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…
66 organizations from 21 countries have signed the open letter
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
F-Droid f-droid.org
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
April april.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
CryptPad cryptpad.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
Techlore techlore.tech
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
Unified Push unifiedpush.org
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
Proton AG proton.me
OpenMedia openmedia.org
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
Data Rights datarights.ngo
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Brave brave.com
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
FUTO futo.org What they're saying
Tech press
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"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 verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"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
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
Editorials & analysis
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"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 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
"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
"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
"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
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"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
"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 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
"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
"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
"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
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"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
"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
"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
"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 has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"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
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"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
"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
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
Organizations & open letters
"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
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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 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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"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
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"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
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"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
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"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
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"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
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"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
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"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
"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
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
YouTubers & creators
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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 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
"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
"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
"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
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"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
"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
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"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 decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – 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
"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
"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
"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
Developers & community
"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
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), 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
"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
"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
"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
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"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
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"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
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"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
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), 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
"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
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"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
"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
"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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"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
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, 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
"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
"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
"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
Voices from the petition
"I don't know what words will reach the ones that need to hear them. I'll just say I'm willing to switch, drop, or do what I think works for me. "
Daniel, change.org
"i have been a user of fdroid for a few years and really like the apps that aren't on the play store or aren't google approved. please stop google doing this!! "
Justin, change.org
"If I wanted an iPhone, I would chuck my phone into the nearest dumpster and walk into the Apple store that very same day and buy an iPhone, but that is not what I want. I want the freedom to install the software of my choice and the right to use my device (that I have purchased!) in the way that I want. Google claims that developer verification is for the user's safety. However, forcing developers to disclose their identities will put their safety at risk if they live in countries where censorship is rampant, or make them a target for doxxing if any shady third parties wish to abuse this verification system for whatever petty reasons. "
David, change.org
"Penuit butter "
Dylan, change.org
"Android users should really be given options for how to use their devices. It's unfair that they want to limit us after having given us so much freedom. While I understand it's to protect users, this measure affects independent developers, and even worse, forcing them to use Face ID exposes their faces to potential hacking and data leaks, since this is nothing new. I really hope this reaches more people and that they sign to try to show the community's discontent. "
León 999, change.org
"Guys, let's join forces and stop Google from putting these restrictions on Android. "
Kettisson, change.org
"I signed this petition because Google is slowly turning Android into a locked down version of iOS and it's really frustrating. I bought my phone, it's my property, yet every few months they add more restrictions on APKs, more warnings, more blocks that make it annoying or impossible to install apps from outside the Play Store. Sideloading is something separate that I also want to keep fully open and easy. This isn't about security anymore it's about control and forcing everyone into their ecosystem so they can monitor and profit from everything we do. I want the freedom to install what I want on my own device without Google acting like a parent who doesn't trust me. Developers and power users especially need this ability, and regular users deserve the choice too. If we don't push back now, soon we'll have no real alternatives left and Android will lose what made it special in the first place. Please sign and share if you value your device freedom. "
Christopher, change.org
"Android is built on the Linux kernel and owes much of its foundation to the GNU/Linux ecosystem. The spirit of that ecosystem is openness, transparency, and user freedom. Limiting APK installation beyond reasonable security safeguards risks turning Android into a controlled ecosystem rather than an open platform. Security improvements are important, but they should not come at the cost of developer independence, open-source distribution, and user freedom to install software responsibly. Instead of restricting APK usage, a better approach would be improving user education, providing clearer and more transparent warnings, and offering optional security layers that protect users without limiting their freedom. "
Alireza, change.org
"Why would you change what is by far the most appealing aspect of your operating system? Why would you choose to take the thing that set Google apart from Apple and imitate them? A locked down, dumbed down, "My way or the highway" approach to your user base is insulting, and now people will be desperately trying to find out create a new option, and you'll have no way to compare favorably even against your biggest competitor because you're choosing to be in the same boat. "
Michael, change.org
"I bought my Android devices so I could have the freedom to use it as I wish. Google's change goes against every reason I bought my Android devices to use. Keep Android open. Otherwise, what's the point? It feels like I have wasted my time and money now. "
Madison, change.org
"The selling point of Android has always been freedom, in contrast to Apple's centralized ecosystem. I use Android because it allows me to tailor my experience to my wants and needs rather than what a big corporation decided that I need. I like supporting small creators and developers, which will be made increasingly more difficult with such a barrier to app creators. If you turn into Apple, there is no more reason to choose Android. You will just be another form of unnecessary censorship and limitation. "
Jackson, change.org
"Let's all join forces in this fight because freedom cannot be violated "
Fernando, change.org
"This is the entire point of many people using Android in the first place, you take this away and something new will come along and replace you. "
Jacob, change.org
"The Android system should be kept open and free for end users and developers to use as they see fit. Google's decision to close the system is just one more step, of many already taken, toward the evil that they once promised not to be. Hopefully, enough people will realize that Google is not a trustworthy partner in software and OS ecosystems and a new, truly open system will be developed. "
E J, change.org
"This is a blatant attack on freedom, and I cannot just stand by and watch it come to pass. If we allow the likes of Google to take such steps, they'll clear a whole staircase. "
Emir, change.org
"Keep android open. We want to be able to install the software we want on the device we paid for. "
Knoel, change.org
"This feels like bait and switch. Android has been the open alternative to iOS and that's a primary reason why I've chosen to support Android over the years. We don't have a viable truly free alternative like on the desktop, but Android is the best we've got. "
Sol, change.org
"Me and many of my peers have been android users for over a decade, mainly due to the open nature and freedom to use my device as I wish without friction. Revoking this freedom by forcing developers into this program will harm developer privacy and freedom of speech, accessibility of development, user control over their devices, and preservation of older apps. It's not as easy as move to another OS, as the only other option is iOS and alternatives don't have as many applications needed for general day to day life. This is an overreach of power feigning "caring about user safety" to restrict user and developer freedoms "
Natasha, change.org
"If Android no longer allows me to install what I want, how I want, there is no reason for me to not use Apple products. Your company is already going down the wrong path in so many ways with not properly supporting third-party open source Android variants; do not let this be the final nail in your OS's coffin. "
Peter, change.org
"Android is and has been the operating system that gives everyone the freedom to install any apps they want. The action of adding in a developer verification is simply redundant, anyone who goes out of the Google Play store to sideload knows its risks and why they are doing it. It is the only mobile operating system that allows us to do so, we won't let Google stop us. "
Yuquan, change.org
"I choose to use android for the freedom. If thry implement this in such a way that hinders that, I will no longer have a reason to pick android over iPhone. Guess I will see how this plays out. "
James, change.org
"I have payed and continue to pay for an android device. The right to upload whatever app I please on my own device should be maintained. By extension, developers shouldn't have to give money, personal identifying information, and private sign in keys to google. Nor should developers be subjected to google's constant scrutinized spying and biases through : - Being forced to agree to google's terms and conditions. - Alongside extorting app identifiers for the entirety of an app's life span. Taking away and inhibiting both the ability to do what I want with my own device and the ability of developers to share their creations with others is wrong. What google is proposing is anti-consumer and against the values of freedom. "
Alexandria, change.org
"Google is going to ruin what they built and turn into Apple. "
Abnormal Software, change.org
"I bought my Android device because it was an open computer platform. Changing the rules now to force verification is a betrayal of users and a move toward a monopoly. Stop this restriction! "
Emirhan, change.org
"Keep android open, or there will be a fork. Open software always prevails "
Mikka, change.org
"I use apps that I cannot find on the Google Play Store, Google restricting users to only the Play Store is not only bad, but a hindrance to myself as well since some of these apps I use are of every day use. Android was made to be an open source system since day one, and it needs to stay that way. "
Nova, change.org
"Imagine not being able to install programs on your computer that don't go though Microsoft or Apple first. That is where this will go next if this type of practice is made normal/succeeded. "
Kyle, change.org
"There is always the "security" claim, they got so many security tools already, built in the official app distribution, if the user want to experiment on the device they own they must have the freedom to do so, this is how tech should work, freedom is how tech progress "
Roberto, change.org
"I really liked android phones cause of the freedom they use to have, but with this... they are the same as Apple so.... there's any reason for me to like Android anymore "
Fabián Jhovany, change.org
"Android being "open" is what draws a lot of people to it from the others. This effectively makes it more closed. "
Glenn, 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
"It's been sad to see the steady decline the OS has experienced with increasingly restrictive updates implemented by Google. But this is the final straw. This update effectively forces all users to only install apps through the play store AND can shut down FOSS Android forks like Lineage, GrapheneOS, etc. So many people (including myself) rely on the amazing work the FOSS community does in the Android space. This update will force you to install the apps Google wants you to install, stop receiving OS updates when Google says so, require all Android developers to hand over their ID to Google, etc. Given Google's track record, I wouldn't trust them with all of that. :) "
Kawika, change.org
"STOP GOOGLE!!!!!!!!!!!! "
max, change.org
"I do not want Google to limit my freedom of speech or right to privacy. Google is a monopoly and must be dismantled. This has to stop. "
Tristan, change.org
"Sideloading is not a term. It is called installing. Do not take our choices away. Isn't America proud of their freedom, so don't take ours freedom away. Our device, our decisions "
Quoc Huy, change.org
"When we buy a phone, we’re buying the right to use it as we see fit. For years, the core promise of Android was that it was an "open" platform, a space where users had the freedom to choose their software and developers had the freedom to innovate without a middleman. The move to mandate central registration for APK files and developer verification fundamentally breaks that promise. I believe in a future where technology serves the person who bought it. Let's call on Google to honor the original vision of Android as an open computing platform. Let’s keep Android open for the creators, for the consumers, and for the sake of a free and diverse digital future. "
Jessie, change.org
"As a long-time Android enthusiast, I strongly oppose your push to force developer ID verification for APK sideloading. This policy erodes the open ecosystem that drew millions to Android, blocking access to legacy apps, region-locked content, and custom tools from sources like F-Droid. Under the guise of security, it stifles innovation and user freedom. Please reverse this immediately and honor Android's roots in choice and accessibility. "
Lucas, change.org
"Every year my tech gets less and less useful, it seems like every time I look away Alphabet adds more hurdles to jump over simply to have basic access to MY device. Google is a glorified intelligence agency conjured from the depths of DARPA and the CIA. They're allowed to retain their monopoly, not only because of the capitalist dystopia we live in, but because they're a thinly veiled arm of our criminal government, being welded like a cudgel against not only China's much superior tech industry, but the entire world in the form of the tailor made, digital echo chambers they lock us in. "
Steven, change.org
"SCREW GOOGLE FOR DOING THIS! F-Droid and other 3rf party app stores ARE IMPORTANT and losing them means Google wins and everyone else LOSES. Help support these platforms in any way you can peeps!!! "
Jack, change.org
"Mobile devices have become such integral, personalized focal points in our lives over the last few decades, but not everyone uses their devices the same way. Having the choice of what software we choose to use and where to install from has been a key part of Android since its beginning and has been an important keystone of consumer choice. Removing those choices and putting up barriers to entry for development would be a huge blow to consumer rights. "
Scott, change.org
"Google, allow us to actually own our devices! "
cornelius, change.org
"Just another step big tech is taking to take away our rights and freedoms. "
Martin, change.org
"I got an Android tablet for the freedom it offered over an ios device such as ipads and iphones. If Google's going to lock the system down anyway, I might as well buy a touchscreen for a Raspberry Pi and repurpose it instead of using Android in the future. "
Timothy, change.org
"Privacy is important! "
Kyle, change.org
"I use software that is not in the google play store. I want the freedom to use my phones. tablets, and other devices how I want them. "
Doug, change.org
"hell naw I will stick to using old android if I have to "
Willie, change.org
"Freedom to think and develop without cynicism. "
David, change.org
"Android has always been my go-to, even with today’s high user preference being iOS. The reason why I have relied on it so much is because of the freedom we have to do what we want with our product and not be limited like iOS. This is not about "protecting us" this is to assert control and limit the users’ experience which is a breach of the freedom that Android has always promised. "
Alexandra, change.org
"I like android. I don't want it to be like ios 🤮 "
Luke, change.org
"I switched to android specifically because I felt like it was truly a device I OWNED. I used Apple in the past but hated the amount of features that were gate kept. Having the ability to download open source apps on my android device has reshaped the way I use my phone and has made my workflows significantly better. This new change will not only completely destroy the open source ecosystem I've become accustomed to, but will actively turn away myself, and Android's main user base. What's the point of ruining your reputation and the only real reason to own an android device? "
Steven, change.org
"The entire reason I used to use Android was because of how open it was. I used to be a staunch supporter of Android and even encouraged others to give it a shot. By restricting third-party app installations, it will be similar to iOS, but without any of it's closed environment benefits. Furthermore, this may further encourage users to explore other OS's such as LineageOS or GrapheneOS, rendering any supposed benefits moot. I am personally looking to switch my Android OS to GrapheneOS once this update becomes live. Android was always the best choice in freedom and ownership. This will be a serious mistake on Google's part, similar to Microsoft forcing Copilot on users. "
Areeb, change.org
"Continue to keep our rights to open-source applications a reality for all Android users on every device and keep the option for everyone to create & install the apps they choose. Allow us to make the choice for ourselves and respect the integrity and freedom of the developers & users that love the Android. "
Mitch, change.org
"The ability to download apps directly from developers is one of the main differentials of Android from IOS. Limiting this will severely impact the market share of Android by removing basically any reason anyone would want to use Android over IOS. "
gabriel, change.org
"Android has been the place for people to create and discover... It's extremely secure already, and there's no need to submit us all to the recent authoritarian wishes of Google... They want to have the developer's full information, to ban you if you challenge them or make an app that they don't like, but people do. We need to stop this... We thank Google for all of what they've done so far... But if they are going down this path, it's time for a TRULY open alternative... "
javier, change.org
"I strongly believe that Android used to be the go to for app developers and it is essential that they keep their open policy because it only opens up more users to test their apps for them before a full official release "
Garrette, change.org
"Intelectual property is a disgrace! If what Google is trying to do is normalized it will eventually reach other OSes and it could kill game preservation via emulation. Not only that, they are also trying to normalize putting ridiculous restrictions to the freedom of the developers which could eventually kill open-source or at least make it unimaginably worst! "
Guilherme, change.org
"I think that there should be access to install whatever you want on YOUR device, and use it how you want to. "
Jamison, change.org
"Hey Google, remember what you said? "Be together, not the same." "
Christopher, change.org
"I despise ALPHABET's manipulative and self-serving gestures, toward gate-keeping OUR FREEDOMS and coyly investing themselves in THEIR PROMOTION, of our best intetests! 601=VC1 "
Ian, change.org
"Android gives users choice and that is literally the reason why I use Android. For people in places like Iran, China, Russia, and others who want to use apps that can get them unbias news media, but cannot install western news media apps from the Google Play Store how do you think they get their apps. If Google really cared about the security of their users they would actually fix stock Android's issues with permissions management and lack of zero trust architecture. Instead of fighting the symptoms (third part apps) Google should be finding the cure which is fixing the first lines of user's defense browers and OS. Google isn't coming for third party browser extentions, but they are coming for our apps. This makes no sense. It is clearly a ploy to give Google more Apple like control of OUR devices and wants to stop users who do not want to go as far as installing a more secure Android ROM (*cough* *cough* install GrapheneOS *cough*), but who still want a DeGoogled phone. "
Jannet, change.org
"Google is trying to steal money from devs. Plain and simple. "
Caleb, change.org
"This decision is about maximizing revenue. And it is Google's near monopoly they are leveraging to do it, despite the negatives for every other person and organisation. Forcing users out of Android with this decision only increases pressure for real alternatives to Android on the smartphone OS, and in the end is Google shooting themselves in the foot. Bit it hurts us too. It's cheaper and easier for everyone to maintain the status quo. Please don't do this, as it erases now decades of work by thousands (millions?) of developers around the world. "
Oliver, change.org
"I regularly use FOSS apps and apps I've been bringing with me in APK form from phone to phone, and the promise of being able to develop and run my own code has been part of what's kept me using Android all these years. For Google to then yank the rug out from under us is a betrayal of the highest order, and for what? Shareholders? To feed the addiction held by seemingly every person in a seat of power to know exactly what a given Android owner ate for breakfast on any given date? What a fall from grace from a company that once touted the mottos "Don't be evil" and "Do the right thing." "
Catherine, change.org
"This is a violation of free speech and freedom of choice. We are not apple! "
Gearrard, change.org
"I shouldn't have to build my own services and self host everything if I want freedom and privacy but it's getting to that point. "
Colt, 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
"Android is not iOS, is monopoly becoming Android to iOS "
RallenPR, change.org
"We can stand together to save Android and keep downloading what we love on our Android devices! "
Austin, change.org
"this will kill the freedom that android provides and will make you lose a lot of customers you're gonna lose a ton of money from this stupid change "
Jimmy, change.org
"Just another horrible move from Big Tech companies to further control the rate of which Technology can advance. The only thing I enjoyed about Android - it being very open source and developer friendly - but now that it is being threatened, maybe I should start rallying towards buying ACTUAL Open-Sourced Tech instead of prioritizing capital gain instead of Technical Advancements. "
Aaron, change.org
"This is like Linux changing into Windows "
A., change.org
"Google has been sued up the butt for monopolizing before, and now they're trying again? And on top of these ridiculous surveillance laws all because a few parents can't watch their children, this is just a stupid decision to make. "
Kamareon, change.org
"Android has always been the mobile enthusiast's dream. Please don't take that dream away. "
Logan, change.org
"As an android user who picked android because of the principles and mission laid out by the AOSP, this is in direct violation of what the project was set out to do. Please do not do this, this hurts all consumers whether they realize it or not. "
Matthew, change.org
"This solution simply doesn't make sense. It's not our fault, or the fault of all developers, that people don't know what to do to verify or install an application that isn't malicious. In my opinion, this should come enabled normally on new smartphones, but with a developer option to disable it. You don't have to complicate everything and force us to use an adb command just to install an unverified application. That simply doesn't exist. I provided the solution. "
Saulo, change.org
"I believe increasingly closed ecosystems lend not only to the monopolization of tech but are a threat to the digital sovereignty of individuals worldwide making them susceptible to government and corporate surveillance. "
Adrian, change.org
"This is about Freedom! I want to be in control of what apps I install on my phone! And How I install them! I choose freedom! Do Not block or limit my freedom under the the guise of helping me according to your beliefs! "
Henry, change.org
"By what standard? "
Alex, change.org
"Companies have been continually chipping away at our rights as owners to use our property as we see fit. From TVs to cars our ability to freely maintain, use, and expand the features of devices we paid for have been pulled slowly out from under us. This is another slowly driven nail in the coffin of our digital freedom! We need to push back and make it known that we will not continue to tolerate this. "
Donovan, change.org
"We have the right to choose what apps we want to use or not to use leave it alone "
DENNIS, change.org
"WE WANT CHOICES! "
Cindy, change.org
"As a certified Android glazer I think age verification is stupid and Android should stay open forever "
Anony, change.org
"This is ridiculous the fact that google is causing this will effect everybody it's gonna make it way harder for developers to post there apps to specific users. "
Daisuke, change.org
"free is the most important part of Android,no freedom no Android. "
jason, change.org
"I chose to use android for the freedom and customization within its current limits. I have never owned any other type. If this passes, I will be leaving galaxy and Google android devices. I believe in freedom and privacy for all. "
Joel, 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
"Google needs to stop monopolizing Android access "
Allen, change.org
"hell yea stop google "
Lewis, change.org
"Aaaaaaaaae "
Sharon, change.org
"Seriously, this can harm game devs/ports (legally) plus every APK is checked if this decision is accepted. "
Leonardo, change.org
"I feel that Android needs to remain open, as it is the only other OS apart from desktop based OSes which allow for sideloading. It is up to the user to decide what they choose to install, not by Google to verify the developer of the said app the user wants to install. "
Zain, change.org
"Please reconsider this decision. Android has always been about freedom and open source. Being able to support small developers and having choices to sideload apps is integral to Android's success. "
Jay, change.org
"Side loading IS the ONLY reason i use Android. If its taken away, what is the POINT of android? I will move to ios. "
mehedi, change.org
"We need independent devs and apps to maintain a viberant ecosystem in the face of modern stagnation. Plus people have the right to choose products that align with their own values and needs. "
m, change.org
"I use Android over iOS specifically for the ability to install the applications I want in the way I want. If I can't do that, I might as well not use an Android phone. "
Jeremy, change.org
"I know I wont b buying another Google Pixel Phone (I have a 9XL right now) if this change is made. Why would I limit myself. Its why I choose to buy nothing by apple and never will. "
Chris, change.org
"This is unreal, time to change to non android, play store devices.... "
Robert, change.org
"One of the main reasons I use Android is the ability to sideload applications—downloading APKs from trusted third-party developers. Now Google wants to limit that? Please don’t leave Android alone and don't take away the freedom it was built on. "
Suyaib, change.org
"I've said this before on a similar petition, but I sideload apps all the time, and it's a very important feature to me because I can download older versions of apps that I know function better with ease. Just like everybody else is saying, we use Android instead of iOS because we enjoy having this freedom. It won't benefit us: only Google is going to benefit. "
Daniel, change.org
"It is called installing on devices that I own. I don't need to be hand held under the guise of safety "
Paul, change.org