Your phone is about to stop being yours.
Starting September 2026, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.
Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out.
↓What Google is doing
In August 2025, Google announced a new requirement: starting September 2026, every Android app developer must register centrally with Google before their software can be installed on any device. Not just Play Store apps: all apps. This includes apps shared between friends, distributed through F-Droid, built by hobbyists for personal use. Independent developers, church and community groups, and hobbyists alike will all be frozen out of being able to develop and distribute their software.
Registration requires:
- Paying a fee to Google
- Agreeing to Google's Terms and Conditions
- Surrendering your government-issued identification
- Providing evidence of your private signing key
- Listing all current and all future application identifiers
If a developer does not comply, their apps get silently blocked on every Android device worldwide.
Who this hurts
You
You bought an Android phone because Google told you it was open. You could install what you wanted, and that was the deal.
Google is now rewriting that deal, retroactively, on hardware you already own. After the update lands, you can only run software that Google has pre-approved. On your phone: your property, that you paid for.
Independent developers
A teenager's first app, a volunteer's privacy tool, or a company's confidential internal beta. It doesn't matter. After September 2026, none of these can be installed without Google's blessing.
F-Droid, home to thousands of free and open-source Android apps, has called this an "existential" threat. Cory Doctorow calls it "Darth Android".
Governments & civil society
Google has a documented track record of complying when authoritarian regimes demand app removals. With this program, the software that runs your country's institutions will exist at the pleasure of a single unaccountable foreign corporation.
The EFF calls app gatekeeping "an ever-expanding pathway to internet censorship."
Google's "escape hatch" is a trap door
Google says "power users" can "still install" unverified apps. Here's what that actually looks like:
- Delve into System Settings, find Developer Options
- Tap the build number seven times to enable Developer Mode
- Dismiss scare screens about coercion
- Enter your PIN
- Restart the device
- Wait 24 hours
- Come back, dismiss more scare screens
- Pick "allow temporarily" (7 days) or "allow indefinitely"
- Confirm, again, that you understand "the risks"
Nine steps. A mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period. For installing software on a device you own.
Worse: this flow runs entirely through Google Play Services, not the Android OS. Google can change it, tighten it, or kill it at any time, with no OS update required and no consent needed. And as of today, it hasn't shipped in any beta, preview, or canary build. It exists only as a blog post and some mockups.
This is bigger than Android
If Google can retroactively lock down billions of devices that were sold as open platforms, every hardware manufacturer on the planet is watching.
The principle being established: the company that made your device gets to decide, after you've bought it, what software you're allowed to run. In software, this is called a "rug pull"; but at least you could always install competing software. In hardware, it is a fait accompli that strips you of your agency and renders you powerless to the whims of a single unaccountable gatekeeper and convicted monopolist.
Android's openness was never just a feature. It was the promise that distinguished it from iPhone. Millions chose Android for exactly that reason. Google is now revoking that promise unilaterally, on devices already in people's pockets, because they've decided they have enough market dominance and regulatory capture to get away with it.
Ars Technica: "Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy."
But wait, isn't this...
"...just about security?"
The security rationale is a smokescreen. Google Play Protect already scans for malware independent of developer identity. Requiring a government ID doesn't make code safer. It makes developers identifiable and controllable. Malware authors can register. Indie developers and dissidents often can't. The EFF is blunt: identity-based gatekeeping is a censorship tool, not a security one.
"...still sideloading if you use the advanced flow?"
Nine steps, 24-hour wait, buried in Developer Options, delivered through a proprietary service that Google can revoke whenever they want. That's not sideloading. That's a deterrence mechanism built to ensure almost nobody completes it. And since it runs through Play Services rather than the OS, Google can tighten or kill it silently.
"...only a problem if you have something to hide?"
Whistleblowers, journalists, and activists under authoritarian governments will be the first victims. People in domestic abuse situations are next. All these groups have legitimate reasons to distribute or use software without putting their legal identity in a Google database. Anonymous open-source contribution is a tradition older than Google itself. This policy ends it on Android.
"...the same thing Apple does?"
Apple has been a walled garden from day one. People chose Android because it was different. "Apple does it too" is a race to the bottom and a weak tu quoque argument. And under regulatory pressure (the EU's Digital Markets Act), even Apple is being forced to open up. Google is moving in the opposite direction: attempting to further entrench its gatekeeping status.
"...just $25 and some paperwork?"
Maybe, if you're a developer in the US with a credit card and a driver's license. Try being a student in sub-Saharan Africa, or a dissident in Myanmar, or a volunteer maintaining a community health app. The cost isn't only financial: you're surrendering government ID and evidence of your signing keys to a company that routinely complies with government demands to remove apps and expose developers.
Fight back
Everyone
- Install F-Droid on every Android device you own. Alternative stores only survive if people actually use them.
- Contact your regulators. Regulators worldwide are genuinely concerned about monopolies and the centralization of power in the tech sector, and want to hear directly from individuals who are affected and concerned.
- Share this page. Link to keepandroidopen.org everywhere.
- Push back on astroturfers. The "well, actually..." crowd is out in force. Don't let them set the narrative.
- Sign the change.org petition and join the over 100,000 signatories who have made their voices heard.
- Read and share our open letter
- Tell Google what you think of this through their own developer verification survey (for all the good that will do).
Developers
Do not sign up. Don't join the program by signing up for the Android Developer Console and agreeing to their irrevocable Terms and Conditions. Don't verify your identity. Don't play ball.
Google's plan only works if developers comply. Don't.
- Talk other developers and organizations out of signing up.
- Add the FreeDroidWarn library to your apps to warn users.
- Run a website? Add the countdown banner.
Google employees
If you know something about the program's technical implementation or internal rationale, contact tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work machine and a non-Gmail account. Strict confidence guaranteed.
All those opposed…
69 organizations from 21 countries have signed the open letter
April april.org
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
OpenMedia openmedia.org
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
FUTO futo.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Unified Push unifiedpush.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
F-Droid f-droid.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
FACiL facil.qc.ca
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
Techlore techlore.tech
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
Proton AG proton.me
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
GitHub Store github-store.org
Brave brave.com
CryptPad cryptpad.org
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
FOSDEM fosdem.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
Data Rights datarights.ngo
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
iodé iode.tech
Cryptee crypt.ee What they're saying
Tech press
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
Editorials & analysis
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Google has announced that they are altering the deal. And telling us that we should pray that they don't alter it further. Block this policy change now before they wrap their cold metal hands around our necks."
Jesse Wilson, PublicObject.com
"Google has announced what can only be described as a death blow to the open ecosystem that made Android. Under the guise of 'security,' Google is implementing draconian developer verification requirements."
AndroidSage
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Google isn't certifying apps, they're certifying developers. This implies that the company can somehow predict whether a developer will do something malicious in the future."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"The proposed Android Developer Verification program isn't a security update; it's a kill switch for the open ecosystem."
Hillary Keverenge, Tech-ish Kenya
"Destroying F-Droid isn't some 'oops.' It's the mission. It's Google finally cutting the last remaining escape route and locking every single user inside their store."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"There is also the very real possibility that Google will leak your identity with the result that any apps with political implications could result in persecution and worse."
I-Programmer
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"This policy represents a dramatic departure from Android's decades-old tradition of openness, in which developers could build and share apps freely without first submitting to a centralized authority."
Biometric Update
"Google's story that this move is motivated by security is obviously bullshit. The idea that Google can improve Android's safety by certifying developers, rather than code, is obvious bullshit."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"Once there is no such thing as 'sideloading', there's virtually no difference between iOS and Android. I see no reason to buy Android over iOS at this point."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"Developers from sanctioned countries or those without Google Play access cannot verify themselves. This creates systemic discrimination against developers based on birthplace rather than conduct."
agnostic-apollo (Termux developer), GitHub
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"The $25 isn't the real cost. The chilling effect is. Submitting government ID to Google is a non-starter for pseudonymous contributors and privacy researchers."
Arafat Alim, DEV Community
"Google's attempts to make Android 'more secure' are, in fact, increasing the risk for Android users. The more friction you introduce in the name of security, the more likely users will attempt to bypass security completely."
Ken Buckler, Enterprise Management Associates
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"Android is not open anymore. It's not an alternative. It's not even trying. It's iOS with ads and spyware bolted on."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours. Google decides which apps are allowed to be loaded on Android and which are not."
Tuta Blog
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Innovation may be the biggest casualty in all of this. This new rule erodes your right to make informed decisions about your own devices."
MakeUseOf
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"Google is turning sideloading from a right into a permission slip, and the open-source community has until September to convince it otherwise."
Reclaim The Net
Organizations & open letters
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"Google's abusive approach to the Android operating system has only gotten worse in recent years. Software freedom is sorely lacking in the 'computers in our pockets' we call cell phones."
Free Software Foundation
"If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today."
F-Droid
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"A centralized global registration system for Android will inevitably chill this work. Those communities are likely to drop out of developing for Android altogether."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"Google's developer verification policy creates a centralized database, controlled by a single corporation, containing the real-world identity of every person who writes software for Android."
Brave
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"A policy that forces every Android developer to hand their identity to Google, regardless of whether they use Google's services, makes Android a less-open and less-private platform."
Brave
"For developers building tools specifically designed to protect user privacy, being forced to surrender their own personal data as a precondition for distribution is deeply contradictory."
AdGuard
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"This is a profound change, one that shatters the entire premise of the Android ecosystem, long regarded as the antithesis of the closed Apple ecosystem."
AdGuard
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"This invasion of privacy of developers is not just an overreach of Google's authority over Android, but also jeopardizes developer safety."
Software Freedom Conservancy
"Google will cut off independent developers to Android if they do not register with Google first. This will kill independent platforms like F-Droid and severely impede FLOSS devs from creating apps for Android."
KDE
"Changes would impose barriers to entry for individual developers, small teams and volunteer projects by imposing fees, identity checks and terms that may not align with the principles of an open ecosystem."
Infosecurity Magazine
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"This extends Google's gatekeeping authority beyond its own marketplace into distribution channels where it has no legitimate operational role."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"When you set up a gate, you invite authorities to use it to block things they don't like. And when you build a database, you invite governments to try to get access."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Developers who choose not to use Google's services should not be forced to register with, and submit to the judgement of, Google."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"Developers who build privacy-first browsers, encrypted messaging apps, VPNs, Tor-based software or tools for journalists and activists would be required to upload government ID to Google. These developers are unlikely to trust Google and might stop developing for Android."
Brave
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"There are governments who might very much like to know the names of the developers of those applications so that they can go after them."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
YouTubers & creators
"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"I have really no more strong reason to not recommend you all get iPhones, because this just is pretty much an iPhone with a Google logo on it at this point."
Techlore – YouTube
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"Google is setting a requirement that only they can fulfill, forcing developers to go through Google and killing off thousands of apps. Countless users stranded."
Techlore – YouTube
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"This has obvious problems for non-Google operating systems like iodeOS, LineageOS, or BraxOS. Google Android will 'check in' with Google to verify the identity of the app and to validate the operating system."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."
Switched to Linux – YouTube
"F-Droid is basically saying that the new Google developer registration process will likely kill the open-source app store entirely."
The Linux Experiment – YouTube
"The widely-circulated narrative that Google already backed down from this is false. They didn't, and that misunderstanding may be the most dangerous part of the story right now."
Techlore – YouTube
"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."
Techlore – YouTube
"This is an iPhone now. I didn't want to buy an iPhone. I use Android because it gives me freedom. If you are not going to give me freedom with my computer, then why would I buy your stuff anymore?"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"This means you can't sideload an app from an unofficial source. But it could also be used to lock the ecosystem so we're forced to install only Google apps on approved Google OS versions."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google keeps getting in as much trouble as Apple when Google is half evil and Apple is full evil. So there are probably people inside Google saying, 'Why not just go full evil?'"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."
Techlore – YouTube
"I'm not using the word 'phone.' I'm using the word 'computer.' This has over 8 GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage. It's a computer. And I'm also not going to be using words like 'sideload.' When you download an exe file onto your Windows computer, you've installed an application. You haven't 'sideloaded' something."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."
Techlore – YouTube
"Follow the money. Google makes money when apps are downloaded from its store. Google has completely forgotten about its earlier company motto: Don't be evil."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"Google is doing to Android what Microsoft once tried to do to the web. Embrace, extend, extinguish. Just wrapped in a shinier open-source package."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
Developers & community
"We need to start treating phones differently. We're entering a world where we can't choose what we run on them. Their primary purpose is to gather data on us and serve us advertising, they're engineered for addiction, yet engaging in the world is immensely difficult without one."
specproc, Hacker News
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"You are essentially a child to them. The difference is society has decided not to step in to protect you from your abusive parents."
globular-toast, Hacker News
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"Requiring a government ID to distribute software. Holy shit. If you are a kid and want to create a game for your friends, you better get that birth certificate ready!"
llitz, Reddit
"If your country is ever in the crosshairs of 'American interests' and bears the brunt of its sanctions, it is possible that you cannot install apps from your fellow citizens. Your own local government, bank, and store apps."
devsda, Hacker News
"I still remember how in the early days of Android vs iOS discussions, the main point was 'but it's OPEN!' The word 'open' was used as a comma by Google people. It was The Thing. The Difference. Good vs Evil and all that."
jwr, Hacker News
"My Pixel 6 just broke, and after 15 years of using Android, I've finally been convinced to move to iOS. If I must live in a walled garden, I suppose I'll choose the one with nicer flowers."
yonato, Hacker News
"If I go down this path, I will stop all development on Android. I implore all other developers to resist this. This will completely lock down the platform forever, there will be no going back."
BatteryMountain, Hacker News
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"Twice I have had to deal with Google silently disabling my drone app to the point I had to buy an older phone to perform work. When I purchase a device that works with another device, under no circumstances should I be at the mercy of any updates they make."
cbrophoto (drone professional), Reddit
"This is a war on users that want to keep control of their phones and when it's done, you will not be able to escape the enshittification."
ikidd, Lemmy
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"Google's own Play Store had over 600 million malware downloads. They keep talking about 'security' but their own store is crawling with fake apps and straight up malware while actual useful stuff gets buried or rejected."
Historical-Employ129 (324 upvotes), Reddit
"There's an entire genre of scamming where the scammers spend months building rapport with their victims before cashing out. One day is nothing."
free_bip (on the 24-hour wait defeating scammers), Hacker News
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"If Android's sandbox and permission systems actually worked, then the mere act of installing an app from an arbitrary source would be as harmless as visiting an arbitrary website."
mwcampbell, Lobsters
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"Google has no right to be my parent. As long as I can't reject paternalism, I don't believe for a second this is done with the well-being of scam victims as the main priority."
gspr, Lobsters
"I hate this so much. More and more I get the feeling I have no control over the devices I own. My fear is that Windows will eventually follow. For security reasons of course. It's the path we're on now."
cheesyvoetjes, Reddit
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"Computing is infrastructure. Personal computers are a means of expressing agency. This is like banning people from moving furniture around their house without approval from mortgage lenders."
wervenyt, Tildes
"Years ago, I wondered how Google would try to get away with locking down Android and shutting the cage door after capturing such a large dependent user base. Now I see how they are trying to get away with it."
chaznabin, Reddit
"I buy a device with my own money, which I supposedly then own, but then I need to ask some corporation permission to use it."
askonomm, Hacker News
"I teach digital literacy and 99% of unsavory software I encounter on people's phones come from the Play Store or App Store. I will believe they're serious about protecting users when I see them do something about the crap ton of borderline scam apps infesting their stores."
1995ToyotaCorolla, Lemmy
"If the likes of Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and others have their way, you will not own your computer; those companies will effectively own your computers."
RUs1729, Slashdot
"Don't beg. Don't get in a position that freedoms depend on the whims of a corporation or willingness of a government to regulate them. Build."
jzb, Lobsters
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"I want to deploy apps on my device. They are my apps, it's my device, and I should not be required to ask for permission to do so."
fsniper, Hacker News
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"Software gatekeeping is a threat to human rights. Just recently an app to track ICE was banned from the iOS app store even though this should clearly be protected first amendment speech."
gthing, Reddit
"Can't come at a worse time. People are just learning to make things through vibe coding, and they're gonna want to put their own apps on their phones. And now Google says no."
Serinus, Lemmy
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"Any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you, and won't give you a key, they're not doing it for your benefit."
vord (quoting Cory Doctorow), Tildes
"After 15 years of professional development on Android I too am now thinking about switching my focus to something different. And it sucks."
MrDresden, Hacker News
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"This isn't just a competition between app stores; it's a struggle for choice and dignity. Your phone shouldn't be a cage carefully constructed by others, but an extension of your own will."
renshijian, Hacker News
"Anyone else thinking this looks like a precursor to banning Signal and similar? 1) Put Google in control of what you can install. 2) Get Google to block it."
harry8, Hacker News
"Antitrust action is badly needed. It is ridiculous that I need permission from my device manufacturer to install software on hardware I own."
jim201, Hacker News
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"The fundamental problem is that we are relying on the good graces of Google to keep Android open, despite the fact that it often runs contrary to their goals as a $4T for-profit behemoth. The 'don't be evil' days are very far behind us."
paxys, Hacker News
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"It is a disgrace how Google has managed this situation. The promised 'advanced flow' hasn't appeared in any Android 16 or 17 betas. Google is quietly proceeding with the original lockdown."
fermigier, Hacker News
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"Whatever Google is doing kind of scares me. We have a big DIY community of diabetics in Germany running tools like AndroidAPS that cannot ever be distributed through official channels."
pimeys (Type 1 diabetic, DIY medical software), Lobsters
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"Google selling Android as both open source and open to running any software you like in order to quickly gain market share, only to break those promises after driving competing platforms out of the market is nothing more than fraud."
GeekyBear, Hacker News
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"Making it harder makes it harder to treat ourselves. Software like AndroidAPS is unique. It's hard to find or very expensive and inferior in the proprietary market."
pimeys (diabetic user on life-critical medical software), Lobsters
Voices from the petition
"The possibility of one of the only features that could jumpstart and maintain rising developers ambitions and the Android community; being able to install any files into their systems getting smothered is a nightmare for anyone who has been sticking to Android themselves due to its customization (I will protect my self-made Miku UI with my life). Going against the reasons of Android's strengths WILL be a bad idea and would force the people to find lower alternatives, whether they are better or not can't be gauged when this move destroys the baseline of a free and modifiable OS. Please listen to the community that is yelling to not aim at poor Bugdroid's shins... "
Ken, change.org
"google, it is not your job to parent any user on what they wish to do with the items they purchase. No one wants your control and no one asked. "
Kyi, change.org
"You will bury yourselves. "
William, change.org
"Just saying that Android is not becoming locked down because of sideload restrictions, it closed was from the start, but people don't care if bootloader unlock is not under their control, they are being abused from the born of android but they only now scream that sideload is getting restricted. I'm of course mad at this sideload situation but Android before WASN'T OPEN! "
Hidden, change.org
"The entire point of choosing android over IOS is for the freedom to install things that may or may not work. 3rd party installation already requires you to go through some hoops . Its my device let me install what I want. "
Brian, change.org
"I have Android phones for just one reason: The freedom they provided so far. Some of my main apps are side-loaded. This move of Google is a huge disappointment. It’s a terrible abuse of monopoly power. "
Andreas, change.org
"My money goes to the people with a specific contract implicitly in mind. I own the device, and the manufacturer cedes control to me in totality. If google wishes to contiunue with this course of action, the monetary value of any android phone as a product drops to zero - I cannot own one in totality. I cannot purchase one in truth. I'm only thankful that Linux-based phones are now (more than ever) becoming a viable, if still niche choice. "
Benjamin, change.org
"I have been using Android since I was a wee little lad and for the simple fact that it was mine and I had control over what and who I allowed on my devices. Using the iPoor (iPhones) always had the intrinsic "we at Apple know what's best for you" type of user experience and never got behind it. This cannot pass in in any country. "
Moe, change.org
"The thing about Android has always been that it is open, people should have the right to install whatever software they want on their phones. KEEP ANDROID OPEN!!! "
Sofia, change.org
"The freedom of apks is one of the best parts about android period. This will kill their identity, our freedom as consumers, and only give more control to the corporate super entity. "
Walace, change.org
"Google motto used to be "Don't be evil". Today, it doesn't mean anything because they do everything to be evil and greedy. Not many people will follow your restrictions that you like it or not, there is always a way. The Internet is ours, not yours. :) "
Jacob, change.org
"As a developer, I will NEVER give Google my ID or personal identity. They are already known to post developers home addresses on their app store publicly, which is a huge safety violation. I do not trust google and will not give them any of my personal data. "
Skye, change.org
"As a regular user and a small developer, I find this measure deeply concerning. When I choose to buy an Android phone, it is with the expectation of having control over how I use it, not to face restrictions or censorship. Tools like Knox and Play Integrity are already frustrating enough, and now it seems that even downloading applications from F-Droid or other nice Stores should be checked ?! This undermines both user freedom and the open spirit that originally defined Android. We have ( well we have to take it back) the right to create, modify, and use apps—and to communicate online—without being forced to give up anonymity. It is up to users to educate themselves about potential risks, not for GAFAM to decide on our behalf. "
naknak, change.org
"Does google not understand that the reaso ehy I refused to use iphones is that I cannot use my prefered apps on it. If google loses that, google loses me as well. "
bruno, change.org
"Im hating Google for this, i hope they not do this to Android system "
Pepino, change.org
"When I purchased my Android product, it was with the understanding that I could use it how I pleased. This doesn't make anything better, they are doing this in a bid to control what their consumers are able to access. It is predatory and they must be held accountable. "
Phillip, change.org
"Google is wrong to limit people installing whatever they want on what's supposed to be their phone. "
Spark, change.org
"Google is nothing short of an evil pig! We want free android! "
James, change.org
"Google,please don't do that. Because if you do that, millions and millions of Android users will switch to iOS, because that's the point of Android even exists! *I* switched to Android because I did not like iOS So please... Give us the freedom we want! "
Eduardo, change.org
"As an android user myself. I want to help make a change by signing this petition. We cannot let Google take away user freedom as the whole reason android got popular in the first place is because it is open-source. People should not be told what to do and what not to do on their device and it should be up to the user. "
Anonymous, change.org
"Only reason I use android instead of iOS. Don't take it away from us. "
Robert, change.org
"The world needs more freedom, not less. Nobody said you *have* to use a free APK, but we need to keep the option open for anybody who does. "
Evan, change.org
"Its is unfair and against the law of freedom and privacy. "
Muhammad Asif, change.org
"Please reconsider "
Calvin, change.org
"The continual tightening of the corporate hand around the throat of Android is pivotal to oppose. Android and other Linux-based operating systems are currently and will continue to be the front lines of the eternal battle for user freedom, privacy, and safety worldwide. "
Aaron, change.org
"This is concerning for educators and hobbiests using Android phones as feature-rich platforms for learning "
Geoff, change.org
"Hands off the APK! I left Russia for Freedom in 2022 and now you trying to restrict our Freedom like a criminal Putin. "
Alex, change.org
"The biggest reason I use Android is that I'm free of the lockdown and monitoring imposed by Apple. If Google locks out developers then the system I love will perish. "
Samuel, change.org
"Android should be free; it was supposed to be the hero of free or open-source applications. "
Alan, change.org
"Dear Google, you are single handedly destroying the whole purpose for which we use Android. Not only will you see a mass exodus from Google devices/services, you will force the creation of alternative operating systems that allow for user privacy and fredom for app developers. You all are making it harder for yourselves and for us. "
Kevin, change.org
"You're forcing us to create an alternative. We live in an age of increasingly powerful AI, we will not let you control everything. "
Anthony, change.org
"The whole reason I love android is due to openness and freedom, Google taking this away makes me mad because that's a staple point for Android gone. As a regular user, I use the F-Droid store, as well as finding apps directly on GitHub. "
Micheal, change.org
"We own the phones so we should be able to do whatever we want with them. Waiting a short period is not the way to do it. This feels like control and blocks. We are not kids. Please let us actually have control of our phones. "
nicholas, change.org
"Android already provides security tools — Play Protect, install warnings, and permissions. These are the right solutions. A blanket lockdown is not security; it is control! "
Alex, change.org
"I only use android because of the freedom. This change would make android as restrictive as iPhones. "
Skyler, change.org
"Sideloading is a huge part of what makes android awesome. im not updating my phone anymore if this happens "
Cassius, change.org
"Bro this is the only thing keeping android over iOS don't take it "
Alejandro, change.org
"We want digital sovereignty for democracy! "
Kelly, change.org
"Don't trust billionare companies, they want to take away our choice! "
Hugo, change.org
"Android providing more freedom than any other OS has been it's drawing point for ages. The fact that that is being taken away for the sake of a corporation's whims is absolutely disgusting, and I would see no reason to continue supporting it. The fact that google believes it has absolute authority to filter content is frankly abhorrent, and it would provide no difference between android and any other OS. "
Guadalupe, change.org
"As a user who has used the Android operating system for several years, this seems quite unfair to app developers who rely on third-party distribution channels, supposedly to "unify" the system and make it "more secure." But it simply eliminates the way third parties who aren't in the Apple App Store can distribute apps; this applies to emulators I can use on Android and apps that aren't available in the App Store. Besides eliminating the freedom they boasted about Apple, they want to implement this business model, which affects app developers' privacy (and it's clear that UK laws are having a significant impact). "
juan pablo, change.org
"Android without open means NOTHING "
Lang, change.org
"The promise was an open and free OS "
Daniel, change.org
"The restrictive policies blocks me to publish My apps cuz I don't have many testers as they force me to have as an individual developer, now they want to cut off the only way that I have to share My creations "
David, change.org
"The whole reason i chose android over apple so many years ago was for the freedom choice in how and what my phone does and doesnt do. Now google is attempting to take that away that freedom. Im honestly so frustrated with googles invasive practices that i've deleted all my google accounts, and moved on to better, more privacy focused alternatives. Sadly google wants to kill that off. "
cae, change.org
"Open means Open Google. You are a Liar Google. Pass this and watch the revolt. There are other options than Google, Google. "
Paul, change.org
"Android giving users choice has been the staple point of android OS. Removing choices like sideloading apps is not the move. I develop apps for myself, I do not want to be "an approved developer" I don't have time nor care for that. This action also is the beginning of censorship, and monopolization of android OS. Android started as an open operating system, you have simply turned it into a reskinned Apple OS. Your choice to go anti-consumer is going to hurt. You are not "protecting" anyone. ~Seth "
Nathan, change.org
"Being an "approved developer" is such a stupid word. Android was known for the freedom of developers and now we are being silenced. "
Kash, change.org
"I will stop using Android if that actually happens and goes through, because what's the point then? "
Cederick, change.org
"On veut pouvoir faire ce que l'on veut quand l'on veux "
Philippe, change.org
"Dear Google. You have paid games. Players are trying to get the modded apk. You slap them with an "unsafe" warning. Not all modded apks can be unsafe, some are. If you want free robux, steal some. Sincerely, Yaoi Ulshade "
Yaoi, change.org
"Android should be a free platform, thats why it exists, taking this away is creating a monopoly that Apple has created and has also gotten in trouble for in the EU for consumer rights "
William, change.org
"Keep android open the main reason I got android is because it's open sourced do not close off android "
Patrick, change.org
"https://c.org/ztGgdyG2f4 "
Rosita, change.org
"APKs are extremely useful for downloading as a learning app developer in highschool. If you ban this, I will not have phone to use as a sandbox and resort to virtual systems to do my development on as a unverified user You are SIGNIFICANTLY reducing the amount of people who will buy your products, and I guarantee, I, as well as many other android users will be switching to Apple as a result. This is on of the ONLY reasons for us to purchase your devices and use your OS. Do not kill your golden goose "
Logan, change.org
"If it were only Google Pixel devices with such a restriction I would have been somewhat okay. However, going after any official Android device just shows Google's attitude towards the community as well as the monopoly it has over an OS that many people outside of Google have contributed to. Imagine if starting tomorrow the Linux Foundation puts such a restriction on any hardware running Linux? "
Aleksandar, change.org
"Open source is people power "
Nathan, change.org
"Why did I even buy an android phone?? They think I went iOS to android for no reason? WE WANT IT OPEN! "
David, change.org
"google take the L "
Miguel, change.org
"KEEP ANDROID OPEN "
Dennis, change.org
"Locking the bootloader is bad. Preventing side loading is bad. If I buy a device, I want to use it as I like. That is the whole reason I've stuck on ith Android in the first place. Guess those days are gone. "
Joseph, change.org
"I use sideloading very often, especially for Linux terminal emulation, and I can't do nearly as much in that vein without it. "
Sylvia, change.org
"Let's all join forces in this fight because freedom cannot be violated "
Fernando, change.org
"I have an iPhone currently but hate it because I don’t have the ability to load any application I want. So when this goes into effect I will have zero reason to get another phone with android as it will just be a iPhone knockoff. "
Bill, change.org
"it's always for "safety" but in reality it's to control the user base. you're forcing all these developers to submit legal ID to "prove" themselves but then data breaches happen risking so many people's identity. what do you do then? hide the fact that data breach happens or at most say sorry? android being open has benefited you as a company for decades and is what's keeping you different from iOS. lock down your platform and what's to keep anyone from switching over? what reason do you have to keep your userbase when you eventually make them choose between two locked down platforms when one is at default better than the other? and the better one is definitely not android if this happens. "
Adrian, change.org
"I didn't think I could dislike Google any less than I do already for their anti freedom posture, but, yeah they've fallen even further. Google is the enemy of freedom no matter where you live. "
Daniel, change.org
"If the current plan moves forward, the few advantages of freedom on Android will be lost, because inhibiting the use of APKs reduces the user's freedom more than its risks, especially because the lack of security on Android is not limited to using APKs from external sources, but using websites or any file from malicious sources, which are not necessarily an APK. If you really want security, should you also disable Android's access to the internet to avoid downloading malicious files, or are you only interested in APKs? Finally, Google Play is not necessarily better than an external store, because it does not expose the source code of Apps to be investigated and verified, unlike F-Droid, for example, which has numerous criteria for uploading apps and prioritizes verifiable FOSS apps. In my opinion, this change is not aimed at the user... "
Gabriel, change.org
"Android is not iOS, is monopoly becoming Android to iOS "
RallenPR, change.org
"Liberdade ao Android! "
Guilherme, change.org
"Android was built as a open technology which made it stand against other proprietary operating systems such as iOS. This decision is not about "protection". It is about locking the system in order to benefit from a lockdown system. Developing app on Android is meant to be about learning and testing in the simplest way without having to be "an approved developer". "
Albert, change.org
"I wanted to switch to android because I liked the ability to still have acess to older apps and software when it no longer works. I currently have an Iphone and can no longer use older versions due to the age of my phone. Hearing this news will definitely lead me to proabably buy an Iphone over android. I will no longer have the right to download cool apps like emulators or download apps that no longer work properly on the version of the phone and software I have. I believe Google needs to reverse it decision on banning sideloading. It is a free ecosystem and users understand the risks if they do it. It is unfair for all android phones to be affected because most phones use Android and I belive this monopoly on technology needs to stop. "
Kalista, change.org
"Yeah let's remove the one thing keeping people on Android 🤨 "
Bobby, change.org
"We can stand together to save Android and keep downloading what we love on our Android devices! "
Austin, change.org
"Removing the only reason to use Android... "
John, change.org
"To put it simply, the Android user experience has always been about the ability to express yourself, experimentation and creative freedom. Why squash that? What are you actually gaining? You'll lose a massive user base for the sake of what, "control"? "
Phil, change.org
"I use Android phones rather than iphones because it allows for more user end control, including the ability to use/install open-source apk. If the choice is made to restrict this functionality, my next phone will not be an android. "
Rebecca, change.org
"Oh great and wise corporate overlords, I come to you a mere peon, a cog in your profit machine, to implore you to keep Android open to small or niche developers. If you implement the proposed changes you will have turned a thriving app ecosphere into nothing more than a reskinned iOS. Your commitment to Open Source and the availability of Android-.apk-but-not-via-Google are on the line here. Many of the most compelling use cases for my Android device would cease to exist under the proposed regime. If that happens I might as well switch to iOS devices, at least they are pretty. "
Michael, change.org
"Control. That is all this is. Protection is a word you use to hide your true intentions, google. Google promised a platform where everybody can choose what they want; Linux does this, Windows does this. But google chose to threaten the very way of technology. We as consumers want freedom over the products we purchase, not "protection" from things "outside" of our control or knowledge. "
Trevor, change.org
"The entire reason I chose android over apple was the freedom I had to do what I wanted on the device I paid for. Google enforcing this "lock-down" is just shooting themselves in the foot and giving people more reason to give apple a shot. "
Riley, change.org
"Not only are open platforms important in general, but this effort specifically is an anticompetitive and a fraudulent attempt by Google to begin walling the garden after profiting off of the work of devs in the community and the consumers who bought their products FOR the open nature of the software and devices. The goal here is not to secure the platform, its to kill open source and privacy conscious competition to Google's corporate surveillance complex. "
Shelden, change.org
"My main reason for not using Apple devices is the 'mommy' factor. Now Google is going to be my mommy too. It's my device. If I accept the risks involved in how I use it, that's my choice - NOT GOOGLE'S! "
Ed, change.org
"KEEP ANDROID OPEN SOURCE "
Tomica, change.org
"The fact is that Google does not have a valid cause to further restrict Androids app open sources due to “alleged need to protect Android users safety “ by only allowing apps to be installed through their paywall, I mean service, google play store. This personally affects me, as I have been using Android for years, and prefer to switch devices when it is best for me, I have a difficult time learning about tech as it is and with the massive amount of wrongs that company has done, it is only growing greedier while treating the users, as captives, not even providing sufficient opt ins, opt outs, and giving the choice to not have any private identifying datas sold out to any unsafe nefarious entity willing to pay. That data would not exist were it not for us individuals it is inextricably tied to, and if anyone has the authority to opt in or out to whats done, especially the selling of my private datas, that would exclusively be Me,Myself, and I. Google is neither fair nor honest, they sneak about doing unethical things until being discovered, and this is just Un American, and totally Anti Capitalism. They wish to eradicate possiblities of choice, wherever possible. They want a monopoly, not a fair market and I will be forced to ditch my Android , if I cannot use open source apps on it, the open source apps have much less problems from my experience, I dont end up with fake apps that mess up my phone, and or cannot be deleted. Once i know a device fairly well it really does not serve me well just to have to find something else, which likey i should do because it was built already infected with google, I trusted that company to be better,gave it a chance, but it is no ones friend. Im not even requesting anyone to stop the google nonsense, just dont let it stop use of upen source on Android, please. Thank you for taking time to read my message. "
Sara, change.org
"They are literally going against the reason people even buy Android phones in the first place "
Lightis, change.org
"Open Android was a promise to devs and users. Now Google tries to turn Android into a closed shop. That is disapointing. "
Marc, change.org
"It wasn’t enough to allow malicious apps on the Playstore, now they want to remove the one thing that makes someone want to use Android? And I haven’t even commented yet on the fact that they prevent users from exploring their own files freely (date, obb), and applications with security flaws that cannot be uninstalled. the situation does not seem to be good... But there is still hope "
Adonis, change.org
"Not allowing users to install the applications of their choosing on their own device and forcing developers to verify themselves with Google, even if they exclusively want to make their applications available on alterntive app stores is outrageous and completely unacceptable. "
Brandon, change.org
"This is a step towards global disaster... Letting Google and Apple control any and all functionality you have on your handheld computer is absolutely absurd. The right android phone can be tuned to a perfect workhorse and sidekick, this new Android Developer Verification Requirement would kill any hope of having personalized and properly functional phones whilst letting Google choose exactly what Developers get to provide tools, collect your data, and offer in-app purchases. I think we all know Google has ruined almost every program on these devices already: accessing local files on the device requires that you use their "google files app" which is ridiculous and clearly them trying to take control where they shouldnt; photos is now "google photos"; wallet? google.; calendar? google; want to have a phone without some BS ai or something hard baked into it? well too bad! assistant cant be turned off; these little briefings with ads that pop up when you unlock your phone?; the adds in the weather app?; how about when you want to go to the nearest restaurant, just trust google to take you there i guess. Here's a very important part of all this: notice that Google replaces all of your PRIVATE apps! My files, which are private, are no longer private since by default the files app is a Google app now. My photos, which are private, owned by Google. My super secure offline location which holds my bank cards, very private, now online and stored somewhere by Google, the company that paid millions to cover up a data breach of 53 million users from 2015 to 2018 (if you were wondering why your info shows up on so many dark websites, thanks incognito!). Pretty much in short: Google is trying to own and control society and this pretty much is a huge leap for them to get there. Don't get me started on Apple. "
Kaden, change.org
"I love the freedom to use whatever program APK I wish and Appl........Google wants to take that away from us? Expect lawsuits in your future. BTW I HATE the play store, F-Droid ALL THE WAY "
David, change.org
"I do not agree with Google's decision to limit my personal choices about the device I paid for. I bought my phone under the impression I was allowed to use whatever software I choose, but with these restrictions, I feel betrayed and used. I may as well stop using Android phones if it's just going to be another Apple. "
Sabrina, change.org
"I have always stayed with Android knowing I was free to create and develop and install and control my own device without the need to root the device. This decision will make this device just as worthless to me as an apple ios device and then looking again for other alternatives. Android was not always as polished and of thr same quality and IOS but having the ability to control my own device and software meant more to me then a fully polished and responsive mobile device. "
Brad, change.org
"I’m not even a developer, but this whole Google lockdown thing ticks me off. The reason I went with Android was freedom — being able to choose where I get my apps, try stuff from outside the Play Store, and actually use my phone how I want. Now Google’s trying to turn it into another Apple-style cage. If they force everything through the Play Store, it’s not just developers that get screwed. We do too. Prices will go up because Google takes its cut, and half the cool niche or indie apps will disappear. I shouldn’t have to beg permission to install something from GitHub or F-Droid. It’s my phone, I paid for it — not some rental Google gets to control. This isn’t about safety or quality, it’s straight-up greed. Android was always the “open” option, and Google’s throwing that away. "
Jared, change.org
"I will switch to iOS and get rid of my android devices and Google home setup if this policy is implemented. I use android because it is open. If Google makes it an inferior version of the iPhone then I will switch over to iPhone. "
Scott, change.org
"Show us a reason to use Android over iOS. It is this bit of freedom that makes us choose Android. Without it, we might as well save up for Apple products, which are solid, but less choice. It is the choice that makes Android worth looking at. "
J, change.org
"Third party apps make my phone so much more functional and versatile for my own personal needs. It's why I choose Android over Apple. Giving less options to all of us will only make the user experience worse for everyone. "
Jorri, change.org
"The entire reason I use Android so much and deal with Google's bull is the fact that I can run my own code along with others. Get rid of that, and you get rid of the point of still using Android. "
Aaron, change.org
"Mandating government identification and a registration fee to share software is a direct violation of the open-source principles and digital privacy that defined the platform. This change creates an unnecessary financial barrier for independent developers and students, effectively stifling global innovation and the creation of niche, non-commercial tools. By positioning itself as the sole gatekeeper of all app installations, Google is stripping away user autonomy and transforming a once-free ecosystem into a restrictive "walled garden." "
Ibrahim, change.org
"I think this a terrible thing since what if you're trying to create your own project app but with this you wont be able to create your own app easily with no problem for your own personal self "
Angel, change.org
"There has always been more freedom with Android and that is why people choose it. Taking this freedom away will take your customers away. We will always find or create another option. "
Danny, change.org
"We will not let Google apply the closed ecosystem to apks. I just want an open system and freedom of apks on Android. An open ecosystem for us to download apks whenever we want. I want Google to get screwed and there will be a rain of lawsuits against this greedy monopoly company called "Google"😠🤬🗡🛡 "
rhyansamuel, change.org