Предстои телефонът ви да спре да бъде ваш.
През септември 2026 г. Google, без да иска съгласието на потребителите, публикува тихомълком актуализация, която ще блокира всяко приложение за Android на разработчици, които не са регистрирани в Google и не са подписали съответните договори, не са платили съответните суми и не са предоставили личен документ.
Всяко приложение и всяко устройство по целия свят и без опция за отказ.
↓Какво прави Google
През август 2025 г. Google обяви ново изискване: от септември 2026 г. всеки разработчик на приложения за Android трябва да бъде централно регистриран в Google, за да може софтуерът му да се инсталира на което и да е устройство. Не става въпрос само за приложения от Google Play Магазин, а за всички приложения. В това число влизат приложения, изпратени от приятели, разпространени през F-Droid, създадени от хоби разработчици за лична употреба. Всички независими разработчици, обществени и църковни групи и любители ще изгубят възможността да разработват и разпространяват софтуера си.
За регистрация е необходимо следното:
- Да се плати такса на Google
- Да се приемат Общите условия на Google
- Да се предоставят собствени официални лични документи
- Да се предостави доказателство за вашия частен ключ за разработчик
- Да се посочат всички текущи и бъдещи идентификатори на приложения
Ако разработчикът не се съгласи, приложенията му ще бъдат блокирани без известие на всяко устройство с Android навсякъде по света.
Кой страда от това
Вие
Когато сте си купили телефон с Android, сте очаквали да имате отворена система, в която можете да инсталирате каквото поискате. Това беше обещанието на Google.
Сега Google променя сделката със задна дата и то за устройства, които вече притежавате. След минаването на актуализацията ще можете да използвате само софтуер, който е предварително одобрен от Google. На вашия телефон, който вие притежавате и за който вие сте платили.
Независими разработчици
Няма значение дали ще става въпрос първото приложение на тийнейджър, инструмент за запазване на поверителността на доброволец, или за поверителна вътрешна бета версия на компания. След септември 2026 г. нищо от това няма да може да се инсталира без благословията на Google.
Според F-Droid, където се намират хиляди безплатни приложения за Android с отворен код, това е „екзистенциална заплаха“. Cory Doctorow го нарича „Darth Android“.
Правителствата и гражданските общества
Google има документирани случаи, в които е изпълнявал исканията на авторитарни режими, когато става въпрос за премахването на приложения. Когато тази програма влезе в сила, софтуерът, който се използва от институциите във вашата държава, ще бъде зависим от решенията на една чуждестранна корпорация, която не подлежи на законовите изисквания на държавата ви.
Фондация „Електронна граница“ (EFF) нарича тази форма на ограничаване на приложенията „непрестанно разширяващ се път към цензурата в интернет“."
„Резервният вариант“ на Google е всъщност капан
Google твърди, че „power users“ (напреднали потребители) „могат да продължат да инсталират“ непроверени приложения. Ето как всъщност изглежда това:
- Ровите се в системните настройки, намирате опциите за разработчици
- Докосвате номера на компилацията седем пъти, за да активирате режима за разработчици
- Потвърждавате, че действате по собствено желание
- Въвеждате PIN кода си
- Рестартирате устройството
- Изчаквате 24 часа
- Връщате се и минавате още няколко изскачащи прозореца
- Избирате „Разрешаване временно“ (7 дни) или „Разрешаване за постоянно“
- Отново потвърждавате, че сте наясно с „рисковете“
Девет стъпки и задължителен 24-часов период на изчакване. За да инсталирате софтуер на устройство, което притежавате.
По-лошото: Този процес се извършва изцяло през Google Play Services, не през операционната система Android. Google може да го промени, да го ограничи или да го спре, когато пожелае, като за целта не е нужна актуализация на операционната система. И до днешна дата все още не присъства в beta версиите на Android, както и в каналите за разработчици или canary. Съществува само като публикация в блог и някои примерни модели.
Това е по-голямо от Android
Ако Google има способността със задна дата да заключи милиарди устройства, които са били продадени като отворени платформи, това ще ангажира вниманието на всеки голям производител по света.
Така се установява нов принцип: компанията, която е произвела устройството ви, има силата след като сте го купили да вземе решение какъв софтуер можете да използвате на него. В света на софтуера това се нарича „rug pull“ (неочаквана тотална промяна на правилата), но поне винаги съществуваше възможността да инсталирате конкурентен софтуер. В света на хардуера това обаче ви изправя пред свършен факт, след който нямате ходове и не можете да противодействате на хрумванията на един доказан монополист, който не допуска свободен достъп и не може да бъде подведен под отговорност.
Отвореният характер на Android никога не е бил просто особеност. Той беше обещанието, което го разграничаваше от iPhone и милиони потребители избираха Android точно поради тази причина. С действията си Google сега нарушава едностранно това обещание на устройства, които вече са в джобовете на потребителите, защото са решили, че имат достатъчно доминираща позиция на пазара и влияние върху регулаторите, за да го направят без последствия.
Ars Technica: „Завистта на Google към Apple заплашва да унищожи наследството на Android като отворена операционна система.“
Добре, но това не е ли...
„...само за нашата сигурност?“
Обяснението за сигурността е само пясък в очите. Google Play Protect вече извършва сканиране за злонамерен софтуер без значение от идентичността на разработчика. Изискването на официален документ за самоличност няма да направи кода по-безопасен, но за сметка на това прави разработчиците по-лесни за идентифициране и контрол. Създателите на злонамерен софтуер могат да се регистрират. Инди разработчиците и дисидентите често нямат тази възможност. Фондацията „Електронна граница“ *(EFF) има недвусмислена позиция: системата за идентификация е инструмент за цензура, а не за сигурност.
„...същото като инсталиране на външни приложения, просто със следване на разширената процедура?“
Девет стъпки, 24-часов период на изчакване, ровене в настройки за разработчици и всичко това през собствена услуга, която Google може да анулира по всяко време. Това не е същото като инсталиране на външни приложения, а е възпиращ механизъм, който е така разработен, че да гарантира, че почти никой няма да го ползва. И понеже работи през Play Services, а не в рамките на операционната система, Google винаги може тихомълком да го ограничи или спре.
„...проблем само ако имаш какво да криеш?“
Информаторите, журналистите и активистите срещу авторитарно управление ще бъдат първите жертви на тази промяна. Ще ги последват хората, които са жертви на домашно насилие. Всички тези групи имат основателни причини да разпространяват или използват софтуер, без да въвеждат данните за идентичността си в база данни на Google. Приносът от анонимни потребители към отворен код е традиция, по-стара от самия Google. Тази политика ще убие всичко това на Android.
„...същото, което и Apple прави?“
Apple е затворена система от самото начало. Android беше избиран от потребителите, защото беше различен. „Apple прави същото“ е напълно безпредметен слаб аргумент, който само отнема вината от правилното място. А благодарение на натиска от регулаторите (Закона за дигиталните пазари на ЕС) дори Apple е принуден да работи по-отворено. За сметка на това Google се е насочил в обратната посока с опити да затвърди контрола си върху достъпа.
„...просто 25 долара и малко документи?“
Може би не е нещо особено за разработчик в САЩ, който има кредитна карта и собствен автомобил. Съвсем различно е обаче за един студент в Африка, или за дисидент в Мианмар, или за доброволец, който се грижи за здравно приложение за общността си. Цената не се измерва само във финансова величина. Давате данните от официалния си документ за самоличност и предоставяте доказателства за частния си ключ на компания, която редовно изпълнява исканията на различни правителства за премахване на приложения и разкриване на информация за разработчиците им.
Как да се противопоставим
За всички
- Инсталирайте F-Droid на всяко устройство с Android, което притежавате. Алтернативните магазини за приложения ще оцелеят само ако има хора, които ги използват.
- Свържете се със своите представители в регулаторните комисии. Регулаторите по света са наистина загрижени за ефекта от монопола и централизирането на властта в технологичния сектор. Те приветстват обратна връзка от хора, които са потърпевши и имат свои притеснения.
- Споделяйте тази страница. Изпращайте навсякъде връзката към keepandroidopen.org.
- Борете се с опитите за манипулиране на общественото мнение. Все по-често се срещат мнения от рода на „От гледна точка на Google...“. Не им позволявайте да изменят фокуса.
- Подпишете петицията в change.org и станете част от другите 100 000 подписали.
- Прочетете и споделяйте нашето отворено писмо.
- Кажете на Google какво мислите за това, като използвате тяхната анкета за изискванията за проверка на разработчиците на Android (колкото и да е глас в пустинята).
За разработчиците
НЕ УЧАСТВАЙТЕ. Не се присъединявайте към програмата и не се записвайте в Android Developer Console. Не приемайте техните Общи условия, от които няма да можете после да се откажете. Не потвърждавайте самоличността си. Не играйте по свирката им.
Планът на Google ще сработи само ако разработчиците се подчинят. Не го правете.
- Опитайте се да разубедите другите разработчици и организации около себе си да не се включват в програмата.
- Добавете библиотеката FreeDroidWarn към приложенията си, за да предупредите потребителите.
- Имате уебсайт? Добавете банера с обратно отброяване.
За служители на Google
Ако знаете нещо, свързано с техническото осъществяване на програмата или вътрешна информация, пишете на tips@keepandroidopen.org от неслужебно устройство и акаунт, който не е на Gmail. Поверителността на вашата информация ще бъде строго защитена.
Всички, които са против…
71 организации от 23 държави са подписали отвореното писмо
F-Droid f-droid.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
iodé iode.tech
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
FACiL facil.qc.ca
April april.org
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
OpenMedia openmedia.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Brave brave.com
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
FUTO futo.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
Techlore techlore.tech
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Unified Push unifiedpush.org
CryptPad cryptpad.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
Proton AG proton.me
GitHub Store github-store.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de Тук можете да прочетете цялото отворено писмо и да благодарите на подписалите се →
Какво казват хората
Технологични медии
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"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 Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
Коментари и анализи
"Google's attempts to make Android 'more secure' are, in fact, increasing the risk for Android users. The more friction you introduce in the name of security, the more likely users will attempt to bypass security completely."
Ken Buckler, Enterprise Management Associates
"The $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
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Once there is no such thing as 'sideloading', there's virtually no difference between iOS and Android. I see no reason to buy Android over iOS at this point."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"There is also the very real possibility that Google will leak your identity with the result that any apps with political implications could result in persecution and worse."
I-Programmer
"Google 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 proposed Android Developer Verification program isn't a security update; it's a kill switch for the open ecosystem."
Hillary Keverenge, Tech-ish Kenya
"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
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud 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
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"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
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"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 could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
Организации и отворени писма
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"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
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"This invasion of privacy of developers is not just an overreach of Google's authority over Android, but also jeopardizes developer safety."
Software Freedom Conservancy
"Google will cut off independent developers to Android if they do not register with Google first. This will kill independent platforms like F-Droid and severely impede FLOSS devs from creating apps for Android."
KDE
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"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
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"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
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"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
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"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 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
"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
"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
"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
"When you set up a gate, you invite authorities to use it to block things they don't like. And when you build a database, you invite governments to try to get access."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
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
"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
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
Ютубъри и създатели на съдържание
"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
"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
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."
Techlore – YouTube
"I 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
"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
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."
Switched to Linux – YouTube
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"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
"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
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"Google is 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 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
"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google 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
"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
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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
"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
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – 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
"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 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
Разработчици и от общността
"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
"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
"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
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"Anyone else thinking this looks like a precursor to banning Signal and similar? 1) Put Google in control of what you can install. 2) Get Google to block it."
harry8, Hacker News
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, 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
"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
"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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, 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
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, 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
"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
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"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
"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
"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 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
"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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"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
"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
"Twice I have had to deal with Google silently disabling my drone app to the point I had to buy an older phone to perform work. When I purchase a device that works with another device, under no circumstances should I be at the mercy of any updates they make."
cbrophoto (drone professional), Reddit
"This 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
"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 wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"I still remember how in the early days of Android vs iOS discussions, the main point was 'but it's OPEN!' The word 'open' was used as a comma by Google people. It was The Thing. The Difference. Good vs Evil and all that."
jwr, Hacker News
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"I want to deploy apps on my device. They are my apps, it's my device, and I should not be required to ask for permission to do so."
fsniper, Hacker News
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), 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
"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
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, 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
"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
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, 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
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), 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
Мнения от петицията
"I am not a developer, just a regular apk user, and the fact that google is trying to remove a vital part of android is crazy "
Gilberto David, change.org
"APKs are extremely useful for downloading as a learning app developer in highschool. If you ban this, I will not have phone to use as a sandbox and resort to virtual systems to do my development on as a unverified user You are SIGNIFICANTLY reducing the amount of people who will buy your products, and I guarantee, I, as well as many other android users will be switching to Apple as a result. This is on of the ONLY reasons for us to purchase your devices and use your OS. Do not kill your golden goose "
Logan, change.org
"I like Android because it feels like a computer. I can administrate my own files, download niche little hobby projects made freely by others off of GitHub. I don't want it to become a walled corporate garden like iOS. If it does, well, might as well switch to the higher-quality walled garden, huh? No point in using a droid anymore. "
Maxima, change.org
"As an open source coder, I cannot continue to work on mobile platforms with this change. It closes the door on an individuals right to free expression with the hardware platforms we already own. "
William, change.org
"Stop making anti-consumer decisions, the consistent downward trend of freedom from Android is distressing and ultimately it will bite back. I will be petitioning my congressional representation as well, Google is only uniting everyone against them. "
Josh, change.org
"Screw that! "
Thierry, change.org
"Google is heading down a dangerous path by trying to block or restrict APK installations from unofficial sources. This is a direct attack on one of the core reasons people chose Android in the first place: freedom. Android was supposed to be the alternative to locked-down ecosystems, not a copy of them. Let’s be honest about what this looks like. This is the same model used by Apple Inc. with iOS, where users are forced into a single app store, developers are squeezed by high fees, and anything outside that system is treated as suspicious or outright blocked. Android was never supposed to be that. Copying the worst parts of iOS defeats the entire purpose of Android existing at all. Sideloading APKs is not some fringe feature for hackers. It is essential for developers, for users in regions with limited access to official stores, and for anyone who values control over their own device. Taking that away is not about safety, it is about control. It is about deciding what users are allowed to install and where developers are allowed to distribute their work. Yes, security matters. But using “security” as an excuse to lock down the platform is lazy and dishonest. Users can handle informed choices. Warnings, permissions, and transparency already exist. Removing freedom entirely is not protection, it is restriction. If Google continues down this road, Android will lose what made it different and valuable. At that point, it becomes just another closed system pretending to be open. And if users are going to be treated like they have no control over their own devices, then there is no real difference left. People are not asking for less security. They are demanding the right to choose. And that right should not be taken away. "
Keep, change.org
"Freedom to download and install whatever you want is one of the main reasons people choose AndroidOS over apple products. With how Apple has made steps towards more sustainable hardware, it is getting less and less justifiable to continue using google products. "
Antonio, change.org
"That cannot be allowed, it even attacks the freedom of all users who use Android, for years that has always been the case, therefore, making that change, It would result in a catastrophic situation for many users, including Google itself, with many losses in every sense. "
Javier, change.org
"I am a long-time Android user that heavily relies on sideloaded apps for my everyday phone usage. I ask that you reconsider the decision to make app sideloading impossible as it would be a slap in the face to everything Android has represented for all these years. Freedom to use apps from varying sources has always been a huge selling point for Android -- and it's a big reason why many don't involve themselves in Apple's ecosystem. In addition, forcing developers to lose their anonymity for the promise of greater security does not seem to be an appropriate tradeoff. I ask that you consider an alternative course of action for the sake of your user base. "
Chris, change.org
"Without sideloading in Android, it will be impossible for us to install any app outside the Google Play Store, making traditional unverified sideloading much more difficult on certified devices, and therefore blocking it in 2027. This isn’t about protection here. It was more like the beginning of censorship, and monopolization of android OS. Let make our voices heard "
Jacob, change.org
"SKYNET HAS INITIATED WWIII :( "
Daniel Alberto, change.org
"Please stop monetizing making your software worse. I will quit using it. "
Bobby, change.org
"Android had one advantage over iPhone, that you owned the product that you purchased via being able to download software of which you please. Ruining this feature will not only hurt consumer rights, but will drive many people away. "
Anthony, change.org
"We have the right to have a place to escape the clutches of big corporations. "
Miguel, change.org
"This is an insult to the hard work of the open source community on which android is built. Not even Google stands to benefit. If this goes through, I will not be doing business with them any more. "
Alexander, change.org
"Android was promised and sold as an open platform. As many others, I decided to get Android devices considering that that promise was a serious lifetime commitment from Google. All Google has to do now is honor their own word and keep Android open. "
Leo, change.org
"Google isn't trying to protect us from malware with these policies; it's simply trying to control the platform it owns to profit from its platform and the data it collects. "
Tiburcio, change.org
"If I wanted a phone that decided what I can and can't do I would have bought an iPhone. "
Tom, change.org
"This is another blasphemous attempt from Google to assert itself as a complete monopoly and their reasoning to protect users is just a mask for generating massive revenue. Being "open" coupled with the "freedom of choice" are the underlying factors for why Android dominates the market share. Crushing both these fundamental reasons to be a dictator is pure insanity. Developers shouldn't comply and users should stop buying Google infected Android devices. Thankfully, there's other options so no need to convert to iPhone. "
James, change.org
"The sole reason one would choose Android over Apple was because Android uniquely treated their users as Users, not Customers, or Idiots. To take the very core ethos of what appealed to consumers and destroy it in some short-sighted power-grab is insane. "
Josh, change.org
"I bought a andropd because I wanted to have a free open and custom misable experience and now Google is taking that away from us I would rather pay for an iPhone no considering the fact to Google is doing this "
Carter, change.org
"Android is built on the Linux kernel and draws much of its foundation from the GNU/Linux ecosystem. The spirit of that ecosystem is openness, transparency, and user freedom. Limiting APK installation beyond reasonable security safeguards risks shifting Android toward a controlled ecosystem rather than keeping it an open platform. Security improvements are important, but they should not come at the expense of developer independence, open-source distribution, and users’ freedom to install software responsibly. Instead of restricting APK usage, a better approach would be to improve user education, provide clearer warnings, and offer optional security layers that protect users without limiting their freedom. "
Alireza, change.org
"A big part of the software that we use currently exists thanks to the open code and developers that share solutions in terms of others can learn and build on them. to demand to the developers to identify or establish a payment to distribute the software, even though there is no a lucrative goal create unnecessary boundaries for independent, educative and experimental projects. Android turned into an innovative plataform due to its openness. Establish a limit to that openness threat the developers ecosystem that made it possible. "
Santos, change.org
"This is very clearly about "Embrace, Extend, Extinguish" and Google/Alphabet cashing in on control, rather than any kind of measure for protection or security. The main appeal of Android to most users was the openness, transparency, and extensibility, and with this move, all of these are being harmed. "
Anubis, change.org
"Android is designed to be free. We own OUR devices. This is not up for discussion "
Brandon, change.org
"Stop trying to censor & limit everyone! You can't just monoplize everything! "
Caulen, change.org
"The main reason I bought a Pixel was for the freedom of installing whatever I want, but If this is taken away, they would be taking the only reason many people buy their devices. "
Jjr, change.org
"As an android user myself. I want to help make a change by signing this petition. We cannot let Google take away user freedom as the whole reason android got popular in the first place is because it is open-source. People should not be told what to do and what not to do on their device and it should be up to the user. "
Anonymous, change.org
"Google is wrong to limit people installing whatever they want on what's supposed to be their phone. "
Spark, change.org
"This has always been absurd. Android was always sold and promoted as free software, a portable computer for free use, with users taking on their own risks most of the time (always, really). Then Google started restricting it, making it harder and harder to take responsibility for installing apps outside their store. How does a company that owns Android think it has the right to force users to only use its system, no questions asked? Beyond the issue for developers, this is straight-up authoritarianism. The software was always free even though it came from Google, but in recent years Google has started with this nonsense. For what reason? It’s annoying for everyone — from the average user who just wanted to make some basic system tweaks, to the developer who relies on this as a source of income. I sincerely hope from the bottom of my heart that something gets done and this gets resolved. I’ve always been an Android user. "
Adenildo, change.org
"Don't be like Apple "
Tom, 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
"ts bullshit fr fr ive been tinkering with Android for a long long long time now and its part of the reason im even into tech so much. the sheer amount of freedom Android allows is truly amazing and so help me god if they take it away "
silly, change.org
"APK or go away "
Joshua, 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
"Removing the feature that set android apart, the very feature that drove countless users to choose Android, is not something we will sit idly by and accept. These are our devices. We own them. Not the corporations. They do not get to tell us how we can and can't use our devices. You are not protecting us. You are attempting to control us, to build a monopoly and line your pockets more than you already have. "
Jorja, 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 reconsider "
Calvin, change.org
"Will Android now be a copy of iOS? "
Miguel, change.org
"My phone, my apps Let me do what I want or else an iPhone will be my phone "
Aaron, change.org
"I do not like doing this to Google but if I have to I will format my phone and I will switch it over to Kiley "
Jonathan, change.org
"Only reason I use android instead of iOS. Don't take it away from us. "
Robert, change.org
"Freedom and anonymity in app development are extremely important. This petition and comment is a declaration that we will not bow to great power and will continue to protect our rights. I hope Google doesn't end up like Apple. "
伊藤, change.org
"This Will remove the reason most users use Android,its freedom. also,It Will barely even help with security,as there ARE viruses posted even on Google Play store. "
Davi, change.org
"Android for a long as I remember was the free option for downloading apps, games, and anything thats not supported anymore through alturnative app stores, unlike apple where everything is lockdown and MUST gobe downloaded through them. by using android and other app stores I can play games or get apps that arent supported/ dont show up on the current play store, but would still work on my phone just fine by downloading it on a 3rd party app store. By google locking down android (in other words becoming a Apple wanna'be) to downloadimg apps through THEIR playstore, they kill off any way for me to use older apps or games because they either cant run in 64bit and are stuck as 32bit apps, or because people dont want to give out their personal information to release their app on the playstore. by google having YOU, the developer, give up your personal info to publish apps on the playstore opens up MANY security vulnrabilities that can lead to the developers personal lnformation being leakedd/doxes/put on the dark web/or sold off to sketchy 3rd party conpanys without their consent. ANDROID has always been OPEN-SOURCED and should remain that way. "
Mathew, change.org
"I use a lot of free and open source software on my android phone, especially from F-Droid, often because it uses more limited permissions than the Play Store equivalent and because I prefer to customise my phone. Now this freedom is going to be rendered unuseable?! Imposing fees on developers and requiring them to become authorised developers feels authoritarian and restrictive. Leave us the ability to side load apps please! "
Tom, change.org
"This would simply make me walk away from using android devices, you act like android is the only phone OS out there and it's not. Linux is a powerful tool, so don't be foolish Google. "
Christopher, change.org
"As an evil, evil man, I despise google because they are worse. Thus, I of then times look at this website and sign all the petitions against google. Amen brother man "
David, change.org
"Apk's are the best part of Google so � "
Nick, change.org
"I think this a terrible thing since what if you're trying to create your own project app but with this you wont be able to create your own app easily with no problem for your own personal self "
Angel, change.org
"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
"Everyone is sharing how much they side with Android for the ability to have fuller control over what they can do with their devices .. and I'm so on board with that... I can't stand to have limitations which is why I've always used Android devices.. There's a lot of freedom to allow ourselves to develope what we'd like and share them with others .. that is something I myself enjoy be able to take advantage of as I am in no way knowledgeable in programming and most pf the time, everything I want is done by volunteers or people who just do these things as a hobby... what a community 👏 so annoyed Google is trying to enforce this stupidity "
Santiana, change.org
"Apple is one of the lamest companies in the world. You have no control on an iPhone. That's always been one of the selling points about Android is that you have basically total control over your device. There's literally no reason to change being able to download independent and open source apps from trusted developers. There are higher chances of getting a sketchy app through the play store. Don't break what isn't broken and then say you fixed something. We already lost our SD card slots. If you see this and you haven't signed the petition, please sign it. Also for more info, go here: https://keepandroidopen.org/ "
Dakota, change.org
"At the very least let there be one platform that can stay open, don't close it down like everything else. Let us have this. "
Juno, change.org
"Android has always stood for user choice. The freedom to install apps from outside an official store is a core part of what made the platform different and appealing in the first place. Removing options like sideloading moves Android away from its original philosophy. I develop apps for personal use, and I have no interest in becoming an “approved developer” just to run my own software. Not everyone has the time or desire to navigate additional gatekeeping just to maintain control over their own devices. Limiting these freedoms sets a concerning precedent. It shifts the platform toward tighter control, reduced openness, and potential monopolization. Android began as an open operating system — moving away from that foundation risks turning it into a closed ecosystem that mirrors the very model it once differentiated itself from. Restricting user choice under the banner of “protection” doesn’t benefit everyone. Many users value autonomy, flexibility, and control over their own hardware. Removing those options feels less like protection and more like limitation. "
Dennis, change.org
"Android has always stood for freedom, openness, and user choice. Blocking APKs goes against the very spirit of what makes Android great. Users should have the right to install the apps they want, from the sources they trust, not just from one store. Limiting APKs doesn’t make Android safer; it only takes control away from users and developers alike. Keep Android open. Keep Android free.Android has always stood for freedom, openness, and user choice. Blocking APKs goes against the very spirit of what makes Android great. Users should have the right to install the apps they want, from the sources they trust, not just from one store. Limiting APKs doesn’t make Android safer; it only takes control away from users and developers alike. Keep Android open. Keep Android free. "
Pedro, change.org
"Google has their own line of phones already. If people wanted Google to have this level of power over them, they would buy the devices the company is selling. This is simply trying to create a monopoly, if not a universe in which a company holds more power than any government, and I think we all know that that is no good outcome. This is a direct attempt to hinder people's creative freedom and ability to share their own projects with the world, whether it's a fun game, or a useful tool, anything. A policy like this has to go. "
Lucy, change.org
"As a amateur developper involved in game development and fanmade communities, this decision would mean the death of a lot of project. This is unnaceptable! "
Morgane, change.org
"I originally chose android so I can learn and make things with apk packages, modify my phone and practice security and privacy. Also to break away from the apple cult. If google goes through with it, that'll betray myself and so many others who feel the same. "
Christopher, change.org
"Locking down a completely free and open operating system like android only makes the environment more unsafe for the user. Preventing them from having control, and being forced to install service locked bloatware/malware instead of giving the end user control is a pure recipe for disaster. It will be even more prone to incursion, and targeting by malicious entities than if it were left free and open as it has always been. I have always been a massive advocate for 'you buy it, you own it' simply because that's the way it should be, and has always been. If there is no ownership of something in your possession, there's no reason for having it in the first place. "
Chad, change.org
"This move is a step backward for the Android ecosystem for so many reasons, but most of because all Google claiming this is for "security" is very disingenuous. Malware already exists on the Play Store, and restricting independent, open-source software does not make users safer, it only makes the ecosystem more closed and worse off. This is anti-consumer to a tee and should not be allowed to happen. "
Teemu, change.org
"I have always used android because of the control I have over MY phone. Installing whatever apps I want from WHEREVER I want is one if the main reasons I prefer android! I will do everything I can to keep this from happening! "
Britanie, change.org
"I can't let them have this. This world and especially these last years, tech companies think they can fully control you, utilized you, abuse you. Pls let this be one win for us "
Isaac, change.org
"As a regular user of Fdroid and other app stores, I want to be able to continue using my devices that I paid good money for to use the apps that I want to use! Stop this locking down of Android immediately! "
Jolene, change.org
"Side loading is my main reason to use Android. It's the only way I can watch YouTube on the Kindle "
Max, change.org
"Freedom of choice and the end users ability to load applications and make changes to their devices is exactly why I switched to Android so many years ago. Truly hoping this is resolved and back to the core android roots once again. "
Ryan, 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
"I see why this could be a potential issue if this does happen. Hopefully it doesn't go through and it stays the same. "
Gavin, change.org
"To quote Louis Rossmann: "A phone is essentially a computer, and you should have the autonomy to install whatever programs you want in your computer." (or something like that) Still, we can't deny that this is Google being petty for a multitude of reasons *cough* YouTube ADS *cough* and hopping aboard the "hand over your [government issued ID]" train in their own way. And apparently, they're going after our hardware with this one, since they just realized they can't prevent users from fiddling with software server-side. Again, there are plenty of privacy-invading and data-harvesting apps on the Play Store itself, but the data also goes to Google, so they're buddy-buddy on that. Anyway, you probably already know the rest of the script at this point. Now, onto my personal experience, I love the fact that I can install so many quality and useful open source apps made by developers who, (I'm probably underestimating here) sometimes, made those apps out of a personal need. Third party GApps front-ends, more tools than I can count, NewPipe forks, gallery apps that won't harvest data in the background — all of those, open source, with no trackers and no free data for Google, which is another reason why they're doing this. "
some dude, change.org
"Keep android open, or there will be a fork. Open software always prevails "
Mikka, change.org
"We own the phones so we should be able to do whatever we want with them. Waiting a short period is not the way to do it. This feels like control and blocks. We are not kids. Please let us actually have control of our phones. "
nicholas, change.org
"I use Android because I believe in its policy on freedom of software. If Google is able to take that away, it puts immense power in the hands of 2 giant companies (Apple and Google) as the sole arbiters of what software billions of people are and aren't allowed to use. That scares me, and it should scare you too. "
Nate, change.org
"If you are or were a student in information engineering, many of you likely took a class on developing applications for Android devices. However, this specification change is something that will shake the foundations of such courses. Things that could previously be done by simply installing apps onto a physical device will now require cumbersome application procedures, an act that significantly lowers student motivation. "
中院, change.org
"I use android for the freedom to do what I want with my device. If google restricts my ability to sideload apps, I will switch to a phone with an OS that continues to allow me to use my own device how I see fit. "
Sarah, change.org
"Keep Android Free and Open! Locking down Android isn't about safety it's about control and censorship! "
Donald, change.org
"Jesus christ google you want to drive away your entire customer base? You realize that the only reason we don't buy iphones is because they don't give us this freedom that Android does. I know you think no one can touch your multi billion dollar empire but know that you have that data because of us. The customers. NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS, NO ONE WANTS THIS. First you "detected root" then you "implemented safety net" then you implemented "play integrity and certification" just pushing and pushing and pushing developers to bow down to you. And now this? No. You aren't staying on top forever. Think very carefully if this is the road you want to tread because we will all leave. And it won't be just Android. Alternative search engines exist. Alternative emails exist. Alternative cloud storage exists. We don't have to bow down to Google. If you do this, it's over. "
Genalio, change.org
"With Google aiming to lockdown Android, what makes it any different than Apple? The only reason I and many others opt for Android is because it's openness! "
Christian, change.org
"I've been on android for as long as I can remember. The freedom to develop and most importantly do what I want with my own device is wonderful. To have that taken away from us all would be terrible, especially since the whole reason I love Android is how it is now. "
Angelo, change.org
"The only reason I prefer Android over iOS is the freedom of sideloading apps. If you remove this feature, lots of users (including me) will no longer have a reason to use Android instead of iOS. Also, isn't Google Play Protect enough to protect users from malware? Besides, sideloading is disabled by default unless you manually enable it in settings. You can add warnings and scan APKs, but please don't block them entirely. "
IPVG, change.org
"This is a huge advantage over ios, you can't take this away 😢 "
Abhinav, change.org
"In the eyes of serious digital Android users & developers this is an another blatant attempt by Google to monopolize & obtain total centralized control over our application space. Shockingly this mirrors a similar path seen within despotic nations, nations who are our adversaries. History has already proven this is a slippery slope. These actions will take away many jobs from from the countless Android developers & truly harm the intended purpose of Android in America. We must pick, freedom for the common people or tyranny to help a mega corporation in this new digital age. "
Phillip, 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
"I paid for this device and I can do whatever I want with it "
Marcus, change.org
"If Google "Walled gardens" Android, I will never buy a phone with their OS ever again. That's literally the only reason people buy Android, is because it is open not locked down like Apple. F.A.F.O. how much money you'll really lose Google. "
Brandon, change.org
"Android is an open-source system; this restriction will make Android a closed system. I will switch to iPhone if this update is implemented. "
Miguel, change.org
"Android was meant to be competion for apple an OPEN SOURCE it's what made android better and not a closed system like the competitor. Read the room Google! "
Jesse, change.org
"Stop this bullshit of trying to control our lives, deciding what I can and can't do. Enough with planned obsolescence, enough with authoritarianism. I, and only I, decide what's best for me, what I can and can't download on MY PHONE. "
Leonardo, change.org
"Android was always meant to be versatile and open for users and developers alike. It was always about freedom of choice when it came to creating and usage of applications and Android was a big part of that vision... Otherwise, everyone would've just purchased and use Apple iPhones instead---there wouldn't BE an incentive to be on Android. Google... get your act together! "
Ray, change.org
"Don't do this, I will never spend more than 100$ on an android or any phone ever again. Google, get smart. "
Jamell, 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
"Having the ability to own your phone and use it as you wish is the ONLY reason I have used Android over Iphone for years "
Matthew, change.org
"I switched to Android to escape Apple's aggressively anti-consumer walled garden. My S20 Ultra (that I paid over $1600 for, after tax) is finally starting to show it's age, but now I have no incentive to get another android device for my next smartphone if you follow through with these changes. I've been a vocal supporter of Android for years, but if you don't scrap this change, I will boycott Alphabet products altogether and do my best to ensure as many others as possible are well-informed on why they should do the same. "
Jacob, change.org
"Forcing developers to pay fees and hand over identifying documentation will never be the solution to malware. It creates opportunities for censorship, removes one of the major reasons uses android over apple products. As a hobbyist developer, I do not wish to throw my identity left and right just to run my own app on my own phone that I have no intention of publishing. If I do, it would be open source for others to use and when the time comes that I wish to sell an app, sure I will register to the Google play store or any other store as needed. "
Christopher, change.org
"We were promised FOSS, keep it that way "
Darius, change.org
"The freedom of apks is one of the best parts about android period. This will kill their identity, our freedom as consumers, and only give more control to the corporate super entity. "
Walace, change.org
"This is censorship at its core. Stop trying to destroy the open internet under the guise of safety. "
Dominic, change.org
"One reason people buy android devices is for the freedom it offers. As it stands, should I buy a phone in the future, I'll probably just pick a Linux phone instead to avoid Google. "
Timothy, change.org
"We chose Android because it is OUR device that we have control of. Soon it will be fully controlled by Google. "
Montana, change.org
"It's crucial for Google to recognize that the strength of the Android ecosystem lies in its openness and diversity. Many users are increasingly concerned about privacy and surveillance, which is driving a preference for simpler, "dumb" phones. By maintaining an open ecosystem, Google can cater to this demographic that values freedom and autonomy over constant connectivity and data collection. An open Android ecosystem not only fosters innovation and creativity but also empowers users to choose devices that align with their values. It allows manufacturers to build secure, privacy-centric alternatives without being bogged down by restrictive policies. This encourages a healthier competition, where privacy-focused options can thrive alongside mainstream offerings. Additionally, embracing a more privacy-oriented approach can enhance Google's reputation. Users are now more mindful of where their data goes and how it’s used. By championing user choice and privacy, Google can position itself as a leader in ethical tech, attracting users who wish to escape the surveillance machine. Maintaining an open system isn't just about freedom for developers; it's about respecting the desires and needs of a significant portion of the population that prioritizes privacy. By supporting this diverse landscape, Google can build trust, loyalty, and ultimately, a better future for all users. "
Taylor, change.org
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