Your phone is about to stop being yours.

83 days until lockdown

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:

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:

  1. Delve into System Settings, find About Phone
  2. Tap the build number seven times to enable Developer Mode
  3. Dismiss scare screens about coercion
  4. Enter your PIN
  5. Restart the device
  6. Wait 24 hours
  7. Come back, dismiss more scare screens
  8. Pick "allow temporarily" (7 days) or "allow indefinitely"
  9. 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.

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…

71 organizations from 23 countries have signed the open letter

Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk F-Droid f-droid.org epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works The App Fair Project appfair.org FULU Foundation fulu.org Privacy Guides privacyguides.org Tuta Mail tuta.com ARTICLE 19 article19.org Proton AG proton.me Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw Fedimedia fedimedia.it IzzyOnDroid izzyondroid.org Techlore techlore.tech OW2 ow2.org MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org Ghostery ghostery.com The Tor Project torproject.org Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org Molly molly.im CryptPad cryptpad.org The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org GitHub Store github-store.org UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org April april.org LineageOS lineageos.org XMPP Standards Foundation xmpp.org Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co JMP.chat jmp.chat The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org Italian Linux Society ils.org The OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) osmfoundation.org European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org Brave brave.com Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be Data Rights datarights.ngo Obtainium obtainium.imranr.dev The Guardian Project guardianproject.info Cryptee crypt.ee Fastmail fastmail.com /e/ Foundation e.foundation FOSDEM fosdem.org Codeberg e.V. codeberg.org The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org Aurora Store auroraoss.com Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org iodé iode.tech AdGuard adguard.com GrapheneOS Foundation grapheneos.org FACiL facil.qc.ca VideoLAN videolan.org Osservatorio Nessuno OdV osservatorionessuno.org microG microg.org FUTO futo.org Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org Rocky Linux rockylinux.org The Calyx Institute calyx.org Open Web Advocacy open-web-advocacy.org KDE e.V. kde.org GNOME Foundation gnome.org OpenMedia openmedia.org Nextcloud nextcloud.com Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com

Read the full open letter and thank the signatories →

What they're saying

Tech press

"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"

TechRepublic

"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."

Android Police

"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"

Gizmochina

"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"

How-To Geek

"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"

How-To Geek

"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"

How-To Geek

"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"

The Register

"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"

How-To Geek

"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"

The Register

"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"

It's FOSS News

"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"

Open Source For U

"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"

MakeUseOf

"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"

Ars Technica

"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"

Bleeping Computer

"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's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"

TechSpot

"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"

How-To Geek

"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"

The New Stack

"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"

XDA Developers

"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"

Cybernews

"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"

Tuta Blog

"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"

heise online

"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"

SlashGear

"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"

Slashdot

"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"

The Register

"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"

Reclaim The Net

"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."

Thom Holwerda, OSnews

"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"

Techzine EU

"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"

Internet Freedom Foundation (India)

"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"

InfoWorld

"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"

Android Headlines

"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"

Android Headlines

"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"

Ars Technica

"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"

Benzinga

"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"

The Verge

"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"

9to5Google

"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"

TechCrunch

"Keep Android Open"

Linux Magazine

"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"

Techdirt

"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"

How-To Geek

"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"

Tom's Guide

"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"

Android Headlines

"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."

I-Programmer

"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."

Hackaday

"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"

Tom's Guide

Editorials & analysis

Organizations & open letters

"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

"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."

Tuta

"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."

AdGuard

"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."

European Pirate Party

"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."

Nextcloud

"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

"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

"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

"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"

Tech-ish Kenya

"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

"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."

F-Droid Open Letter

"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

"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."

European Parliament

"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

"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

"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."

F-Droid

"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

"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."

F-Droid

"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

"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."

AdGuard

"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."

Tuta

"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."

AdGuard

"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

"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."

ACLU

"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."

F-Droid

"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

"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

"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

"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."

Osservatorio Nessuno

"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

YouTubers & creators

"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

"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

"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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

"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 removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

"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

"Android has become what they set out to destroy."

Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube

"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

"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

"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 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 decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."

fireborn – Blog

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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 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

"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

"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."

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

"That's not openness. That is control."

ChiefGyk3D – 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

"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

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

"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

"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

"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

"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."

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

"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

"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."

BenjaminRi, Lobsters

"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."

lynxy, Tildes

"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

"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."

Apocryphon, Hacker News

"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."

survirtual, Hacker News

"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."

hn92726819, Hacker News

"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."

tejtm, Hacker News

"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."

koala, Lobsters

"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 now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."

vala, Lemmy

"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."

Zak, Hacker News

"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."

masterofn001, Lemmy

"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."

gcupc, Lobsters

"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

"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

"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."

nibbleyou (developer in India), 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

"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

"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

"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."

layfellow, 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

"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

"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

"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

"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."

girvo, 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

"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."

WaffleMonster, Slashdot

"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."

flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News

"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."

gumby271, 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

"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

"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."

hbn, 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

"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

"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

"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."

Tiraon, Tildes

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."

afferi300rina, Hacker News

"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."

TheTearMiser, Lemmy

"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."

MrZander, Hacker News

"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

"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."

Max-P, 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

"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."

Zak, Lemmy

"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

"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."

anordal, Lobsters

Voices from the petition

"Google is Google's own worst enemy. If this goes through, I will never use any of their services ever again. GOOGLE IS A BAD ACTOR AND A BAD COMPANY! WHAT HAPPENED TO "DON'T BE EVIL"?!?! "

Ryan, change.org

"I'm old enough to remember when Google's company montto was "Don't be evil". "

Ryan, change.org

"Google is making this change for control not for security. these changes will give Google sole control over who can create apps for their platform and by extension it means they have complete control over what apps are allowed. In short this is censorship. "

Drake, change.org

"As a consumer, i have The right to install applications freely without pressure or retaliation,since ona has The right to choose the applications one needs or uses. Furthermore,Android was designed for free use without restriction and with open source code for allá programmer,developers,and users of The device.This restriction would be illogical and would destroy The esence of Android.I oppose the removal of F-Droid and other third party applications. CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT BE FORCED INTO CHANGES THEY NEITHER WANT NOT SUPOORT;BESIDES BEING PROHIBITED,IT IS ILLEGAL TO DECIDE FOR THE USER.ANDROID IS FANTASTIC BECAUSE EVERY USER CAN PERONALIZE THEIR DEVICE.SOMEONE MIGHT HAVE A SPECIFIC BRAND IN MIND,BUT THEIR DEVICE WILL REFLECT THAT PERSONALIZATION,UNLIKE ¡OS, NO TO BLOCKING THIRD PARTY APPS "

Juan Manuel, change.org

"I only use android because of the freedom. This change would make android as restrictive as iPhones. "

Skyler, change.org

"Google, this accomplish two things: 1/ This will limit privacy respecting apps to those of us who run degoogled OSs. 2/ More people will flash degoogled OSs onto their phones. Do you really want less data coming in to monetize? Your call. "

Scott, change.org

"What a spit in the face from Google. I switched from iOS to Android for the freedom, and this is what they do to me? Google gave me yet another reason to migrate away from their technocratic oligarchy & seek independence from profit-seeking corporations. Frankly, I don't expect Google to care about its customers anymore. But I'm still going to raise my voice. "

Samuel, change.org

"Many of the apps I use daily are FOSS. I would lose a very large portion of the functionality of my phone without them. Some have alternatives available in the Play Store, and some do not. Even for the ones that do have available alternatives, they are measurably worse - crowded with advertisements that make them unusable until you pay (usually a subscription) for the "Pro" version. Then, when the developer stops making enough money, the app breaks and/or disappears from the store. Many of the FOSS apps I use also do exactly what I need, where their alternatives require workarounds or focus on some additional "feature" that I couldn't care less about. There are also several apps that I acquired outside the Play Store that legitimately don't have alternatives, either because they have to violate the rules of the Play Store to function properly, or because the developer believes, as I do, that good software doesn't rely on the existence of a market to function. "

Zachery, change.org

"Stop your control of people devices. "

Sally, change.org

"As a regular user of Android, I've always loved the freedom that Android gave me when it came to downloading apps and APKs. I've never had an issue with Android up until now. This policy is going to be restricting and a violation of the digital rights of both consumers and the creators. This does not protect anybody in the equation, and if this policy goes through then I will not use Android services anymore. Google, please hear our voices and do not go through with this. You will lose many supporters if you do. "

Simon, 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

"Anyone who wants to write an Android app should be fully allowed, and should never be forced to pay for your own program through fees. "

Keiran, change.org

"This COULD end piracy of some games, paid apps, viruses/spyware and modded apps/cheats. But as a Brazilian, I'm against this, because there is a lot of Open source apps on github and F-droid with really useful functionalities. "

Gianluigi, change.org

"I want to own my android and not be censored. "

Analisse, change.org

"Google's promise was that Android would remain an open ecosystem allowing developers to freely play in an open sandbox and build applications without requiring a central authority. Users are capable of determining and accepting risk on their own, and the barrier to sideloading is high enough to keep most general users safe. It's been shown that even Play Store's security reviews are not perfect and that malware makes its way onto the platform, so there is no basis for this change other than greed and overreach. "

Cameron, change.org

"#NoMoreCensorship "

Russell, 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

"The iOS user experience is invariably more polished and seamless than any Android device. In the tablet market especially, Android can't hold a candle to iOS when it comes to usable. For the entirety of Android's existence, the freedom to use our devices the way we want, rather than being beholden to the whims of a manufacturer, has been THE reason to use Android. Not a reason, not the most important or compelling reason, THE ONE AND ONLY REASON. To remove or hamper the ability to sideload apps is to remove Android's only reason to exist. Remember, no matter how many of our rights and abilities you remove with regard to how customers use their devices, there's one right you cannot touch: our right to purchase an objectively easier to use iOS device. "

Pranam, 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

"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

"Openness was supposedly Android's mission to difference itself from iOS and now they're gonna take it away? I don't want a closed system, you're just making a worse version of iOS and throwing away one of the biggest selling points of your OS, keep Android open. "

Ernesto, change.org

"Google should stop killing Android "

Rafael, change.org

"The only reason I've stuck with Android all these years has been its open ecosystem. If that's removed, I'd switch to Apple in a heartbeat. "

Anjali, change.org

"Don't be Apple! "

Wenshan, 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

"The only reason I have a Samsung is because my VTuber software is an open-source APK, and I doubt Google will approve it then the restriction happens. "

Jesse, change.org

"Google loves trying to downfall their own creation by doing stupids things. Android is a best OS to side load apps, and also freedom to install apps outside of google play, but this goes so bad that i prefer apple over this. we can also side load without apple trying to remove side load. and no, i don't want to be "an approved developer" i don't want pay to a boring business who trys to downfall their own creation by doing shitty updates, because who wants to show their identify just for be "an approved 18+ old" user? well, NOBODYS. even adults. bye android, hello apple. "

Juh, change.org

"One of the big reasons I've always loved Android over iOS is that I was given more freedom to do stuff like this with my own device. Taking this away from the Android community leaves not much reason to even stick around on Android IMHO. Just another tech corporation taking away more features "for your benefit". "

Sawyer, change.org

"This is the main appeal of android to me. Having the freedom with my own device that I paid for instead of being limited. "

Joshua, change.org

"Being able to get softwares and actually having device freedom is why I have always chosen android over apple. No freedom means that I can't do things I want to on my phone or any android device, which is the point of me buying android "

Zaiden, change.org

"I grew up without cameras and sensors constantly supplying tech firms and governments my movements, habits, and so on. While I can't force the world to roll back the loss of privacy in public spaces, I'm sure as hell not ceding in the fight to maintain a bit of privacy in my own home. Since the only reason I can stand using an Android phone is being able to install and use non-invasive apps, I will absolutely switch OS if this BS goes through. "

Alex, change.org

"I buy android to be able to customize my phone as I please. If you do this you lose a loyal customer of over 20 years. "

Jamell, 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

"This petition is important because as an open source developer and long-time Android enthusiast, the freedom of installing software on a device I own is mandatory. Android is fun and customizable, let's ensure that both developers and users can continue to enjoy their devices without restrictions. "

Benjamin, 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

"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

"I've been an android user since I got my first smartphone a galaxy 3, I've been extremely happy with the amount of peronality I can add to my phone and I've stuck with the android platform because of it. This move towards locking away the freedom to create apps without the oversight of google is a disturbing and should be stopped. Google, please stop this, be the better company, don't become Apple. Be the voice of freedom. "

Sean, change.org

"Android has always been about freedom and an open option for not only everyday users but developers and artists as well. If Google gets their way this will be a devastating blow to privacy, freedom, independence and how people live their lives. Do not let them get away with this! "

Jonathan, change.org

"Google always voiced themselves as the "Open Platform" in direct competition with Apple. With the lockdown happening, there is no more competition. It's either "isolated OS" or "fellow isolated OS". In today's day and age, especially, the people value and are drawn to the ability to make their own choices without the difficulties and frustrations of being restricted and banned from doing something. It's *why* so many people switched to Android/ Google devices, and *why* so many Android/Google users *refuse* to use Apple products. The lockdown is just creating another Apple under a different company. "

Amelia, change.org

""do no evil," my eye! this maga-adjacent, corpo-fascist overreach must be opposed, halted buried under copious amounts of binding democratic rules of fundanental software development freedoms & rights. no to paying tolls to genocide enabling skuoogle. no to overt subjugation of independent sw developers. if skruoogle had a consciencec... oh, but skruoogle has no conscience - it's not human. "

whiskey, change.org

"Google is a giant monopoly that never should have grown to the size it has in the first place. We wouldn’t be here if they were stopped a long time ago when they should have been. "

Tom, change.org

"Please don't limit the choice of those users who are either more technically inclined or simply need to use an app that isn't available on a store or signed by a registered developer. This is the kind of thing that really makes me sad. The flexibility of Android is gradually getting chipped away. First you take steps to make it incredibly difficult to have a usable experience on a rooted device via Play Integrity Services, and now you're going to take away our choice to sideload on devices that are supposedly "secure" as well? This is so anti-consumer and so against the spirit of freedom that Android afforded for those who didn't want to be locked in that I just can't find any way to justify it. How can you? "

Dustin, change.org

"Google, which has long positioned itself as a defender of freedom on the internet, now seems to be taking worrying steps by trying to limit the installation of apps outside of the Google Play Store. This move not only restricts users' freedom of choice, but also centralizes even more power in the hands of a single corporation, creating a closed and controlled environment. By forcing developers to comply with its rules and fees, Google eliminates the possibility of cheaper or even free alternatives, making the Android ecosystem more restricted and expensive. Moreover, this decision goes against the very essence of Android, which has always been based on freedom of customization and access. It's a setback for users who seek greater control over their devices and privacy. Limiting app installations outside the Play Store is not just a matter of convenience, but a matter of respecting user autonomy. "

Júnior, change.org

"Android is Linux. Linux is free! "

Arthur, change.org

"Sideloading does not exist. I bought the device, I own it and will use it as I see fit. I'm sure Sundar wouldn't appreciate his gardener telling him what grass he's allowed to grow. "

Eric, change.org

"My property. My rules. "

Steven, 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 only have one thing to comment: Google just wants to make a profit, they are just being greedy. "

Joilton, change.org

"Android is the operating system for those who want freedom, and to take away our ability to install what we wish, is the start of Google trying to take further control over us. The internet is already falling apart with attempts to "protect" people, but in reality, the internet isn't a place for big companies to try and protect people against their will. "

Dino, change.org

"The freedom Android offers for young inquisitive minds is the entery way to Dev-Land. Certainly they are aware of how many of their employees started from this basic idea and how many they may loose by taking it away. Not only that do they really believe we won't migrate to something better? But as a consumer we need to try and understand what the future will look like, why this is the decision not just for Android but for Windows and more. "

Joseph, change.org

"The main reason I use Android products at all is for their modability. To require ID verification just invades the privacy of app developers and does absolutely nothing to protect Android users. At this point, what would make Android products any different from Apple? This is completely unacceptable; this will end up hurting more people than it does help. "

Elise, change.org

"It started with apple restricting our freedoms to software due to their desire to control their users. Now that same desire to control us has reached android a platform built on freedom. This is the final stance we can take against a future where you own nothing in the name of safety. "

Barrett, change.org

"For longer than I can remember, I have cherished Android's openness, the ability to side-load APKs, access to F-Droid and related means of acquiring open-source and ad-free apps. But now, here we go again with another Big Tech bait-and-switch: Android's appeal has always been it's open nature; Google captures it, promising it will not violate the fundamental openness of Android's operating system; next thing we know, Google announces it will indeed violate everything Android developers, users, and community members hold dear. Google: We are all so tired of paying to have our freedoms restricted on top of being the objects of mass surveillance. We are sick of purchasing over $1000 devices, only to have our fundamental rights to our own bought property be curtailed and our privacy interests betrayed. We will not continue to fund this behavior. Google must make a public, righteous, and inviolable commitment to keep Android devices *at least as open as they are now*. If it does not, it will be Google that feels the pinch of being locked out. "

Brian, 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

"As a user and advocate of free and open-source software, I express my deep concern regarding Google's recent decisions that progressively erode the open nature of Android. The reduction of AOSP releases from four to two times per year [[13]], the development of the system behind closed doors [[21]], and the new developer verification program that threatens independent repositories like F-Droid [[17]], represent a shift toward a more controlled and restrictive model. Android was born as a promise of freedom for manufacturers, developers, and users; turning it into a closed ecosystem not only betrays its foundational principles, but also limits innovation, competition, and users' right to control their own devices. I demand transparency and a genuine commitment to open source. "

Dalien, change.org

"I've been an Android user for ever since i was 12, im about to be 30 now and i have never looked back, this is do to one main reason, freedom of choice. I always liked that i can install games and apps directly from developers most of the times. Is one of those things that set Android apart from iOS. Im not as tech savvy as some of my peers, but i do often show off the things i can do on my Android device that family and friends cant do on their iOS, so far i have been able to convince people to switch to Android and they have been enjoying the switch. I feel like iOS is finally catching up to Android in terms of customization features that Android has had for years now, but this decision to limit where i can get apps from would make the system just like iOS. I already quit from newer Samsung Galaxy devices since they got rid of features i still utilize to this day like the Headphone jack and Expandable storage. Today i use a Sony Xperia 1 V, which features both. I even did this personal experiment last year where i got an iPhone for 3 months to truly experience "the other side" and apart from getting use to the new User Interface (UI) the thought i kept having for those 3 months was "i cant get that one app im used to" or "i wish i could get this specific app, but is not on the App Store". When i finally got back to an Android phone the difference felt big, not only was i back to an UI i was so used to, i also didn't feel restricted from my choices in what apps i wanted to install. All and all, this decision to restrict Android users from where we can get our apps, is just another thing that i think will not longer set them apart from an iOS device, and there will be less reasons to choose an phone over the other, making them unexciting and eventually just all blend together. "

Anthony, change.org

"This would mean there's no longer a reason to use android "

Chandrea, change.org

"We all have the right to contract unlimited. As free people. If Google controllers Android then that's peonage making Android users slaves, in a life that is so dependent around our phones!!!! "

Larry, 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

"Android has always been the superior product because it has allowed it's users the ability to customize their phones and download what they want. To take that away would make you no better than Apple "

Mike, change.org

"We want a free and open Android, or we'll choose a better platform. Android without free and anonymous apk's installation capabilities it's not Android anymore "

Peoplewant, change.org

"Google needs to STOP! Taking away MY Right to choose what apps I will or won't use is completely UNACCEPTABLE and ILLEGAL! Freedom of Choice has always been a hallmark of the Android lifestyle. Unlike Apple's closed-box system, Android's relatively open nature gives me the ability to choose FOSS apps over paid closed-source apps, saving me both money AND the lost sleep over repeated worries about tracking, ads and spyware in the apps I regularly use. Google's recent decision to lock the system down and force devs to pay huge "membership" fees, surrender ALL their rights under a TOS that is AGAINST them developing without providing the ID and private signature keys and listing any application IDs they have. If this isn't the behavior of a monopoly, than please define to me what is?! "

Stephen, change.org

"As a kid, I used to think iPhone, and iOS as a whole, was great. As I thought "people don't need alot of things, they have everything they want." Until I had a Google Pixel 6 Pro for Christmas. It became my tinkering device, and allowed me to access things, I never knew I wanted. And it allowed me to have access things that usually would've costed my family a pretty penny. By forcing verification "

Josue, change.org

"If Android is closed off & no longer my phone as was the promise of Android, it will be the last Android anything I will purchase.. "

Michael, change.org

"It is so crazy to think I would ever think that this was the case. Android becoming IOS. I know Google wants to be Apple, but limiting supposedly open source software to now not allow true open source software seems to undermine this experiment. I will call this an experiment because you're been testing it for over a decade and now showing the true direction. Closed environment where all the data is mined and sold. Regardless of those who were here because Apple locked us into devices and software, the difference here is quality control you have none Google. You have relied on communities of users/developers to accomplish this. No More! This change unfortunately won't affect the bottom line immediately or barely when it comes to profit, but it will affect quality and choices and those are things that attract money... "

Marc, change.org

"As someone who's used Android since Android 5.0 & 4.4.4, I think being able to download and install 3rd party applications is important for EVERYONE who uses any Android device. Sideloading is a key reason why Android is beloved by most of its users and a key advantage for most power users of many different devices which gives it a major edge over Apple's iOS platform which has many of these restrictions. The difference between Android and iOS for as long as both of them have existed is that Android has been designed since the beginning as an Open-Source operating system that was ALWAYS designed to be tinkered with by the user without needing to be beholden to the whims of the big company that owns it. TL;DR, Android is an open-source OS that is better than iOS because it doesn't restrict user freedoms, even if that freedom isn't always needed by every Android user. Keep Android Open! (save Android X86 too maybe as well!) "

Andrew, change.org

"This is a disturbing move by Google. Side loading needs to remain an option for Android users to choose as an alternative when looking for apps made by developers that are not in the PlayStore. Side loading is also invaluable when wanting to utilise previous versions of apps on an Android device. "

Bruce, change.org

"Please dont let die the FOSS community and github hobby projects. "

Nondibianno Ambar, change.org

"Nobody asked for this. Unrestricted sideloading is the only reason I bought an Android phone. I need to upgrade to a new phone soon, but I will never in a million years consider buying another Android phone unless this decision is reversed. I'm now genuinely tempted to switch careers and devote my life to building sophisticated adblockers just to annoy Sundar. "

Jacob, change.org

"Android made it possible for free, open source software to be widely used between everyday consumers instead of locking them into subscriptions or high one time payments, and by restricting APK sideloading, this strips people away from being able to use software that more poeple are able to use. This is downright wrong. "

Michael, change.org

"SKYNET HAS INITIATED WWIII :( "

Daniel Alberto, change.org

"Open Source change my life, and it's really awesome, not just for the Android ecosystem, for the tech industry in general "

abel, change.org

"I just spent $2000 on Samsung devices to break out of the Apple ecosystem because I'm tired of being locked down, and then I hear about this. Incredibly disappointing, I guess if they go through with this then I'll head back to iPhone after this, since nothing will set Android apart anymore. "

Kat, change.org

"Google needs to stop monopolizing Android access "

Allen, change.org

"One of the reasons I use android is so I can do what I want unlike an iPhone. Locking it down will make it no different from the competition "

Jonathan, change.org

"Android was always desired by those who want an open platform. It should remain that way... for a laundry list of reasons. "

Byran, change.org

"I am not a dev, I am a Linux user who loves the openness of android. If Android becomes locked down, and the play store is the only option, my sovereignty and freedom is gone. GOOGLE, PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE YOUR CURRENT COURSE. "

Gabriel, change.org

"Sideloading is the only thing that separates android from IOS in a meaningful way and to get rid of it destroys the whole point of using android. "

Jacob, change.org

"We cannot allow Google to further restrict android, to become a sort of increasingly dystopian corporate restrictive service, that we are paying more over the years, to recieve less features from. "

Bo, change.org

"What's the joke about Android being another iOS? Sure, you can find whatever you want on the Play Store as long as it's there, but there are junk apps and paid apps that ask you to doxx yourself and tell them where you live and everything else. No, where's the freedom in that that Android always had? .... Another iOS? No. "

mike, change.org

"The whole point of going for an Android over an iPhone is the freedom to customize and install what I want. It's bad enough that there are fewer and fewer makers that allow things that used to be expected (headphone jack, replaceable battery, SD storage) but at least we had the apps we wanted, how we wanted them. If this changes, there will be no point to the entire Android platform. This cannot be allowed to happen. We know this isn't about security, either, it's about surveillance and being able to sell more of our data "

Lewis, change.org

"Just another step big tech is taking to take away our rights and freedoms. "

Martin, change.org

"The reason why i use android is because of the freedom but if Google lockdown android then there no point on staying and not switching to other ecosystem "

Joel, change.org

"I do not condone google to control everything "

Leticia, change.org

"As a regular user and consumer, I am frightened by this direction. Android has historically differentiated itself by being an open platform that users can customize to their liking - this is THE main reason I continue to purchase Android phones. I am a developer as a hobby, and will occasionally create my own apps to support my unique projects and requirements. I have no interest in becoming an authorized developer - that wouldn't make sense for me. In addition, I benefit STRONGLY from the community of existing open-source apps. I am an avid F-Droid user, and find the apps there to be of equal or better quality than those in the Play Store. If Android is to become as locked-down as iOS, then my next phone purchase will be from Apple to benefit from their increased privacy protections. The main differentiator drawing me.to Android will be gone. "

Patrick, change.org

"we pay for these devices and maintain them. we should be able to do anything we want with them. Locking us out is just greed. Like buying a car. then having to pay ever month to use the heated seats that are already in the car. if anything, let us put a different system on the phone. "

David, change.org

"I switched to Android for my freedom to install apps. Now that the threat of app verification is looming over us, If this goes through, Android will no longer have a place in my life. Continue to allow (free and fair) APK installs! "

Sebastian, change.org

"The advantage of Android is precisely its freedom to choose what to do with your system and applications, just as developers have the freedom to choose where to distribute. Please do not limit the installation of APKs. There is already a warning and optional block for “unknown” apps where we currently have choices. Do not trade freedom for a false sense of security! "

Matheus, change.org

"Android users should be able develop and install whatever software they want on their devices without approval from Google. The promise of Android — and a marketing advantage it has used to distinguish itself against the iPhone — has always been that it is “open”. But Google clearly feels that they have enough of a lock on the Android ecosystem, along with sufficient regulatory capture, that they can now jettison this principle with prejudice and impunity. "

Ray, change.org

"WHAT GOOGLE IS DOING WITH ANDROID IS A BIG SCAM AND WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN. LET'S ADVANCE THIS PETITION MORE AND MORE UNTIL THEY GIVE UP ON THIS IDEA. SHARE THIS PETITION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND DONATE MONEY SO THAT MORE AND MORE ANDROID USERS SPEAK UP ABOUT THIS CASE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING!!!!! "

Matheus, change.org

"Android used to be all about giving its users freedom over the walled garden approach of iOS. If Google will be following the same path of Apple, they will be losing a major competitive advantage among pro users. "

Freddy, change.org

"If you buy a computer, you rightly expect to be able any software, developed by anyone, one that device. Why should phones be any different? This is a shameless power grab by google, and a huge step backwards for user's rights "

Christopher, 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

"We want Android as it was intended and created to be, free and for everyone, not a cheap reskin of iOS. "

TARS-, change.org

"The whole reason Android is superior to other os is because its an open platform. If you change what makes it great....then its no longer great. Its a copy cat IOS falling in line with everyone else and no longer blazing its own path. "

Michael, change.org

"Only reason I've always used android is because it's pretty open to apps I make for myself. If that is taken away, there's no reason not to go to Apple. "

Bill, change.org

"Android has always been an open platform. It needs to stay an open platform. There are already security features in place to keep less experienced users from installing apps from unknown sources. There's absolutely no reason to shut out independent developers just because they don't want to give Google their money or personal information; or to keep users from installing any app that they want. "

Jose, 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

"hell yea stop google "

Lewis, change.org

"The only reason I use Android since 2012 is for the freedom it gives over iphones and the ability to install what I want. Fine to give a warning (they already do) but blocking this is unacceptable and against what Android has always stood for. "

Allen, change.org

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Take Action Full resource list, regulator contacts, links for every country, and how to fight back Open Letter Read the open letter signed by organizations opposing developer verification

You bought your phone.
You should decide what runs on it.

That shouldn't require a 9-step process, a 24-hour wait, and Google's ongoing permission.

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