. They have cut them off from the information that was once flowing and left them to speculate and wonder. In response, you are seeing many that feel cheated and betrayed."

Non-disclosure agreements and selective access to development tools are hardly emblematic of an open ecosystem. Google has intentionally disadvantaged many developers and kept the broader Android community in the dark about the progress of the platform. Google's failure to fulfill its commitment to openness has eroded one of the principle differentiating factors that made Android a relevant alternative to Apple's iPhone operating system. If Google cannot change course, the lack of transparency in the development process will likely push disenfranchised developers towards other mobile platforms.

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