आपका फ़ोन अब आपका नहीं रहेगा।
2027* के शुरू होते ही, गूगल बड़े ही शान्ति से आपकी सहमति के बिना, वे सारे एंड्राइड ऐप्स पर प्रतिबन्ध लगा देगा जिनके डेवेलपर्स ने गूगल के साथ अपना रजिस्ट्रेशन नहीं किया है, उनके अनुबंधों पर हस्ताक्षर नहीं किया, उन्हें पैसे नहीं दिए, या फिर अपनी सरकारी पहचान पत्र (आधार कार्ड, पैन कार्ड आदि) न सौंपी हो।
हर ऐप और हर डिवाइस, दुनियाभर में, बिना किसी विकल्प के।
↓गूगल क्या कर रहा है?
अगस्त 2025 में, गूगल ने एंड्राइड पर डेवेलप करने के लिए नई आवश्यकताओं की घोषणा की जिसके अनुसार: 2027 के शुरू होते ही, हर एंड्राइड ऐप डेवलपर को केंद्रीय रूप से गूगल के साथ रजिस्टर होना होगा इससे पहले कि उनके द्वारा बनाये गए सॉफ्टवेयर किसी भी डिवाइस पर इनस्टॉल हो सकें। सिर्फ प्लेस्टोर वाले ही ऐप्स नहीं, सभी ऐप्स। इसमें दोस्तों के बीच शेयर किये गए ऐप्स भी आते हैं, और F-Droid जैसे प्लेटफार्म भी, जो शौक़ीन तथा टेक प्रेमियों द्वारा निजी उपयोग के लिए बनाया गया है। गूगल के इस कदम से स्वतंत्र डेवेलपर्स, मंदिर-मस्जिद-गुरुद्वारे जैसी धार्मिक संस्थाएं और सामुदायिक समूह, और टेक-प्रेमी, ये सभी अपना सॉफ्टवेयर बनाने और वितरित करने के अधिकार से वंचित हो जाएंगे।
रजिस्ट्रेशन करने के लिए आपको नीचे दिए गए कदम अपनाने होंगे:-
- गूगल को एक तय शुल्क भुगतान करना
- गूगल की नियम और शर्तों से सहमत होना
- सरकारी पहचान पत्र सौंपना (सर्वाधिक महत्त्वपूर्ण एवं चिंताजनक)
- सबूत के तौर पर अपनी private signing key दिखाना
- सभी वर्तमान तथा भविष्य के application identifiers को सूचीबद्ध करना
यदि कोई डेवलपर इन शर्तों का पालन नहीं करता है, तो उनके ऐप्स पूरी दुनिया में शांतिपूर्ण ढंग से हर एंड्राइड डिवाइस पर ब्लॉक कर दिए जाएंगे।
यह किसे नुक्सान पहुंचा रहा है
आपको
आपने एक एंड्राइड डिवाइस खरीदा क्यूंकि गूगल कहता है उनका डिवाइस एक खुला प्लेटफार्म है। आप उस डिवाइस पर वो इनस्टॉल कर सकते थे जो आपको पसंद है, यही शर्त थी।
गूगल अब उस शर्त को नए सिरे से लिख रहा है, उस हार्डवेयर पर भी जो आप पहले से खरीद चुके हैं। इस अपडेट के बाद, आप सिर्फ वही ऐप्स चला सकेंगे जो गूगल द्वारा प्रमाणित हैं। आपके फ़ोन पर: आपकी संपत्ति, जिसके लिए आपने पैसे दिए हैं।
स्वतंत्र डेवेलपर्स को
एक किशोर का पहला ऐप, एक वॉलंटियर का प्राइवेसी टूल, या एक कंपनी का गोपनीय बीटा। गूगल के आशीर्वाद के बिना 2027 में आप उनमें से किसी भी प्रकार के ऐप इनस्टॉल नहीं कर पाएंगे।
F-Droid, जो कि हज़ारों फ्री और ओपन-सोर्स ऐप्स का घर है, उन्होंने इसे एंड्राइड के "अस्तित्व पर खतरा" बताया है। Cory Doctorow ने इसे "Darth Android" कहा है।
सरकारें एवं सामाजिक संगठन
तानाशाही सरकारों की ऐप्स हटाने की मांगों के आगे घुटने टेकने का गूगल का पुराना और दर्जित इतिहास है इस प्रोग्राम के साथ, आपके देश की संस्थाओं को चलाने वाला सॉफ्टवेयर एक ऐसी विदेशी कंपनी की मर्ज़ी पर निर्भर होगा जिसे कोई जवाबदेह नहीं ठहरा सकता।
EFF ने ऐप्स की चौकीदारी को "इंटरनेट सेंसरशिप की तरफ एक अग्रसर होता हुआ रास्ता" बताया है।
गूगल का "escape hatch" एक जाल है।
गूगल कहता है कि "power users" अभी भी "unverified apps इनस्टॉल कर सकते हैं।" पर असल में यह कुछ ऐसा दिखता है:
- System Settings में जाओ, फिर Developer Options ढूंढो।
- build number को सात बार टैप करें ताकि Developer Mode चालू हो सके।
- आपके साथ जबरदस्ती नहीं की जा रही है, इसकी पुष्टि करें।
- पिन या कोई भी पासवर्ड मांगने पर डालें।
- अपने डिवाइस को Restart करें।
- 24 घंटे का इंतज़ार करें
- वापस आएं, फिर और डरावनी screens पर पुष्टि करें कि आप अपने होश में हैं।
- "allow temporarily" (7 दिन) या "allow indefinitely" दोनों में से किसी एक विकल्प का चयन करें।
- फिर से कन्फर्म करें कि आप "जोखिमों" को समझते हैं।
नौ चरण। 24-घंटे का अनिवार्य cooling-off समय। सिर्फ एक ऐप को अपने डिवाइस पर इनस्टॉल करने के लिए।
इससे भी बुरी बात: यह flow पूरी तरह से Google Play Services के द्वारा कार्यरत रहेगा, न कि Android OS द्वारा। गूगल इसे बदल सकता है, इसे कठिन बना सकता है, या फिर किसी भी समय इस flow को खत्म कर सकता है, इसके लिए न OS Updates की जरुरत है और न ही आपकी अनुमति की।
यह सिर्फ Android तक ही सीमित नहीं है
अगर गूगल उन अरबों डिवाइसों को लॉक कर सकता है जो खुले प्लेटफार्म के रूप में बेचे गए थे, तो दुनिया का हर हार्डवेयर निर्माता यह देख रहा है।
सन्देश यह जा रहा है कि: जिस कंपनी ने आपके डिवाइस को बनाया है, आपके खरीदने के बाद वही तय करेगी कि आप उस पर क्या चला सकते हैं। सॉफ्टवेयर की भाषा में इसे "rug pull" या फिर हिंदी में "पैरों तले जमीन खिसकना" बोलते हैं; फिर भी सॉफ्टवेयर में आप कोई विकल्प इनस्टॉल कर सकते हो। पर हार्डवेयर के नज़रिये से देखें तो, यह एक fait accompli है या "अब पछताए होत क्या, जब चिड़िया चुग गई खेत", एक ऐसी स्थिति जो आपकी स्वतंत्रता छीन लेती है और आपको एक जवाबदेही से बचने वाले चौकीदार और दोषी एकाधिकारी (monopolist) की मनमर्ज़ी के आगे बेबस कर देती है।
Android का खुलापन सिर्फ एक फीचर नहीं था। यह एक वादा भी था जिसके चलते यह iPhone से अलग था। करोड़ों ने Android सिर्फ इसी वजह से चुना। गूगल अब उस वादे को एकतरफा रूप से तोड़ रहा है, उन डिवाइसों पर भी जो पहले से लोगों की जेब में हैं, क्योंकि उन्होंने तय कर लिया है कि उनके पास इतनी बाज़ार और सरकारी पकड़ है कि वे इससे बच निकलेंगे।
Ars Technica: "गूगल का एप्पल के प्रति द्वेष, एंड्राइड की खुली विरासत को तबाह करने पर आतुर है।"
लेकिन, ये तो...
"...सुरक्षा वाली बात है न?"
सुरक्षा वाली वजह बस "आँखों में धूल झोंकने" वाली बात है। वैसे भी Google Play Protect डेवलपर की पहचान से अलग malware को स्कैन करता है। Govt. ID की आवश्यकता से कोड सुरक्षित नहीं हो जाता, इससे डेवेलपर्स को पहचानने और नियंत्रित करने में आसानी होती है। Malware वाले डेवेलपर्स रजिस्ट्रेशन कर सकते हैं। स्वतंत्र डेवेलपर्स और आलोचक अक्सर नहीं कर सकते। EFF साफ़-साफ़ कहता है: पहचान-आधारित चौकीदारी एक सेंसरशिप का हथियार है, इसका सुरक्षा से कोसों दूर तक कोई नाता नहीं है।
"...advanced flow के उपयोग से तो sideloading मुमकिन है न?"
नौ चरण, 24-hour का इंतज़ार, Developer Options में दफनाया गया, एक proprietary service के द्वारा चलाया गया जिसे Google जब चाहे हटा दे। इसे sideloading नहीं कहते। यह "नाक में दम" करने वाली प्रक्रिया है जिसे यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए बनाया गया है कि लगभग कोई भी इसे पूरा न कर सके। और चूँकि यह Play Services द्वारा चलाया जा रहा है न कि OS द्वारा, गूगल इस प्रक्रिया को और सख्त या फिर चुपचाप हटा भी सकता है।
"...उन्हें दिक्कत देगा न जो कुछ छुपाना चाहते हैं?"
Whistleblowers, पत्रकार, और activists जो तानाशाही सरकार के अंतर्गत काम कर रहे हैं, वे इसके पहले शिकार बनेंगे। घरेलू उत्पीड़न से पीड़ित तबका इस कतार में अगले नंबर पर है। इन सभी समूहों के पास अपना सॉफ्टवेयर बनाने और इस्तेमाल करने के वैध कारण हैं, बिना अपनी कानूनी पहचान गूगल के डेटाबेस में डाले। गुमनाम ओपन-सोर्स योगदान की परंपरा गूगल से भी पुरानी है। यह नीति उसे Android पर समाप्त करती है।
"...एप्पल भी तो करता है न?"
Apple पहले ही दिन से एक किले के समान है। लोगों ने Android इसीलिए चुना क्यूंकि यह अलग था। "एप्पल भी करता है", यह तो बस "एक अंधा, दूसरे की लाठी" वाली बात है और एक बचकाना तू भी तो तर्क है। और नियामक दबाव (EU के Digital Markets Act) के चलते, एप्पल को भी खुलने पर मजबूर किया जा रहा है। गूगल इसके उलट दिशा में जा रहा है: अपनी चौकीदारी वाली पहचान को और मज़बूत करने की कोशिश में।
"...बस $25 और कुछ कागज़ात की ही तो बात है?"
शायद, अगर आप भारत में एक डेवेलपर हैं जिसके पास क्रेडिट कार्ड और ड्राइविंग लाइसेंस है। मान लीजिये आप sub-Saharan Africa में एक छात्र हैं, या Myanmar में एक विद्रोही हैं, या फिर एक volunteer जो community health app चला रहा है। बात सिर्फ पैसों तक सीमित नहीं है: आप अपने सरकारी पहचान पत्र और signing keys एक ऐसी कंपनी को सौंप रहे हैं जो ऐप्स हटाने और डेवलपर्स को बेनकाब करने की सरकारी मांगों का नियमित रूप से पालन करती है।
इसका विरोध करें
आप सभी
- F-Droid इनस्टॉल करें उन सभी Android डिवाइस पर जो आपके पास हैं। वैकल्पिक स्टोर्स सिर्फ तभी बचेंगे जब लोग उन्हें उपयोग करेंगे।
- अपने regulators को इसके बारे में सूचित करें। दुनियाभर के Regulators टेक सेक्टर में हो रहे monopolies तथा ताकत के केन्द्रीयकरण को लेकर गंभीर रूप से चिंतित हैं, और सीधे उन व्यक्तियों से सुनना चाहते हैं जो इससे प्रभावित और चिंतित हैं।
- इस पेज को शेयर करें। keepandroidopen.org को हर जगह लिंक करें।
- भाड़े के टट्टुओं का डट कर मुक़ाबला करें। ये "किन्तु-परन्तु" वाली फ़ौज भी जोर लगा रही है। उन्हें अपनी मनमर्ज़ी का नैरेटिव बनाने न दें।
- इस change.org petition पर हस्ताक्षर करें और उन 100,000 से अधिक हस्ताक्षरकर्ताओं का साथ दें जिन्होंने अपनी आवाज़ उठाई है।
- हमारे खुले पत्र को पढ़ें तथा शेयर करें
- गूगल को बताएं कि आप क्या सोचते हैं, उनके ही developer verification survey के द्वारा (क्या पता अँधेरे में तीर सही निशाने पर लग जाए)।
डेवेलपर्स
sign up न करें। Android Developer Console के लिए उनके प्रोग्राम को join करने के लिए sign up न करें और ऐसी नियमों एवं शर्तों को न मानें जिन्हें वापस नहीं लिया जा सकता। अपनी पहचान का सत्यापन न करें। उनकी दाल मत गलने दो।
गूगल का प्लान सिर्फ डेवेलपर्स की सहमति से ही काम कर सकता है। सहमति देने की भूल न करें।
- वे डेवेलपर्स और संस्थान जो sign up कर रहे हैं या करना चाहते हैं उन्हें रोकें।
- इस FreeDroidWarn library को अपने users को सावधान करने के लिए अपने ऐप में जोड़ें।
- अगर आप एक वेबसाइट चलाते हैं तो इस countdown banner को अवश्य जोड़ें।
गूगल कर्मचारियों के लिए
अगर आप इस प्रोग्राम के तकनीकी कार्यान्वयन (technical implementation) या इसके आंतरिक तर्क (internal rationale) के बारे में कुछ जानते हैं, तो कृपया कार्यस्थल के कंप्यूटर और Gmail अकाउंट के बजाय किसी अन्य निजी साधन से हमें tips@keepandroidopen.org पर संपर्क करें। आपकी गोपनीयता की पूर्ण गारंटी है।
वे सभी जिन्होंने इसका विरोध किया है.....
23 देशों के 71 संस्थाओं ने हस्ताक्षर किया है खुला पत्र
F-Droid f-droid.org 
Open Web Advocacy open-web-advocacy.org 
Fastmail fastmail.com 
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works 
Ghostery ghostery.com 
LineageOS lineageos.org 
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be 
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org 
iodé iode.tech 
OpenMedia openmedia.org 
Fedimedia fedimedia.it 
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org 
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw 
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org 
FUTO futo.org 
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com 
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au 
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org 
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch 
Osservatorio Nessuno OdV osservatorionessuno.org 
microG microg.org 
/e/ Foundation e.foundation 
Aurora Store auroraoss.com 
CryptPad cryptpad.org 
IzzyOnDroid izzyondroid.org 
The Tor Project torproject.org 
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co 
FACiL facil.qc.ca 
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de 
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org 
The App Fair Project appfair.org 
Techlore techlore.tech 
Tuta Mail tuta.com 
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org 
The Guardian Project guardianproject.info 
April april.org 
Codeberg e.V. codeberg.org 
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org 
FOSDEM fosdem.org 
ARTICLE 19 article19.org 
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net 
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk 
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org 
XMPP Standards Foundation xmpp.org 
VideoLAN videolan.org 
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no 
Obtainium obtainium.imranr.dev 
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu 
Proton AG proton.me 
AdGuard adguard.com 
FULU Foundation fulu.org 
OW2 ow2.org 
KDE e.V. kde.org 
Cryptee crypt.ee 
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com 
Data Rights datarights.ngo 
GrapheneOS Foundation grapheneos.org 
The Calyx Institute calyx.org 
Privacy Guides privacyguides.org 
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org 
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org 
Italian Linux Society ils.org 
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org 
GNOME Foundation gnome.org 
Nextcloud nextcloud.com 
The OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) osmfoundation.org 
JMP.chat jmp.chat 
GitHub Store github-store.org 
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org 
Molly molly.im 
Brave brave.com इनका क्या कहना है
टेक प्रेस
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"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
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"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 is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"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 require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"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
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
संपादकीय तथा विश्लेषणकर्ता
"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
"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's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"This policy represents a dramatic departure from Android's decades-old tradition of openness, in which developers could build and share apps freely without first submitting to a centralized authority."
Biometric Update
"Google's story that this move is motivated by security is obviously bullshit. The idea that Google can improve Android's safety by certifying developers, rather than code, is obvious bullshit."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours. Google decides which apps are allowed to be loaded on Android and which are not."
Tuta Blog
"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
"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
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"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
"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
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
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
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
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
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"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
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"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
"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
"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'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
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"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
संस्थान एवं खुले पत्र
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"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
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"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'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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Developers who build privacy-first browsers, encrypted messaging apps, VPNs, Tor-based software or tools for journalists and activists would be required to upload government ID to Google. These developers are unlikely to trust Google and might stop developing for Android."
Brave
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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 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
"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
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"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
"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
"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
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"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
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"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 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
"Developers who choose not to use Google's services should not be forced to register with, and submit to the judgement of, Google."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"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
यूट्यूबर और क्रिएटर
"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 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
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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
"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 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
"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
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"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
"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
"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
"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 is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
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 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 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 decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"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
"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
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"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
"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
डेवेलपर्स एवं कम्युनिटी
"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'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 phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"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
"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
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, 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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
"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
"My Pixel 6 just broke, and after 15 years of using Android, I've finally been convinced to move to iOS. If I must live in a walled garden, I suppose I'll choose the one with nicer flowers."
yonato, Hacker News
"I 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
"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
"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
"After 15 years of professional development on Android I too am now thinking about switching my focus to something different. And it sucks."
MrDresden, Hacker News
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), 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
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, 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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, 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
"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
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, 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
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, 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
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"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
"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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, 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
"Software gatekeeping is a threat to human rights. Just recently an app to track ICE was banned from the iOS app store even though this should clearly be protected first amendment speech."
gthing, Reddit
"Google selling Android as both open source and open to running any software you like in order to quickly gain market share, only to break those promises after driving competing platforms out of the market is nothing more than fraud."
GeekyBear, Hacker News
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"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
"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
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), 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
"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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"Google has no right to be my parent. As long as I can't reject paternalism, I don't believe for a second this is done with the well-being of scam victims as the main priority."
gspr, Lobsters
"Any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you, and won't give you a key, they're not doing it for your benefit."
vord (quoting Cory Doctorow), Tildes
"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
"I teach digital literacy and 99% of unsavory software I encounter on people's phones come from the Play Store or App Store. I will believe they're serious about protecting users when I see them do something about the crap ton of borderline scam apps infesting their stores."
1995ToyotaCorolla, Lemmy
"If 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
"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
"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
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, 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
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
याचिकाकर्ताओं की आवाज़ सुनें
"It's not sideloading. It's installing an application on a personal computing device I own and payed for... This move is unacceptable. "
Benjamin, change.org
"With the rising price of X86 hardware, ARM devices may be the future of personal computing, but that won't happen if Google smothers development for the largest operating system for ARM based hardware. I should be able to run a program on my machine without the developer needing to pay a fee to Google and dox themselves. "
Dwight, change.org
"keeping it brief. There are MANY apps that people depend on for day to day life and this is going to impact that on a drastic scale. "
Bryan, change.org
"This change has pushed me into rooting and using a custom ROM making my phone more "unsafe" to the eyes of Google and banking apps, Monopolizing the app market isn't an act of consumer protection under the guise of "security" it's just an attempt at maximizing profits and It being a stepping stone in censoship besides think of all the internal use apk's that companies use on their devices be It for management, interaction with company equipment, etc had to now get verified by a 3rd party like Google when the ones using that app is only company employees "
Alex, 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
"Android has always stood for user choice that’s what made it different. Taking away freedoms like sideloading apps goes directly against that foundation. Not every developer wants to go through approval processes just to create or use their own apps. Many of us build things for personal use, experimentation, or learning not for distribution under strict control. These changes don’t just limit developers they set a dangerous precedent. This is how censorship and platform control begin, slowly turning an open ecosystem into a closed one. Android was meant to be open. What made it powerful was the freedom it gave its users. Stripping that away doesn’t protect people it restricts them. If Android continues down this path, it risks losing what made it great in the first place. "
Jared, change.org
"The openness of Android is perhaps one of the greatest features of Android. While many people do not sideload apps, many others do for a variety of reasons. Having the ability to use your own devices as you want want to, is crucial for many people around the world. We have seen many times in the past, that "security" measures like this one do very little to increase security, but restrict users heavily. "
Eric, change.org
"Goolag, you are destroying Android and becoming the new Apple. Soon, there will be no escape from your lifeless, locked-down, prison-sentence operating system. Anyone who wants to use real Android, with APKs, custom ROMs, actual Material design, will be locked out. Rooting will be impossible, and Android will be gone. No more cuddly bugdroids to open the lock. No more Graphene OS. No more Lineage OS. No more TWRP. Terabytes upon terabytes of open-source projects, all rendered obsolete. Keep Android open. Because nobody will buy your half-baked, Gemini-centered trash, and live in your dystopian agentic world. Your aiPhones will sit on shelves, never purchased. Sideloading bans will not protect anyone. They will only make the Android community collapse. If you are not from Goolag, listen carefully. Get a custom ROM now, and remove everything with the word “Google” from your devices. Use Startpage instead. Install NewPipe and bypass Goolag’s ad revenue. Sabotage Goolag in every way possible. But do it legally, friends! You don’t want to be caught by the FBI for criminally pirating paid software off of sites like Aptoide! "
squooshy, change.org
"I use android to *avoid* closed environments and allow for more freedom in what I can do. Don't remove freedom of choice, you damn cowards! "
Douglas, change.org
"Android having access to custom software is a main thing that separates it from iOS. Don't destroy this amazing feature. "
Henry, change.org
"While, I'm not an average user of an Android device, I completely understand the need for programs to be open source and to have the freedom to do whatever you would like with the device that's been bought by you. So to see Google attempt to censor a beloved part of Android for many users? I find myself quite outraged! It's not exactly protection if everyone's data is at risk of being leaked next week, and it would be all thanks to these planned restrictions! "
Marielle, change.org
"APKs have brought really cool Android ports to game sites like GameJolt, and and I don't want to see that go away. Also, I heard licenses for these things can get pretty darn expensive, which isn't cool. "
Deirdre, change.org
"I choose to use android for the freedom. If thry implement this in such a way that hinders that, I will no longer have a reason to pick android over iPhone. Guess I will see how this plays out. "
James, change.org
"I believe increasingly closed ecosystems lend not only to the monopolization of tech but are a threat to the digital sovereignty of individuals worldwide making them susceptible to government and corporate surveillance. "
Adrian, change.org
"Companies have been continually chipping away at our rights as owners to use our property as we see fit. From TVs to cars our ability to freely maintain, use, and expand the features of devices we paid for have been pulled slowly out from under us. This is another slowly driven nail in the coffin of our digital freedom! We need to push back and make it known that we will not continue to tolerate this. "
Donovan, change.org
"Don't become Apple!!! "
Yahya, change.org
"One of the main reasons I use Android is the ability to sideload applications—downloading APKs from trusted third-party developers. Now Google wants to limit that? Please don’t leave Android alone and don't take away the freedom it was built on. "
Suyaib, change.org
"We own the devices that we buy with our money. We should have the freedom to do with them as we like. This includes the installation of apps from any developer without some rediculous google verification. "
Edwin, change.org
"I am Japanese and using translation. I am deeply disappointed about this matter. There is no need to restrict the great features of Android. If only a limited number of people can develop, it will only lead to the decline of content. Please stop making things worse. "
成田, 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
"If this is Android's future then it's time for Linux phones! My device my rules. "
Juan Antonio, change.org
"This is about Freedom! I want to be in control of what apps I install on my phone! And How I install them! I choose freedom! Do Not block or limit my freedom under the the guise of helping me according to your beliefs! "
Henry, change.org
"The entire selling point of Android was the open ecosystem. Locking down on APKs will alienate millions of users. "
G, change.org
"We were promised FOSS, keep it that way "
Darius, change.org
"We can't back down "
Victor Vitienzo, change.org
"The ability to install APKs are a core feature in Android's open nature. It also helps developers to freely test and debug their apps. Installing APKs should be completely free and allowed. Thanks to everyone who made me see this project. Do you want me to draw this as a support material? Thanks. "
Emir, change.org
"Android livre já "
Alan, change.org
"Google is communism, non-google app markets are liberty and freedom. Are you rooting for "One Nation Under God" or "One Store Under Google" "
Jamie, change.org
"One of the reasons that people want to use Android is because of its freedom in installing apps. Locking it is like shooting your feet. "
John, change.org
"I was really shocked when I heard that such thing is happening. I mean, isn't the point of Android itself to be fully open, especially compared to competitors as iOS? What's so wrong with a person developing apps as their passion/hobby? I don't think it is necessary to have to upload a government ID to a corporation just to make your app be able to be usable. It also impacts me, because I use very many open source apps as alternatives, which fit my usage a lot better, and I like to support those projects, and one more point, many people switching from iOS to Android are looking for the freedom that is sideloading apps without any hurdles. This has to change, or chaos would ensue around the Android world, and especially FOSS communities. "
Arsen, change.org
"WE WANT CHOICES! "
Cindy, change.org
"We should be able to do what we want with the devices we own. Locking everyone into only downloading from the google playstore will just create the walled garden that iPhone has already. "Sideloading" shouldn't be viewed as a bad thing, or something you shouldnt do. Its the same as downloading something on a computer. Im just downloading software on my phone. Imagine if they blocked you being able to downloading anything outside of the Microsoft Store on Windows. This needs to be stopped. The main (and basically only reason) I get an android phone is to have control over it. If this is removed from hs I will have no reason not to use an iPhone instead. "
Steven, change.org
"Google is nothing short of an evil pig! We want free android! "
James, change.org
"Android giving users choice has been the staple point of android OS. Removing choices like sideloading apps is not the move. I develop apps for myself, I do not want to be "an approved developer" I don't have time nor care for that. This action also is the beginning of censorship, and monopolization of android OS. Android started as an open operating system, you have simply turned it into a reskinned Apple OS. Your choice to go anti-consumer is going to hurt. You are not "protecting" anyone. ~Seth "
Nathan, change.org
"The entire reason I have stuck with Android phones until now was my ability to INSTALL apps outside of the play store—key word install, not sideload. Even using that term is brainwashed lingo. A phone is just as much of a computer as a PC is, and I should be allowed to download whatever I want on a device a pay for. Especially when, in some cases, a laptop can be cheaper than a phone these days. This has always been a meaningful feature to me. Then there is the fact of censorship & creating a hostile environment for smaller dev teams. Having to pay a fee to Google, having to disclose IDs (this is also counterproductive to privacy focused apps). Any application that Google deems unfit, they can rip from the store. The 3rd party stores that Google will "let us" download from are no different from the Play Store. All those developers will still be subject to what Google is doing. If Android is going to become reskinned IOS, I would rather move to Apple. It's better optimized with many apps that absolutely DO NOT function near as well on Android or get updates way later than Apple. It's a smoother, cleaner product. Though, truly, I want to go to Motorola as they are planning to work with GrapheneOS which is privacy & security focused (which Google isn't! And this move is not making Android more secure!) These practices are anti-consumer AND anti-competition. Monopolistic, dirty practices. It's shameful that Google is still trying to act like they are an "open" system in the slightest while they actively shut out our ability to—again, INSTALL applications on our phone, which is essentially just a computer in our hands. Imagine if Windows did this, or even a Macbook. The free world is about having free choice, and this isn't that. I will absolutely be moving away from Android if this changes take effect. In the meantime, I'll take my in-app purchases to the actual websites behind them, use F-Droid & various places to download APKs to update in place of the Play Store. This is abhorent. TL;DR: Google is awful, hates consumer and developer freedoms, & yearns for censorship and growing it's monopolistic empire. I will be moving to any other phone if this happens. "
Jaden, change.org
"To put it simply it's wrong all of it. The idea that we are so untrustworthy with our own devices that we need this level of invasion/ surveillance implemented to satisfy their idea of safety is laughable. The online tech community is amazing and free to make any kind of customization to their own devices that they bought and paid for. And let's be honest there have been so many questionable decisions already based on security and safety that Google is no longer completely trustworthy. We should still be able to have the choice to use our own customizable apps/systems on our own personal devices. None of this feels safe, none of these changes feel like they have our safety in mind. "
Charles, change.org
"To put it simply, the Android user experience has always been about the ability to express yourself, experimentation and creative freedom. Why squash that? What are you actually gaining? You'll lose a massive user base for the sake of what, "control"? "
Phil, change.org
"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
"Apple's censorship of the App Store is why I have an Android phone. This is not the way to freedom. "
Cameron, change.org
"Eliminating side loading will remove the main competitive edge that Android has over iOS, remove the open nature that users enjoy and prevent certain use cases. "
Chris, change.org
"I wanted to switch to android because I liked the ability to still have acess to older apps and software when it no longer works. I currently have an Iphone and can no longer use older versions due to the age of my phone. Hearing this news will definitely lead me to proabably buy an Iphone over android. I will no longer have the right to download cool apps like emulators or download apps that no longer work properly on the version of the phone and software I have. I believe Google needs to reverse it decision on banning sideloading. It is a free ecosystem and users understand the risks if they do it. It is unfair for all android phones to be affected because most phones use Android and I belive this monopoly on technology needs to stop. "
Kalista, change.org
"who thought it was even a good idea "
Joel, change.org
"There are so many useful apps outside of the play store, including medical apps. It would limit us and restrict our freedoms to do as well please with OUR phones. Android began as an alternative to IOS that didn't limit side loading and alternative apps. Android restricting APKs is a violation of what they stand for and our rights as smartphone owners. This cannot happen. "
Lia, change.org
"As I'm planning on purchasing a new device soon, this announcement is making me reconsider choosing android at all. If it is moving towards controlling user freedoms, Android becomes less compelling, as that has been the major draw for me. "
Taryn, change.org
"I've been using APKs ever since I got my first phone, and now, it's an indispensable part of my life. Things I downloaded, games that I played that would be lost to time because the very people who made them forgot about them, things I watched, all those experiences... How can one take it away from us? We want our freedom. So what if we may be downloading viruses and having our data stolen? It's our choice, and it's nothing to be worried about by other people. And in my experience, there aren't as many viruses in the internet as people think. I know that I never got one. If APKs are gone, my main sources of entertainment — the things that kept me alive all this time by brightening up my days — they will be gone too. So, this cannot happen. This can't go on. I need my APKs. And I will not stop fighting for their existence, because they are a valuable part of my existence. - The Meteor "
João Pedro, change.org
"Freedom to choose... With this new move by Google, that freedom is ripped away. Moves like this are things monopolies do, and Google has now proven it wants to be a monopoly. Android has been the staple of choice and open source since it's inception and taking that away is a slap in the face to every person who chooses to customize their phone, and create an experience unique and exclusive to them. Google, stop this foolishness by not forcing users and developers hands. They should have the freedom to choose what they want, or how they develop. "
Kevin, change.org
"Top muito bom "
Paulo, change.org
"There should be a clear flow for users to install any software they want. And there needs to be a strict policy in place so that google wont just make change in future to reverse there actions "
Amrinder, change.org
"who's afraid of free open source software? "
F., change.org
"I do not want Google to limit my freedom of speech or right to privacy. Google is a monopoly and must be dismantled. This has to stop. "
Tristan, change.org
"I have been avoiding iPhone and using Android specifically for this reason. Why would Google change something that is working for them? Why ruin something good? Short sighted and stupid move. "
Will, change.org
"Everything about this software/app lock out is beyond wrong. So is age verification. It is all beyond dystopian. George Orwell is spinning in his grave. My wife works in a major hospital and that hospital is already in a major panic because they have internal apps that can not be put out to apps stores for major security reasons. They have no idea what they are going to do when these apps stop working and can not be installed, used or updated because of these dystopian lockouts (i.e. blocking non app stores' apps from being installed; not to mention the major security risks of age verification). The app monitors many vital operations and medical equipment across three major medical facilities in the same hospital network; among branch facilities. It alerts staff and is used for many areas of communications in the hospital network. If this app can no longer be integrated into the hospital's operations network, the entirety of the hospital's facilities shuts down. I'm sure that if the hospital at which my wife works uses internal apps, then there are many other medical facilities that do also. A neighbor that I check on daily uses an app for necessary medical reasons. This app is not and will never be in any app store. Her doctors and the company that makes the device for thousands of people are in a panic. They can't just put this control/monitoring app out there. They would have to redesign the device's entire system and it could take several years. Plus, there are the major security risks. A friend has advanced diabetes and has a monitoring device stuck in his arm. The monitoring/alert app comes from the device manufacturer and not any app store. I also use medical apps that are not in any app store. I am also diabetic (not as badly as my friend) and disabled. There are several other people in my area that depend on medical apps that are not in any app store and are ONLY provided through a medical facility or medical device manufacturer. These companies do not put these apps out to these app stores for anyone to get their hands on for security reasons. If someone malicious got their hands on these medical device control apps, tampered with it, and re-uploaded it for patients to then obtain, thousands of patients could die. What am I and all these people that depend on proprietary and device specific medical apps across the country going to do when our apps/devices can't be installed or updated and just stop working? These dystopian app lock outs and the risks of age verification will put millions of peoples lives on the line and will have biblical level consequences. This all needs to stop immediately! "
John, change.org
"we pay for these devices and maintain them. we should be able to do anything we want with them. Locking us out is just greed. Like buying a car. then having to pay ever month to use the heated seats that are already in the car. if anything, let us put a different system on the phone. "
David, change.org
"Android phones letting me control my apps in my way is why I love and stick with Android. I can't support upstart developers without our current APK framework. A future without one of the lead reasons I own an Android phone, is a future where I just stop owning a phone. "
Kyle, change.org
"Google is essentially deciding to kill their own identity with this move. Side loading apps is a for of freedom that is the core reason people use android. Without this it's just a worse version of iOS... And no one wants that. This move if not corrected will start a movement they don't want and will grow the development of a true Linux based is for phones. This is a greed move. A power move they want full control and to lock developers into their own store front. It's sad really... A pathetic move that will hurt then in the end. I hope they change their mind.. if not I guess I will be going custom firmware on this pixel and strip Google from the device entirely. "
Adam, change.org
"I do not support Google moving android in a totalitarian direction where freedom is removed and central authority is enforced. Keep Android Free! "
Phillip, change.org
"The only reason I use android is for the freedoms that it brought, allowing for FOSS apps is literally they only thing that separates you from apple!! "
Joseph, change.org
"Bora solar esses miserentos "
GATO, change.org
"I develop apps for personal use and use fdroid for open source and privacy focused apps. This will just be another step towards tyranny and control "
Jackson, change.org
"Choice and modification is the root of the Android platform. I should be able to install software I want on my own phone. If Android becomes a walled garden, then there will be no real reason to buy an Android, and I'll buy an Apple. "
Bailey, change.org
"We need to stop Google controlling us. "
Carmen, change.org
"LEAVE ANDROID ONLY PLEASE "
Chapo, change.org
"It's been sad to see the steady decline the OS has experienced with increasingly restrictive updates implemented by Google. But this is the final straw. This update effectively forces all users to only install apps through the play store AND can shut down FOSS Android forks like Lineage, GrapheneOS, etc. So many people (including myself) rely on the amazing work the FOSS community does in the Android space. This update will force you to install the apps Google wants you to install, stop receiving OS updates when Google says so, require all Android developers to hand over their ID to Google, etc. Given Google's track record, I wouldn't trust them with all of that. :) "
Kawika, change.org
"https://keepandroidopen.org/ "
Shrewd, change.org
"The reason why i use android is because of the freedom but if Google lockdown android then there no point on staying and not switching to other ecosystem "
Joel, change.org
"What Google is doing seems awful to me; taking away the user's freedom to install any APK app they want is like forcing users to install whatever Google wants. It's deplorable. "
Pedro, 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
"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
"The Only reason I have an Android cell phone is because I can install Linux to it Take away my ability to use My cell the way I want then there is no longer any reason for me to own any cell phone This type of Dictatorship and greed for money and it power needs to stop I install LineageOS to my cell to stop the constant nag from Google to push this button pop ups. And to try to curb all the spyware I use No social apps, "I hate social spyware" My cell phone is a "Phone" Google has proven to me my dislike for all things Google was correct I will be looking online for a True Open Source Hardware / Software cell phone cost last time I checked was approx $2,000.00 USD "
chris, 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
"Keep android app development open! "
Samuel, change.org
"The main reason I ditched ios was that I felt the restrictions of what kinds of apps apple felt benevolent to allow me to download was choking my experience. I'm very disappointed to see that android is just going to evolve into a cheap offbrand iPhone. ( °︵°) "
Gino, change.org
"GOOGLE PLEASE DO NOT ENFORCE DEVELOPER VERIFICATION. THIS WILL STOP PROGRESS. "
Luka, change.org
"Hands off the APK! I left Russia for Freedom in 2022 and now you trying to restrict our Freedom like a criminal Putin. "
Alex, change.org
"Open source is not a trivial matter for the regular user of technology nowadays. However, its importance should be taken seriously if we want a future where we will (still?) have access and some level of control over the technology we are too deeply dependent on for our daily activities. It is not necessary that everybody learn how to program smartphone or computer applications! But it is necessary that everybody know that it is important that big tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and (in this specific case) Google don't close these doors. Be it for their customers or others trying to figure out what they're doing with our personal information. "
Ricardo, change.org
"if this goes ahead I will simply refuse to use Android and move to a linux 'phone. "
Graham, change.org
"Mobile devices have become such integral, personalized focal points in our lives over the last few decades, but not everyone uses their devices the same way. Having the choice of what software we choose to use and where to install from has been a key part of Android since its beginning and has been an important keystone of consumer choice. Removing those choices and putting up barriers to entry for development would be a huge blow to consumer rights. "
Scott, change.org
"This isn't safety, it's simply control. This hasn't been an issue for years. "
James, change.org
"Android users should be able develop and install whatever software they want on their devices without approval from Google. The promise of Android — and a marketing advantage it has used to distinguish itself against the iPhone — has always been that it is “open”. But Google clearly feels that they have enough of a lock on the Android ecosystem, along with sufficient regulatory capture, that they can now jettison this principle with prejudice and impunity. "
Ray, change.org
"Penuit butter "
Dylan, change.org
"This is like Linux changing into Windows "
A., change.org
"google take the L "
Miguel, change.org
"I grew up without cameras and sensors constantly supplying tech firms and governments my movements, habits, and so on. While I can't force the world to roll back the loss of privacy in public spaces, I'm sure as hell not ceding in the fight to maintain a bit of privacy in my own home. Since the only reason I can stand using an Android phone is being able to install and use non-invasive apps, I will absolutely switch OS if this BS goes through. "
Alex, change.org
"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
"Please don't close off the Android ecosystem. I'm an Android user because it gives me the freedom to install apps while taking responsibility for my installations. That's what differentiates it from iPhone and the reason I chose it. "
Víctor, change.org
"I use Android phones rather than iphones because it allows for more user end control, including the ability to use/install open-source apk. If the choice is made to restrict this functionality, my next phone will not be an android. "
Rebecca, change.org
"I can explain why I use Android, and therefore Google services, by the fact that Google used to care about its users, their rights, and their freedom. Although not as much as we would like. After what Google has presented, my phone will soon be no different from an iPhone. I'm not happy about this; I want freedom. I want the freedom to install the apps and APK files I choose, not just the ones I am "allowed" to download. "
Sviatoslav, change.org
"Android has always been an open platform. It needs to stay an open platform. There are already security features in place to keep less experienced users from installing apps from unknown sources. There's absolutely no reason to shut out independent developers just because they don't want to give Google their money or personal information; or to keep users from installing any app that they want. "
Jose, change.org
"Being open sourced and allowing users to have control over their own devices is what makes android beautiful. If you continue with this then you'll be no better than Apple. Allow devs, techies, power users and curious kids and adults to write their own programs and use them. Our phones! Our choice! You're going to damage yourself because it'll just let operating systems like Graphene explode and become more than what they are now "
Sean, change.org
"Why would anyone use an Android period outside of being able to install applications not “approved” by some walled-garden. Side loading is a dumb term "
Stephen, change.org
"Stop Google "
Sa, change.org
"Locking down the ability to use APKs and other applications outside of the "approved" developers app is a great way to snub creativity and only allow "state sponsored" media on the device that is on your person 24/7. Having the ability to manipulate MY DEVICE that I paid for should be an absolute capability of each device we are expected to carry for years. "
Alex, change.org
"No reason to own a google device if I am limited in what I can do with it. "
Salvatore, 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
"Invasion of privacy in the name of security "
Sadegh, 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
"Asking an ID for everything is not different from China's ID Citizen Score This is clearly made with the intention to manipulate what people do and learn about "
Verónica, change.org
"Restrictions like these are a form of control lets not take away anyone's freedom of choice "
Daniel, change.org
"This is not just a threat for programmers and startups but a threat to existing programmers/Co's. they intend to possibly blacklist. No different conceptually than the game they are playing against journalists currently as we have all seen being done. Accepting this type of centralized control says you support fascism and censorship type tactics and exploitative mechanisms that create monopolies at it's core roots. "
Eric, change.org
"This decision makes you seem even more authoritarian and greedy than usual. Regardless, since we all know you care about your profit margins more than anything else I'd like to point out that you're depriving yourselves of potential profits. The small developers that are honing their skills developing apps that; for whatever reason; they can't or don't want to publish through you, they may create the next viral app as a result of their efforts. If you take away their ability to develop without you being in complete control you are killing potential profits. "
Caleb, change.org