Bientôt votre téléphone ne vous appartiendra plus.
À partir de 2027*, une mise à jour silencieuse et imposée sans consentement par Google bloquera toutes les applications Android dont le développeur ne s'est pas enregistré auprès de Google, n'a pas signé son contrat, n'a pas payé et n'a pas fourni de pièce d'identité officielle.
Toutes les applis, tous les appareils, partout. Aucune possibilité de refus.
↓Ce que Google prépare
En août 2025, Google a annoncé une nouvelle exigence: à partir de 2027, tout développeur d'applications Android devra s'inscrire auprès de Google avant que son logiciel ne puisse être installé sur un appareil. Pas uniquement les applications du Play Store : toutes les applications. Cela inclut les applications partagées entre amis, distribuées via F-Droid, ou encore celles créées par des amateurs pour un usage personnel. Les développeurs indépendants, les groupes religieux et les associations, ainsi que les amateurs, seront toutes et tous empêchés de développer et de distribuer leurs logiciels.
L'inscription exige :
- Payer des frais à Google
- Accepter les conditions générales de Google
- Fournir une pièce d'identité officielle
- Fournir une preuve de votre clé de signature privée
- Lister tous les identifiants d'applications actuels et futurs
Si un développeur ne se plie pas à cette exigence, ses applications seront silencieusement bloquées sur tous les appareils Android de part le monde.
Qui est touché
Vous
Vous avez acheté un téléphone Android parce que Google vous avait dit qu'il était ouvert. Vous pouviez installer ce que vous vouliez, c'était le marché.
Google modifie désormais cet accord, rétroactivement, sur les appareils que vous possédez déjà. Après la mise à jour, vous ne pourrez utiliser que les applications préalablement approuvées par Google. Sur votre téléphone : votre appareil, que vous avez acheté.
Les développeurs indépendants
Qu'il s'agisse de la première application d'un adolescent, un outil de protection de la vie privée d'un bénévole ou version bêta interne confidentielle d'une entreprise : peu importe. En 2027, aucune de ces applications ne pourra être installée sans l'autorisation de Google.
F-Droid, qui héberge des milliers d'applications Android libres et open source, a qualifié cette menace d'« existentielle ». Cory Doctorow l'appelle "Darth Android".
Les gouvernements et la société civile
Google a un historique bien documenté de sa capacité à se conformer aux exigences de retrait d'applications formulées par des régimes autoritaires. Avec ce programme, le logiciel qui fait fonctionner les institutions de votre pays sera à la merci d'une seule et unique multinationale étrangère, qui ne rend de compte à personne.
L’EFF qualifie le contrôle d’accès aux applications de « voie toujours plus large vers la censure d’Internet ».
La « sortie de secours » de Google est un piège.
Google prétend que les « utilisateurs avancés » peuvent « toujours installer » des applications non vérifiées. Voici à quoi cela ressemble concrètement :
- Plonger dans les paramètres système et trouver les options pour les développeurs.
- Appuyer sept fois sur le numéro de build pour activer le mode développeur.
- Ignorer les écrans alarmistes concernant la contrainte
- Saisir votre code PIN
- Redémarrer l'appareil
- Attendre 24 heures
- Revenir, ignorer des écrans alarmistes supplémentaires
- Choisir « autoriser temporairement » (7 jours) ou « autoriser définitivement »
- Confirmer, de nouveau, que vous comprenez « les risques »
Neuf étapes. Un délai de réflexion obligatoire de 24 heures. Pour installer un logiciel sur un appareil qui vous appartient.
Pire encore : ce processus passe entièrement par les services Google Play, et non par le système d’exploitation Android. Google peut le modifier, le restreindre ou le supprimer à tout moment, sans avoir besoin de mettre à jour du système d’exploitation ou du moindre consentement. À ce jour, il n’est intégré à aucune version bêta, préversion ou version Canary. Il n’existe pour l’instant que sous forme d’article de blog et de quelques maquettes.
Ça dépasse Android
Si Google peut rétroactivement verrouiller des milliards d'appareils initiallement vendus comme plateformes ouvertes, tous les fabricants de matériel de la planète ont les yeux rivés sur eux.
Le principe qu'ils tentent d'imposer est le suivant : c'est le fabricant de votre appareil qui décide quels logiciels vous pouvez utiliser, après l'achat de votre appareil. Dans le domaine du logiciel, on parle d'une « arnaque éclair » qui vous coupe l'herbe sous le pied; mais au moins, vous pouvez toujours installer des logiciels concurrents. Dans le domaine du matériel, c'est un fait accompli qui vous prive de toute liberté de choix et vous rend impuissant face aux caprices d'un intermédiaire unique, une entreprise qui ne rend de compte à personne et est dun monopoliste condamné.
L'ouverture d'Android n'a jamais été une simple fonctionnalité. C'était la promesse qui le distinguait de l'iPhone. Des millions de personnes ont choisi Android précisément pour cette raison. Google revient aujourd'hui unilatéralement sur cette promesse, sur des appareils déjà dans les poches de tout un chacun, car l'entreprise estime que sa position dominante sur le marché et son emprise sur la réglementation lui permettent d'agir ainsi en toute impunité.
Ars Technica: "Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy."
Mais c'est pas…
« …juste une question de sécurité ? »
L'argument de sécurité invoqué n'est qu'un leurre. Google Play Protect analyse déjà les applications à la recherche de logiciels malveillants indépendamment de l'identité du développeur. Exiger une pièce d'identité officielle ne fait rien pour rendre le code plus sûr. Cela permet d'identifier et de contrôler les développeurs. Les auteurs de logiciels malveillants peuvent s'enregistrer. Les développeurs indépendants et les dissidents, souvent, ne le peuvent pas. L'EFF est catégorique : le contrôle d'accès basé sur l'identité est un outil de censure et non de sécurité.
« …toujours du "sideloading" si l'on utilise un processus avancé ? »
24 heures d'attente, neuf étapes, enfouies dans les options pour développeurs, dépeendant d'un service propriétaire que Google peut révoquer à tout moment. Il ne s'agit pas d'une procédure d'installation d'applications. C'est un mécanisme de dissuasion conçu pour s'assurer que presque personne ne l'utilise. Et comme il passe par les services Google Play et non par le système d'exploitation, Google peut le restreindre ou le supprimer discrètement.
« …un problème seulement si l'on a quelque chose à cacher ? »
Les lanceurs d'alerte, les journalistes et les militants sous les régimes autoritaires seront les premières victimes. Les personnes victimes de violences conjugales viendront ensuite. Tous ces groupes ont des raisons légitimes de distribuer ou d'utiliser des logiciels sans que leur identité légale soit enregistrée dans la base de données de Google. La contribution anonyme aux logiciels libres est une tradition antérieure à Google lui-même. Cette politique y met fin sur Android.
« …la même politique qu'Apple ? »
Depuis sa création, Apple a toujours été un écosystème fermé. Les utilisateurs ont choisi Android parce qu'il était différent. Affirmer "qu'Apple fait pareil" relève d'une course au moins-disant et d'un argument fallacieux. Sous la pression réglementaire (notamment la directive européenne sur les marchés numériques), même Apple est contrainte de s'ouvrir. Google, quant à lui, prend le contrepied de cette tendance : il cherche à consolider son monopole.
« …seulement 25 $ et un peu de paperasse ? »
Peut-être, si vous êtes un développeur aux États-Unis avec une carte de crédit et un permis de conduire. Imaginez être étudiant en Afrique subsaharienne, dissident au Myanmar ou bénévole gérant une application de santé communautaire. Le coût n'est pas seulement financier : vous devez fournir une pièce d'identité officielle et des justificatifs et une preuve de vos clés de signature cryptographiques à une entreprise qui se plie systématiquement aux exigences gouvernementales de suppression d'applications et de dénonciation des développeurs.
Agissez
Tout le monde
- Installez F-Droid sur tous vos appareils Android. Les magasins alternatifs ne survivent que si les gens les utilisent.
- Contactez vos autorités de régulation. Les organismes de régulation du monde entier sont véritablement préoccupés par les monopoles et la centralisation du pouvoir dans le secteur technologique, et souhaitent entendre directement les personnes concernées.
- Partagez cette page. Lien vers keepandroidopen.org partout.
- Résistez aux manipulations de l'opinion publique. Les partisans du « oui mais en fait… » sont nombreux. Ne les laissez pas dicter le récit.
- Signez la pétition sur change.org et rejoignez les plus de 100 000 signataires qui ont fait entendre leur voix.
- Lisez et partagez notre lettre ouverte
- Dites à Google ce que vous pensez via leur propre sondage sur la vérification des développeurs (pour tout le bien que cela fera).
Développeurs
Ne vous enregistrez pas. Ne rejoignez pas le programme en vous inscrivant à la console développeur Android et en acceptant leurs conditions générales irrévocables. Ne vérifiez pas votre identité. Ne jouez pas le jeu.
Le plan de Google ne fonctionne que si les développeurs s'y conforment. Ne le faites pas.
- Parlez avec d'autres développeurs et organisations pour les convaincre de ne pas s'inscrire.
- Ajouter la FreeDroidWarn librairie à vos applications pour avertir les utilisateurs.
- Vous gérez un site web ? Ajoutez la bannière de compte à rebours.
Vous travaillez chez Google ?
Si vous avez des informations sur la mise en œuvre technique du programme ou sur sa justification interne, contactez tips@keepandroidopen.org à partir d'une machine personnelle et d'un compte non-Gmail. Confidentialité absolue garantie.
Ils et elles sont contre…
71 organisations de 23 pays différents ont signé la lettre ouverte
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
Techlore techlore.tech
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
GitHub Store github-store.org
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
F-Droid f-droid.org
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
iodé iode.tech
OpenMedia openmedia.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
Proton AG proton.me
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
FACiL facil.qc.ca
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
Brave brave.com
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
FOSDEM fosdem.org
CryptPad cryptpad.org
FUTO futo.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
April april.org Ce qu'ils en disent
Presse informatique et scientifique
"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 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
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"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 says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"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
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
Éditoriaux & analyses
"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
"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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"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
"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
"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
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"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
"Developers from sanctioned countries or those without Google Play access cannot verify themselves. This creates systemic discrimination against developers based on birthplace rather than conduct."
agnostic-apollo (Termux developer), GitHub
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"Google's 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
"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
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Once there is no such thing as 'sideloading', there's virtually no difference between iOS and Android. I see no reason to buy Android over iOS at this point."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"The proposed Android Developer Verification program isn't a security update; it's a kill switch for the open ecosystem."
Hillary Keverenge, Tech-ish Kenya
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"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
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"The $25 isn't the real cost. The chilling effect is. Submitting government ID to Google is a non-starter for pseudonymous contributors and privacy researchers."
Arafat Alim, DEV Community
"Google 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
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Google isn't certifying apps, they're certifying developers. This implies that the company can somehow predict whether a developer will do something malicious in the future."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"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
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"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
"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
Organisations & lettres ouvertes
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
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
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"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
"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
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
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
"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
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"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
"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
"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
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"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
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"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
"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'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
"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
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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
"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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"For developers building tools specifically designed to protect user privacy, being forced to surrender their own personal data as a precondition for distribution is deeply contradictory."
AdGuard
YouTubers & créateurs
"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
"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
"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."
Techlore – YouTube
"Follow the money. Google makes money when apps are downloaded from its store. Google has completely forgotten about its earlier company motto: Don't be evil."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
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
"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
"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 is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"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
"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
"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
"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google 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
"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
"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
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"F-Droid is basically saying that the new Google developer registration process will likely kill the open-source app store entirely."
The Linux Experiment – YouTube
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."
Techlore – YouTube
"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
Développeurs & communauté
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"My Pixel 6 just broke, and after 15 years of using Android, I've finally been convinced to move to iOS. If I must live in a walled garden, I suppose I'll choose the one with nicer flowers."
yonato, Hacker News
"If 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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"If the likes of Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and others have their way, you will not own your computer; those companies will effectively own your computers."
RUs1729, Slashdot
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"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
"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
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, 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
"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
"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 took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, 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 now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"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
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"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
"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
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, 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
"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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"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
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, 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 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
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, 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
"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
"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
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"Software gatekeeping is a threat to human rights. Just recently an app to track ICE was banned from the iOS app store even though this should clearly be protected first amendment speech."
gthing, Reddit
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"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
"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
"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
"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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
Les voix de la pétition
"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
"who thought it was even a good idea "
Joel, change.org
"This is my device, that i paid my hard earned money for. No one should be able to tell me what i can and can't install on something that I own. "
Arnold, change.org
"Restrictions like these are a form of control lets not take away anyone's freedom of choice "
Daniel, change.org
"I got an Android specifically to be able to get apps from third party developers. This level of censorship is not right, and will hurt many independent developers "
Caspian, change.org
"This is an absolutely ridiculous move on their part. Nothing but censorship and control these past several months. They'll all burn for it. "
Jeffrey, change.org
"What guarantee is there that Google will use this data to make money? If only it were used for apk content bar betting houses and violent challenge. "
Waldomiro, change.org
"Free open Android is the reason we use it. Spread the word people. "
Gregory, change.org
"You are now a 0. "
İbrahim, change.org
"I went back to Android over Apple because of APK freedom. There is no reason to buy an Android phone if this change is implemented. Android users love DIY: researching, exploring new manufacturers, using independent APK repositories. Google is trying to destroy the one thing that makes Android appealing. We all might as well buy iPhones if this is the direction they are choosing. Or dump our money into PinePhone dev. "
Kay, change.org
"I've been a loyal Android user since I took to technology. If Google goes through with this I WILL abandon everything connected to Google and go elsewhere. "
L, change.org
"Google you suck ass. the whole point of Android is freedom. you're going to destroy so much and anger so many people if you do this 3 do it on pixel n ChromeOS or whatever but leave everything else alone you're ruining something beautiful "
liam, change.org
"The whole reason I use an Android based device is for the freedom that comes with the phone. If I wanted to be governed by my cellphone manufacturer I would use an iPhone. "
Zachary, change.org
"The only reason I own any Android devices is the ease with which I can load my own self-written programs. Creating friction in the form of forcing me to register or jump through hoops to run my programs will 100% cause me to abandon the platform, as easy, no-contract installation of software is literally the only feature of Android that I actually like (the OS is generally not very reliable, the usability is poor, and easy side loading is the only feature that differentiates the system from iOS.) It sure seems to me that with this plan, Google must really want to help Apple sell iPhones and iPads. If you remove the openness of Android, all Apple will need to do is release a cheaper phone and tablet than what Samsung has in order to destroy Android forever. Google overestimates the degree to which Android users are locked in to the platform; most Android users have it because Android phones are cheaper than iPhones. The rest of us are programmers who like our freedom, and this platform hostility will drive us away, which won't be good for the Google Play Store's selection of effort-free profits for Google. "
Casey, change.org
"Morra Google! "
Abraao, change.org
"Android providing more freedom than any other OS has been it's drawing point for ages. The fact that that is being taken away for the sake of a corporation's whims is absolutely disgusting, and I would see no reason to continue supporting it. The fact that google believes it has absolute authority to filter content is frankly abhorrent, and it would provide no difference between android and any other OS. "
Guadalupe, change.org
"1 federal lawsuit wasn't enough? Why after all that's happened, being convicted for monopoly must Google feel the need to throw "
Zach, change.org
"This is going to kill Android "
Hazel, change.org
"As an android user I love the way I want to use my phone and which app to install. Apps that are being developed my developers that are not on the play store tends to be even better than those on the play store. The freedom which developers have to develop and distribution of apps has changed on how we use the android devices, giving us more option and great experience with the device. "
Josphat, change.org
"The entier reason I left apple is because of Googles open source and user controlled devices, allowing for sideloading APKs as well as giving you ultimate say on if somthing is safe for you. Add in the new OneUI 8 that has more or less stopped users from rooting devices and we might as well just call it the "Apple Google phone" and just shut down google. Let Steve Jobs win as Google/Samsung seem to prefer. "
Jaylin, change.org
"Google, let us keep being able to install whatever we want on our own devices. Otherwise there isn't really a reason to NOT get an iPhone because your platform isn't really open anymore. Don't alienate a large portion of your tech savvy customers and developers. Eliminating the possibility for people to write and distribute their own apps would harm the Android ecosystem. You would kill the pipeline for new developers to work their way up to creating the next big thing and your marketshare would suffer as a result. "
Sam, change.org
"There are games, apps, that are FREE, because the authors want it that way, no charge. WHY SHOULD GOOGLE WIN MONEY WITH THEM??? "
Ana, change.org
"I signed this petition because Google is slowly turning Android into a locked down version of iOS and it's really frustrating. I bought my phone, it's my property, yet every few months they add more restrictions on APKs, more warnings, more blocks that make it annoying or impossible to install apps from outside the Play Store. Sideloading is something separate that I also want to keep fully open and easy. This isn't about security anymore it's about control and forcing everyone into their ecosystem so they can monitor and profit from everything we do. I want the freedom to install what I want on my own device without Google acting like a parent who doesn't trust me. Developers and power users especially need this ability, and regular users deserve the choice too. If we don't push back now, soon we'll have no real alternatives left and Android will lose what made it special in the first place. Please sign and share if you value your device freedom. "
Christopher, change.org
"Thie is absolutely ridiculous. Nothing but censorship and control everywhere these past several months. They'll all burn for it. "
Jeffrey, change.org
"The restriction of an end-user's ability to control what they can and cannot do with their device that they legally own is inherently malicious and should be illegal. Google is pushing and overreaching in a way that is invasive and threatening to users' privacy and freedom. "
Weston, change.org
"The only reason why I absolutely love android is because it makes me feel like I actually OWE my device and can do with it whatever I please to do, if google is limiting what I CAN or CANT do this means the device is no longer mine and why would I stick with android when there is other ecosystems like iOS which are SO much better than googles tracking and privacy? I want android to stay the way it’s been, open, amazing and fulfilling for users like me and so many others, all of my friends and family members use/have android because it belongs to them, if google decides to implement this APK blocking I assure them everyone around me will start buying iPhones! "
Andres, change.org
"Keep android open. We want to be able to install the software we want on the device we paid for. "
Knoel, change.org
"Google, side loading is one of the few things that made android unique. Bring it back. "
Grayson, change.org
"it's crazy that they're doing this . It was the only reason i chose "google" android in the 1st place, because of it's semi open nature "
jamie, change.org
"If this happens, Android will ko longer be an open platform with options. Google and other OEMS that they work with will be the only ones who can dictate what your own personal device can run. This also completely halts hobbyist and low income development by cutting off an extremely accessible platform and imposing a fee (Which could very easily turn into an Apple style subscription later.). So, people will not be able to easily to learn, experiment, and practice with mobile app development. Only the very few with sufficient disposable money will be able to do it. "
Jeffrey, change.org
"I paid for this device and I can do whatever I want with it "
Marcus, change.org
"Android is built on the Linux kernel and owes much of its foundation to the GNU/Linux ecosystem. The spirit of that ecosystem is openness, transparency, and user freedom. Limiting APK installation beyond reasonable security safeguards risks turning Android into a controlled ecosystem rather than an open platform. Security improvements are important, but they should not come at the cost of developer independence, open-source distribution, and user freedom to install software responsibly. Instead of restricting APK usage, a better approach would be improving user education, providing clearer and more transparent warnings, and offering optional security layers that protect users without limiting their freedom. "
Alireza, change.org
"I love making apps for my self on appinventor but when I heard this news I couldn't believe it. I don't want to be an approved developer because I only make these apps for myself, my friends and my family. This would make android feel less open source and is a horrible thing from Google to do this. This doesn't benefit anyone and only crushes creativity. #DONTBELIKEAPPLE "
Justin, change.org
"I'll be switching to iPhone if they pass the verification requirements, what's the point of using a locked down os if a better one is around the corner. "
Edwin, change.org
"I like android. I don't want it to be like ios 🤮 "
Luke, change.org
"I sent info and link to large group of IT guys on WhatsApp and also on my Facebook: Google, being in a dominant position, wants to block the ability to install applications on Android phones from independent developers - enthusiasts. "
Zibi, change.org
"Google has always been the biggest hypocrite in the technology space. From stealing people's ideas to just buying them up. And ruining the experience. When I first fell in love with Android, it was because it was an open source platform that I could do as I pleased. I could extract the ROM and customize it to my liking. Now there is no semblance of customizability besides the walls of Jericho that Google has put. We must tear down these walls like the Berlin Wall and watch it burn because again Android was supposed to be for the people by the people not what iPhone or Apple is. Money hungry conglomerate corporate insatiable bastards. "
Adam, change.org
"This move by Google is part of a larger trend to limit freedom online and verify everything. Government ID belongs to the government only not Google, so Google has no right to demand usage of it it's not their property and it's not Google users' property either it's the government's. Making developers present this is unnecessary as code review already prevents bad actors on Google Play Store. Limiting side loading APKs is anti freedom, and anti American. When you buy a device that means you are not restricted from doing anything you wish with it. Additionally basically nobody installs something from outside the play store or other markets like Samsung so this clearly isn't a safety thing because only the people who want or need this feature seek it out, and everyone continues to benefit from the availability of open platforms because they could decide tomorrow to install a app store other than google play store to seek out cheaper apps or ones that match their ethics such as open source. Android itself is licensed as open source and inclusion of proprietary google owned code in devices is sketchy anyway. "
Jagur, change.org
"Android users need freedom. How many apps outside the app store help users who may have personal problems to have fun and distract themselves amidst so many problems? That's why freedom is important. "
Kaue, change.org
"Android for me has always been the freedom to choose. The right to find alternatives that won't actively gather my information. I want to keep my freedom. I trust my open source small developers more than I trust corporations who put profit over my rights. "
Yeshua, change.org
"Android, since it's existence, has always been about the user. Removing access to apps that millions of people use every day will shatter that foundation and make android indifferent to its competitors. "
Jack, change.org
"This would kill a big company steam games from haveing app. "
Timothy, change.org
"Google is already a monolithic company, now they are shutting out any developers and apps that don't conform to whatever arbitrary requirements they decide. Allow people the right to choose their own apps "
Jensen, change.org
"Lets keep android open or change to linux phone. Together we can. "
Sin, change.org
"I am tired of massive corporations limiting us. I love using android because it is a modified linux kernal and I love using linux. I want android to stay open, android has not right to call itself linux if it will not stay open. "
Charlotte, change.org
"As a user, I will always opt to sideload apps whenever possible. Whether I need a photo editor, keyboard app, audio equalizer app, or any other kinds of apps, I consistently seek open-sourced sideloading options before I even consider using the Google Play Store. Whenever I need any mobile app that isn't social, I prioritize finding an open-sourced app solution. With Google's dominance in the global mobile OS market, it's clear they will attempt to restrict any freedoms of their OS that they can get their hands on if they're not stopped. The importance of maintaining the freedom to sideload apps has never been more critical. Legislative initiatives like the App Store Accountability Act, which pushes users into surrendering personal private details to proprietary third-party solutions for identity verification, underscore why sideloading is a crucial defense line. If Google is allowed to proceed with implementing these restrictions, users will likely get funneled into using its proprietary app store, forced to share personal information like age and biometric data that links back to them for targeted ads and surveillance. Google's push for limiting sideloading is a textbook case of anti-competitiveness as well. The danger of this change can be summed up in an analogy: if some people occasionally get food poisoning from non-vetted sources, should we altogether limit food access to vendors that are deemed as, 'approved' or 'verified' by a multibillion-dollar, anti-consumer corporation? If this decision doesn't get shot down, there is a risk of being forced to give up personal privacy, autonomy, and choice. "
Matthew, change.org
"I signed this petition because Android’s strength has always been openness and user choice. Increasingly strict developer verification requirements risk pushing out independent and open-source developers who don’t operate as traditional businesses. Projects distributed through alternative app marketplaces like F-Droid are often volunteer-run, privacy-respecting, and community-driven. Burdensome verification rules disproportionately affect these small developers while large corporations can easily absorb the compliance costs. Security matters — but it shouldn’t come at the expense of innovation, competition, and open ecosystems. Android users deserve real choice, and independent developers deserve fair, proportionate requirements. I’m signing to support an open Android ecosystem for everyone. "
Luis, 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
"How many of the rights of the people will be taken away? This is ridiculous. If given the choice between security and freedom and privacy, I'll take freedom and privacy 100% of the time. I'm sick of this kind of stuff. "
Deagan Euras, change.org
"Big tech companies are more and more trying to restrict users and make them use their services. Anti-competitive practices are bad for the market and for the end user, so i definitely DO NOT support what google is doing. "
QByte, change.org
"Inaceitável "
Daniel, change.org
"Every time you centralise something, you are adding a point of failure that used to not exist. And you can not trust those who care only for money to care for anything else. "
Andrew, change.org
"This will eliminate a large number of users from the Android platform, most will leave because they are being restricted, and the others like myself will leave purely on principle. Teaching people to use technology in a smarter way will always be better than restrictions, and all of this will just be the beginning of censorship and control on a global scale, as is already happening with other Google applications. "
Bradley, change.org
"Google already limited us with Android apps that are from the Play Store, now they want to censor even more?? What's the goal behind all this?! Control?? And I'm from Brazil, why Brazil was in first place regarding this??? Is the law more important than the customers? So why are they adopting ideas that Restrict consumer Freedom??? Don't you think about the Well-Being of People, of the Consumer!??? All of this is a Game to me, and you're Using the Controller for Pleasure, NOT for the Good of Society in General! That's why I'm Really Against this law!! "
Bruno Eduardo, change.org
"If Google does this I will move to iOS. If given a choice for locked down mobile OS I feel safer with Apple. And the way the world is going with all the horrible AI etc.. and corporate control of our lives I will take the lesser of two evils. At least with Apple you can OPT out of Apple intelligence during setup with iPhone just like with Mac OS which I recently went to after MS's windows 11. I'm pretty pessimistic about this change and realize that I will likely be purchasing my first iPhone in the end of the year. "
Trent, change.org
"We need to stop Google controlling us. "
Carmen, change.org
"Phone operating systems already have a precident of being locked down, and locking down android tightens the restrictions and paves the way for less freedom. We need to take a stand and refuse to let Google take control away from us. "
Joey, change.org
"Apple's censorship of the App Store is why I have an Android phone. This is not the way to freedom. "
Cameron, change.org
"Also consider giving money towards the Graphene OS at grapheneos.org/donate "
Adam, change.org
"This is a grave mistake and disaster and a true display of tyrannical behavior meant to push away the rights of others under the usual suspect aka the old bs saying "to protect the children" or "to keep you safe" its all a lie and this is just another way for the 4th amendment in my country to lose even more of its value and harm other countries that dont gave as many rights as americans do. First it was collusion and social media tracking, then it was ads and personalizations, then came along biometric security such as face scan or fingerprints arent protected by 4th amendment like passwords are, then we had AI invasiveness and the loss of ownership and shifting to subscriptions and now here we are not knly can we not own digital things now we are to lose our last items the physical things we own now under control as well no longer owned but basically licensed to us as long as we arent deemed dissidants. I only can hope that if you dont change that maybe we have alternatives and keep the will to fight back. "
Avery, change.org
"Choosing Android was choosing a degree of freedom and opportunity to use my device like it was device. The all the anti-competitive legislation, it is impossible to fathom how this move to wall-off the ecosystem and close the source could be suggested. This "update" would actually reduce the function and privacy opportunities of the device I OWN. This is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Upf_B9RLQ If Google continues course, I would choose Apple as the lesser of two evils, with more polished hardware. "
Sean, change.org
"The idea that any owner of an android device would need permission from Google, or really any other third party, to install an application on his own device is ridiculous. This trend of companies reaching into people's lives, locking up their personal property and appointing themselves as a the nanny with the key that gets to dictate how that property is to be used is a violation of the most basic right to own property. It will not be tolerated and any company embracing this paradigm will find itself increasingly blacklisted. "
Andrey, change.org
"Android has always been free and I get that money and safety is a massive push at the moment especially with the UK ID laws and much more but there has to be another way and if not to scrap this entirely. Everyone knows that android is open and thats alot of the reason people stick to Android and leave Apple and IOS behind. Androids openess has been a key part to my tech Journey and even my brand. Myself and many others would lose neishe apps that make their lives and even businesses possible and effective. KEEP ANDROID FREE. "
Grayson, change.org
"We will seek another way. Having only google apps would be like an iphone and why then would i keep android? will be jumping on the iphone train!! and using other phones and resources that get around the ban. privacy and diversity are important and there will always be some of us who pursue it. Apps like F-droid have been very cool and usefull. being told you can't use other non-google place store apps will cause the loss of many android phone users. "
sasha, change.org
"I started using an Android device because of the freedom to use the software I wanted to use. If Google goes forward with these restrictions, I wont have any reason to use Android devices anymore. "
Luis, change.org
"We want our freedom of speech "
Mohammed, change.org
"Yeah, when you buy a product it belongs to you. You can do whatever you want with your product. I like it open source since it gives full control on the potential you can do with your cellphone. I don't need a nanny telling any consumer what to do or monitor constantly on where I go. I don't like having to give out my personal information to a corporation that has had history of abusing personal information of users. And I don't like the direction it's going by making everything closed source. Android would be no different than Apple. I'm considering purchasing a linux phone so that I can fully have privacy and some form of freedom. Hope this will be a start of a change. Have an odd feeling Android will be going in the direction of what Discord is trying to implement with biometrics and building a profile off of the user of the things the user searches, the contacts the user has, and even the calls. Enough said. "
Cely, change.org
"Literary the biggest reason why I choose android over apple. If android wants to copy apple this way then there's no reason to stay with android anymore. "
Kytt, change.org
"Delusional to think this wouldn't shrink the number of users. "
Les, change.org
"Android has always been the mobile enthusiast's dream. Please don't take that dream away. "
Logan, change.org
"hell yea stop google "
Lewis, change.org
"Take away the freedom of Android, and you'll lose the majority of your userbase. Seems like a smart move! "
Evan, change.org
"If this update is released, I will switch to iPhone. "
Miguel, change.org
"Oh great and wise corporate overlords, I come to you a mere peon, a cog in your profit machine, to implore you to keep Android open to small or niche developers. If you implement the proposed changes you will have turned a thriving app ecosphere into nothing more than a reskinned iOS. Your commitment to Open Source and the availability of Android-.apk-but-not-via-Google are on the line here. Many of the most compelling use cases for my Android device would cease to exist under the proposed regime. If that happens I might as well switch to iOS devices, at least they are pretty. "
Michael, change.org
"Ready and willing to move to iOS permanently if this move to mandatory developer verification is not FULLY retracted by September 2026. "
Do Not, change.org
"Im an adult. I paid for a device based on the promise of features. If I wanted someone to hold my hand while im online I'd get an iPhone or hire a state nurse to watch me. Really this is small, but a first step toward total control from big companies, good luck being an independent developer or whatever in the future when no one can download you stuff bc Google said so. And, as a consumer, think of all the good crowd funded and indie games and products that come out and rival if not demolish the big companies. This is how they stop that, dont let them. "
Ryan, change.org
"Keep the Android Open Source Project... Open Source "
Raymond, change.org
"Keep Andriod open! "
Andre, change.org
"Rules requiring app developers to pay Google and submit identification documents undermines Android as free and open source software and further exposes Google for the greedy, controlling corporate entity it is, now so far away from it's original "don't be evil" ethos. Privacy concerns about what happens when identification information is exposed have no value to them, and the chilling effect this will have on everyone from minor students learning to develop apps to developers surveilled by their governments will ruin the internet even more than it already has. "
Mary, change.org
"Screw Google... That's all. "
Michael, 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
"Google shouldn’t have the power to take away choice from users and developers "
Job, change.org
"I really like the ability to "sideload" apps on android. Android's customization capabilities is one of it's most likable features. APK files are cool. They are the reason why my phone looks so pretty. Please continue to allow this option as I think it will be beneficial to Google, instead of forcing 3rd party developers from abandoning the platform to monotonous hegemony like that of the Apple iPhone OS store. Google building upon the open source code designed by Linus is cool and allows for input from various individuals which help inevitably make the google play store more beautiful and lively. Customization is cool. Please continue to allow APK file usage. "
Paul, change.org
"Way to get people Ungoogling "
Martin Moe, change.org
"Android's open-source roots NEED to be worth fighting for. When Google released Android under the Apache License in 2007, it was a revolutionary move which allowed manufacturers, developers, and tinkerers worldwide to build on top of it freely. That openness is literally WHY Android became the dominant mobile OS, powering over 70% of the world's smartphones today. The ability to side-load APKs (install apps outside the Play Store) has been a cornerstone of that openness. It's what allows: • Independent developers to distribute apps without paying Google's 30% cut. • Users in regions where the Play Store is restricted to still access software. • Open-source app stores like F-Droid to thrive. • Researchers and security professionals to test and audit applications. • Enthusiast communities to keep older devices alive with custom ROMs which ALSO REDUCES GLOBAL E-WASTE. Compare this to iOS, where Apple has historically locked down side-loading entirely and ask yourself this important question, do we want Android to go down that same path? Restricting APK usage doesn't make users safer it just consolidates Google's control over what software you're allowed to run on hardware YOU purchased & own. The history of computing shows us that open platforms drive innovation, closed ones drive profits for gatekeepers. Android was built on the iconic Linux platform, a global community project. Let's not let that legacy be quietly dismantled in the name of "security". Android was built to be OPEN and its name says it all, ANDROID OPEN SOURCE PROJECT. "
Peter, change.org
"I download many applications outside the Play Store because it doesn’t offer the variety I’m looking for. Instead, it constantly pushes advertised apps in front of me, which makes it feel like I’m being guided toward what benefits the platform, not what I actually want to explore. Restricting this freedom feels less about protecting users and more about protecting the platform’s own interests - its revenue and its control over what people can access. It’s like forcing me into a cage, but making it legal - where my ability to choose and explore freely is no longer truly my own. "
Dawn Alexis, change.org
"Please, allow for users to make exceptions or some other control, keep Android flexible. "
Boris, 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
"Android was born as an open-source solution, more free and democratic for users. I believe that if they maintained their stance of freedom, this would continue to strengthen the OS as a good alternative to other closed-source software. "
Felipe, change.org
"my friend told me to sign it so i did "
Ethan, change.org
"Android will no longer be what it was initially pitched to be, a phone OS with the freedom to do virtually anything you wanted. After many years of owning android phones I have had to move to iPhone as I can no longer stand how google operates and what they are doing to restrict the android OS. "
Aiden, 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
"As an android user who picked android because of the principles and mission laid out by the AOSP, this is in direct violation of what the project was set out to do. Please do not do this, this hurts all consumers whether they realize it or not. "
Matthew, change.org
"Android needs to remain about choice not a locked down OS like Apple, that's the reason I and so many others choose android "
Sean, change.org
"Google is nothing short of an evil pig! We want free android! "
James, 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
"As someone who regularly uses apk files on my phone to help fight loneliness and to prevent myself from taking my own life, DO NOT TAKE AWAY OUR FILES!! "
Eric, change.org
"this will only benefit google and authoritarian governments "
Antônio, change.org
"This is an authoritarian play by Google to regulate their customers (aka a huge percentage of the public) not by national law but by their own personal whims on what's "best" for their corporation and shareholders. It undermines a customer's right to modify their products how they want, and instills power to themselves to govern essentially all software that gets developed for non-iOS phones, which is highly unethical and anti-consumer. If this gets implemented I will be selling my phone and switching to a non-android product. "
Nick, change.org
"As consumers, we are entitled to the full functionality of the technology we purchase. This includes the freedom to choose how we use our devices and what software to run on them. Google claims their efforts to lock down Android are for security purposes, but their true motivations are based in a incessant need for control and financial gain. Malware concerns have never justified sideloading restrictions on computers, regardless of OS - so why would they suddenly apply to their pocket-sized counterparts? Smartphones serve as the primary drivers enabling both our personal and professional lives, online and offline. Big tech’s desire to rob the people’s agency and ownership over such vital technology through needless restrictions and invasive surveillance for an extra dime clearly shows their lack of integrity and respect for the consumer. Removing the freedom of choice from Android means creating a landscape where all mobile technology will never truly serve their users as all tools should. Coming from someone who has used both Android and iOS devices, I have learned how indispensable the freedom provided by Android really is, even for an average user. Google’s willingness to restrict their users, destroying Android’s greatest strength and its legacy is extremely disappointing. I do not want to live in a world where all technology becomes a series of “walled gardens” as Apple has notoriously made their own phones. We deserve to own our technology, not be owned by our technology. "
Jurrien, change.org
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