Ponsel Anda akan segera berhenti menjadi milik Anda sepenuhnya.
Mulai September 2026, sebuah pembaruan senyap yang diterapkan oleh Google tanpa persetujuan pengguna akan memblokir setiap aplikasi Android yang pengembangnya belum terdaftar di Google, menandatangani kontrak, melakukan pembayaran, serta menyerahkan identitas resmi pemerintah.
Berlaku bagi setiap aplikasi dan setiap perangkat di seluruh dunia, tanpa opsi untuk menolak.
↓Apa yang dilakukan Google
Pada Agustus 2025, Google mengumumkan persyaratan baru: mulai September 2026, setiap pengembang aplikasi Android harus mendaftar secara terpusat ke Google sebelum perangkat lunak mereka dapat diinstal di perangkat apa pun. Bukan hanya aplikasi Play Store: semua aplikasi. Ini termasuk aplikasi yang dibagikan antar teman, didistribusikan melalui F-Droid, yang dibuat oleh para penggemar untuk penggunaan pribadi. Pengembang independen, kelompok keagamaan dan komunitas, serta para pehobi, semuanya akan terhalang untuk dapat mengembangkan dan mendistribusikan perangkat lunak mereka.
Pendaftaran memerlukan:
- Membayar biaya ke Google
- Menyetujui Syarat dan Ketentuan Google
- Menyerahkan identitas resmi Anda yang dikeluarkan pemerintah
- Memberikan bukti kunci penandatanganan (signing key) pribadi Anda
- Mencantumkan semua identitas aplikasi saat ini dan masa depan
Jika pengembang tidak patuh, aplikasi mereka akan diblokir secara diam-diam di setiap perangkat Android di seluruh dunia.
Siapa yang dirugikan
Anda
Anda membeli ponsel Android karena Google memberi tahu Anda bahwa platform ini terbuka. Anda bisa memasang apa pun yang Anda inginkan, dan itulah kesepakatannya.
Google kini mengubah ketentuan tersebut secara retroaktif, berlaku untuk perangkat keras yang sudah Anda miliki. Setelah pembaruan diterapkan, Anda hanya dapat menjalankan perangkat lunak yang telah disetujui sebelumnya oleh Google. Di ponsel Anda: milik Anda, yang Anda bayar.
Pengembang independen
Aplikasi pertama seorang remaja, alat privasi seorang relawan, atau beta internal rahasia sebuah perusahaan. Tidak masalah. Setelah September 2026, tidak satu pun dari ini dapat dipasang tanpa restu Google.
F-Droid, rumah bagi ribuan aplikasi Android gratis dan bersumber terbuka, menyebut hal ini sebagai ancaman "eksistensial". Cory Doctorow menyebutnya “Darth Android”.
Pemerintah & masyarakat sipil
Google memiliki rekam jejak yang tercatat dalam menuruti permintaan rezim otoriter untuk menghapus aplikasi. Dengan program ini, perangkat lunak yang menggerakkan lembaga-lembaga di negara Anda akan bergantung sepenuhnya pada kehendak sebuah perusahaan asing yang tidak bertanggung jawab.
EFF melabeli praktik pembatasan aplikasi sebagai 'jalur sensor internet yang terus berkembang'."
"Pintu keluar" Google adalah sebuah jebakan.
Google mengatakan "pengguna tingkat lanjut" masih bisa "memasang" aplikasi yang tidak terverifikasi. Inilah sebenarnya seperti apa prosesnya:"
- Masuk ke Setelan Sistem, cari Pilihan Pengembang
- Ketuk nomor build tujuh kali untuk mengaktifkan Mode Pengembang
- Abaikan layar peringatan tentang paksaan
- Masukkan PIN Anda
- Mulai ulang perangkat
- Tunggu 24 jam
- Kembali lagi, abaikan lebih banyak layar peringatan
- Pilih "izinkan sementara" (7 hari) atau "izinkan selamanya"
- Konfirmasikan, sekali lagi, bahwa Anda memahami "risikonya"
Sembilan langkah. Masa tunggu wajib 24 jam. Untuk memasang perangkat lunak pada perangkat yang Anda miliki sendiri.
Lebih buruk lagi: alur ini berjalan sepenuhnya melalui Layanan Google Play, bukan OS Android. Google dapat mengubah, memperketat, atau mematikannya kapan saja, tanpa perlu pembaruan OS dan tanpa persetujuan. Dan hingga saat ini, fitur tersebut belum dirilis dalam versi beta, preview, atau canary build mana pun. Fitur tersebut hanya ada dalam bentuk postingan blog dan beberapa mockup.
Persoalan ini lebih besar daripada sekadar Android
Apabila Google dapat secara retroaktif membatasi akses pada miliaran perangkat yang dipasarkan sebagai platform terbuka, maka setiap produsen perangkat keras di seluruh dunia kini tengah mengamati langkah tersebut.
Prinsip yang sedang ditegakkan adalah: perusahaan manufaktur perangkat Anda berhak menentukan perangkat lunak apa yang diizinkan untuk dijalankan, bahkan setelah transaksi pembelian selesai dilakukan. Dalam industri perangkat lunak, praktik ini dikenal sebagai "rug pull" (pencabutan dukungan secara mendadak); namun, dalam situasi tersebut setidaknya Anda masih memiliki kemungkinan untuk memasang perangkat lunak kompetitor. Dalam konteks perangkat keras, hal ini merupakan sebuah fait accompli yang merampas kedaulatan pengguna dan menjadikan Anda tidak berdaya di hadapan kehendak sepihak dari penjaga gerbang (gatekeeper) tunggal yang tidak akuntabel serta pelaku monopoli yang telah terbukti.
Keterbukaan Android tidak pernah sekadar berfungsi sebagai sebuah fitur semata. Hal tersebut merupakan sebuah janji yang membedakannya dari iPhone. Jutaan orang memilih Android tepat karena alasan tersebut. Kini, Google membatalkan janji itu secara sepihak pada perangkat yang sudah berada dalam genggaman masyarakat, karena mereka merasa telah memiliki dominasi pasar dan pengaruh terhadap regulasi (regulatory capture) yang cukup kuat untuk melakukannya tanpa konsekuensi berarti.
Ars Technica: "Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy."
Namun, bukankah ini...
"...hanya demi keamanan?"
Dalih keamanan hanyalah sebuah tabir asap. Google Play Protect sudah melakukan pemindaian malware secara mandiri tanpa bergantung pada identitas pengembang. Mewajibkan identitas resmi pemerintah (ID) tidak membuat kode program menjadi lebih aman; hal tersebut hanya membuat pengembang dapat diidentifikasi dan dikendalikan. Pembuat malware tetap dapat mendaftarkan diri, sementara pengembang independen dan aktivis sering kali tidak mampu melakukannya. EFF menegaskan dengan lugas: kontrol akses (gatekeeping) berbasis identitas adalah alat sensor, bukan instrumen keamanan.
"...tetap dikategorikan sebagai sideloading jika menggunakan prosedur lanjutan?"
Sembilan tahapan prosedur, waktu tunggu 24 jam, opsi yang tersembunyi di dalam menu Opsi Pengembang, dan dijalankan melalui layanan berpemilik (proprietary) yang aksesnya dapat dicabut Google kapan saja. Itu bukanlah sideloading. Itu adalah sebuah mekanisme penghambat yang dirancang sedemikian rupa agar hampir tidak ada pengguna yang mampu menyelesaikannya. Dan karena prosedur ini berjalan melalui Layanan Google Play (Play Services) dan bukan melalui sistem operasi (OS), Google dapat memperketat atau menghentikan fungsi tersebut secara diam-diam.
"...hanya menjadi masalah bagi mereka yang menyembunyikan sesuatu?"
Pelapor tindak pidana (whistleblowers), jurnalis, dan aktivis di bawah rezim otoriter akan menjadi korban pertama. Kelompok masyarakat dalam situasi kekerasan domestik adalah berikutnya. Semua kelompok ini memiliki alasan yang sah untuk mendistribusikan atau menggunakan perangkat lunak tanpa harus menyerahkan identitas legal mereka ke dalam basis data Google. Kontribusi sumber terbuka (open-source) secara anonim adalah tradisi yang lebih tua dari Google itu sendiri. Kebijakan ini mengakhiri tradisi tersebut di platform Android.
"...praktik yang sama dengan yang dilakukan Apple?"
Apple telah menjadi ekosistem tertutup sejak hari pertama. Masyarakat memilih Android karena ia berbeda. Argumen bahwa "Apple juga melakukannya" adalah sebuah perlombaan menuju standar terendah dan merupakan argumen tu quoque yang lemah. Bahkan di bawah tekanan regulasi (seperti Undang-Undang Pasar Digital/DMA di Uni Eropa), Apple kini mulai dipaksa untuk membuka diri. Sebaliknya, Google justru bergerak ke arah yang berlawanan: berupaya untuk semakin memperkuat statusnya sebagai penjaga gerbang (gatekeeper).
"...hanya persoalan biaya 25 dolar dan beberapa berkas administrasi?"
Mungkin demikian jika Anda adalah seorang pengembang di Amerika Serikat yang memiliki kartu kredit dan surat izin mengemudi. Namun, bayangkan jika Anda adalah seorang mahasiswa di Afrika bagian selatan, seorang aktivis di Myanmar, atau seorang sukarelawan yang mengelola aplikasi kesehatan masyarakat. Biaya yang harus dibayar bukan sekadar finansial: Anda menyerahkan identitas resmi pemerintah dan bukti kunci penandatanganan aplikasi (signing keys) kepada perusahaan yang secara rutin mematuhi tuntutan pemerintah untuk menghapus aplikasi dan mengungkap identitas pengembang.
Langkah Perlawanan
Semua Orang
- Pasang F-Droid pada setiap perangkat Android milik Anda. Toko aplikasi alternatif hanya dapat bertahan jika masyarakat benar-benar menggunakannya.
- Hubungi otoritas regulasi Anda. Regulator di seluruh dunia tengah menaruh perhatian serius terhadap isu monopoli dan sentralisasi kekuasaan di sektor teknologi. Mereka perlu mendengar langsung dari individu yang terdampak dan merasa prihatin.
- Sebarluaskan laman ini. Bagikan tautan keepandroidopen.org kemana saja
- Lawan narasi semu (astroturfing). Kelompok "tapi, sebenarnya..." sedang gencar beraksi. Jangan biarkan mereka menentukan narasi.
- Tanda tangani petisi change.org dan bergabunglah dengan lebih dari 100.000 penandatangan yang telah menyuarakan aspirasi mereka.
- Baca dan sebarluaskan surat terbuka kami
- Sampaikan pendapat Anda kepada Google melalui survei verifikasi pengembang milik mereka sendiri (terlepas dari seberapa besar dampaknya nanti).
Pengembang
Jangan mendaftarkan diri. Jangan bergabung dalam program ini melalui Konsol Pengembang Android dan menyetujui Syarat dan Ketentuan mereka yang bersifat mengikat secara hukum. Jangan melakukan verifikasi identitas. Jangan berkompromi.
Rencana Google hanya akan berhasil jika pengembang patuh. Jangan.
- Ajak pengembang dan organisasi lain untuk tidak mendaftar.
- Tambahkan pustaka FreeDroidWarn ke aplikasi Anda untuk memperingatkan pengguna.
- Mengelola situs web? Tambahkan spanduk hitung mundur.
Karyawan Google
Apabila Anda memiliki informasi terkait implementasi teknis program ini atau latar belakang internalnya, silakan hubungi tips@keepandroidopen.org menggunakan perangkat bukan milik kantor dan akun non-Gmail. Kami menjamin kerahasiaan identitas Anda sepenuhnya.
Semua yang menentang…
71 organisasi dari 23 negara telah menandatangani surat terbuka
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
F-Droid f-droid.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
FUTO futo.org
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Unified Push unifiedpush.org
GitHub Store github-store.org
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
Proton AG proton.me
iodé iode.tech
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
FACiL facil.qc.ca
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
CryptPad cryptpad.org
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
Techlore techlore.tech
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
OpenMedia openmedia.org
April april.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
Cryptee crypt.ee
Brave brave.com Baca surat terbuka selengkapnya dan berikan apresiasi kepada para penandatangan →
Apa yang mereka katakan
Pers teknologi
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"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
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"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
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
Editorial & analisis
"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 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
"Once there is no such thing as 'sideloading', there's virtually no difference between iOS and Android. I see no reason to buy Android over iOS at this point."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Google 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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Innovation may be the biggest casualty in all of this. This new rule erodes your right to make informed decisions about your own devices."
MakeUseOf
"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
"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 move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"Google's story that this move is motivated by security is obviously bullshit. The idea that Google can improve Android's safety by certifying developers, rather than code, is obvious bullshit."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"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
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"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
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"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
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"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
"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 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 a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"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
"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
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Destroying F-Droid isn't some 'oops.' It's the mission. It's Google finally cutting the last remaining escape route and locking every single user inside their store."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"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
Organisasi & surat terbuka
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"Google's developer verification policy creates a centralized database, controlled by a single corporation, containing the real-world identity of every person who writes software for Android."
Brave
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"Developers who choose not to use Google's services should not be forced to register with, and submit to the judgement of, Google."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"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
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"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
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"This invasion of privacy of developers is not just an overreach of Google's authority over Android, but also jeopardizes developer safety."
Software Freedom Conservancy
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today."
F-Droid
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
YouTuber & kreator
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"F-Droid is basically saying that the new Google developer registration process will likely kill the open-source app store entirely."
The Linux Experiment – YouTube
"This means you can't sideload an app from an unofficial source. But it could also be used to lock the ecosystem so we're forced to install only Google apps on approved Google OS versions."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"Google keeps getting in as much trouble as Apple when Google is half evil and Apple is full evil. So there are probably people inside Google saying, 'Why not just go full evil?'"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"This has obvious problems for non-Google operating systems like iodeOS, LineageOS, or BraxOS. Google Android will 'check in' with Google to verify the identity of the app and to validate the operating system."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."
Techlore – YouTube
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Follow the money. Google makes money when apps are downloaded from its store. Google has completely forgotten about its earlier company motto: Don't be evil."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"This 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
"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
"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"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 decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – 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
"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
"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
"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
"The widely-circulated narrative that Google already backed down from this is false. They didn't, and that misunderstanding may be the most dangerous part of the story right now."
Techlore – YouTube
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"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
"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
Pengembang & komunitas
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"Twice I have had to deal with Google silently disabling my drone app to the point I had to buy an older phone to perform work. When I purchase a device that works with another device, under no circumstances should I be at the mercy of any updates they make."
cbrophoto (drone professional), Reddit
"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
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"Google has no right to be my parent. As long as I can't reject paternalism, I don't believe for a second this is done with the well-being of scam victims as the main priority."
gspr, Lobsters
"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
"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
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, 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
"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
"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
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, 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 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
"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
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"'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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"Years ago, I wondered how Google would try to get away with locking down Android and shutting the cage door after capturing such a large dependent user base. Now I see how they are trying to get away with it."
chaznabin, Reddit
"The fundamental problem is that we are relying on the good graces of Google to keep Android open, despite the fact that it often runs contrary to their goals as a $4T for-profit behemoth. The 'don't be evil' days are very far behind us."
paxys, Hacker News
"If 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
"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
"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
"We need to start treating phones differently. We're entering a world where we can't choose what we run on them. Their primary purpose is to gather data on us and serve us advertising, they're engineered for addiction, yet engaging in the world is immensely difficult without one."
specproc, Hacker News
"Google 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
"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
"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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"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
"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
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, 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
"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
"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
"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
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, 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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, 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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), 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
"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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
Suara dari petisi
"I don’t want a walled garden on android like iOS it sucks "
Caleb, change.org
"Apple is one of the lamest companies in the world. You have no control on an iPhone. That's always been one of the selling points about Android is that you have basically total control over your device. There's literally no reason to change being able to download independent and open source apps from trusted developers. There are higher chances of getting a sketchy app through the play store. Don't break what isn't broken and then say you fixed something. We already lost our SD card slots. If you see this and you haven't signed the petition, please sign it. Also for more info, go here: https://keepandroidopen.org/ "
Dakota, change.org
"This issue would directly negatively effect my day to day usage of my android phone, concerns of this issue have resulted in me installing GrapheneOS on my phone to avoid this potentially becoming a reality. "
Kyler, change.org
"a recently convicted monopolist extorting developers and committing further anticompetitive behavior? not in my pocket it's not. "
Marc, change.org
"I'm not even an Android app developer, but I've always wanted to be. Now, I'm not sure that I do. Making this change will mean that all apps will funnel through Google Play, which gives Google exclusive control and a censorship chokehold on the entire Android ecosystem. I shouldn't have to explain why that would not be good. The whole thing that made Android different from iOS is that it was OPEN. Now Google's just throwing that out of the window. At this point, I might just switch to iOS because Android has lost all of its character. "
Ethan, change.org
"We should be allowed to do what we want with the tools that we buy. "
kevin, change.org
"What Google wants to do is simply inhumane, simply unacceptable for those who use our beloved Android. "
Althe, 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
"If this goes in effect there's literally no reason for me to stay on android. Would likely either go graphene but that feels up in the air for long term support so I guess that leaves apple. And I already hate walled gardens. Especially when the play store is basically just a malware repository. I'm so tired of corps eroding our freedoms. Why must everything be enshitified this day an age. "
Coleman, change.org
"Android has always been a platform for freedom of choice and exploration. This restrictions from Google go against the core element that made users stick with Android for all these years. If I bought something with my own money I should be free to use it as I please. "
Eric, 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
"One of the biggest things, if not the biggest thing, Android has had over Apple for the longest time is the freedom of the user to make the phone theirs through downloading third party apps, through developers making their own applications without being required to release it through an app store that requires a fee to put it on. My own personal experience has been that I could play one of my favorite games that's no longer on the app store. With these new restrictions and requirements Google is proposing in September, we would lose that freedom, and would become no better than Apple "
Morgan, change.org
"Why are these changes a necessity? What scary changes are happening in the technological realm that's causing Google to take these ecosystem changing moves? It appears as if you're ignoring a large section of your fan base. I hope freedom wins, but I think with the ever quickening development of A. I. that this measure may be the new necessity with mobile technology try to keep had actors at bay. "
Gene, 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
"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
"Android is about freedom and choice, if I wanted a knock off I-Phone, I would just buy a knock off I-Phone from Temu. These kinds of changes are how you end up with more people steering away from your device, and going towards devices that give people their individual freedoms back. "
Xavier, change.org
"I value the open source initiative deeply. I believe that Google putting up barricades to make this harder to access and use for developers and consumers alike is an act against the freedom of the open source initiative. "
Samuel, 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
"Google get out of MY phone! "
Mauro, change.org
"Keep android open to all developers. If this goes into effect I'm done with offial android. I don't care what devices I have to use moving forward but it will not be android devices. "
david, change.org
"Your OS literally wouldn't exist without Linux. Stick to the "
Caleb, change.org
"Honestly with having used Android multiple times throughout my life, platforms like F-Droid have provided me with some very good open source applications and I'd hate to see that go away. "
Lucas, change.org
"Yeah i like the big man having control over the phone i bought. Thats the only reason i went to Android. Never again. Hope Android is dying for it "
Tobias, change.org
"As a regular user and consumer, I am frightened by this direction. Android has historically differentiated itself by being an open platform that users can customize to their liking - this is THE main reason I continue to purchase Android phones. I am a developer as a hobby, and will occasionally create my own apps to support my unique projects and requirements. I have no interest in becoming an authorized developer - that wouldn't make sense for me. In addition, I benefit STRONGLY from the community of existing open-source apps. I am an avid F-Droid user, and find the apps there to be of equal or better quality than those in the Play Store. If Android is to become as locked-down as iOS, then my next phone purchase will be from Apple to benefit from their increased privacy protections. The main differentiator drawing me.to Android will be gone. "
Patrick, change.org
"One of the main reasons people even use Android is because it grants them a choice and freedom as a consumer to choose the software they use on their phones. By demanding that any other app or software made by a third party has to register with Google, provide private and information including their government IDs AND pay a FEE to Google for the privilege of developing an open source application... Google is essentially just creating a censorship tool and the beginning of a monopoly over any and all android software, just with extra steps. Proceeding with this will hurt both the reputation of Android and Google even more than has already been done this past year. "
Rhiannon, change.org
"Its important to me that developers aren't forced to give away personally identifiable information to any agency, private or public. Google shouldn't have the right to require you to give up your GOVERNMENT ID in order to make an app. "
Alex, change.org
"Technology should forever remain in a position to assist and enrich the lives of everyone, not to control, limit, or profit from the average person who was PAID to own a product, and simply wishes to make their life easier. "
Evan, change.org
"This is the sole reason that people choose Android over iOS and removing it removes another layer of customization that Android was known for. "
Isaac, change.org
"I use android since I was aware of what is tech, nearly since android started as an OS, customizing every aspect of my phone I was capable to, breaking things, some of the things that make android being the sweet spot between being in complete freedom (what can be dangerous) and a kindergarten for cellphone users. In later years still using some good indie apps that the developers can't afford to put on google play, going back in app versions through public apk repos like apkmirror when something went wrong with the current version of an app, and more recently being a software developer. Today this is nothing but one more barrier to do native mobile apps (adding to resource intensive development tools, excessive boilerplate, steep learning curve, hardware and OS fragmentation, play store current policies, and many more) turning testing and feedback into a headache. I as a developer see a potential loss of talent that could enrich the ecosystem, a place where only startups and companies will survive (driven by capitalism) except for a minority of truly dedicated developers. I'm not a native English speaker however today I wanted my voice to be heard, doing it so in their language despite the misspelling I could make. I have hope for open source (especially indie); we mustn't forget that many of today's software foundations, including Android, originate from it. I hope they allow, and above all, facilitate the preservation of open source through the small innovations of more casual developers who improve the ecosystem day by day. "
Alexis, change.org
"We need liberty, the end of the APKs is a extremely bad decision to be honest. "
Anonymous, change.org
"This is a tragedy, it won't stop bad intentions, it will only put our data at risk, and many apps will become lost media. "
Jessé, change.org
"This decision breaks the promise of Android. By forcing verification, Google puts barriers to entry, and more importantly, introduces conflicts of interests in the app installation process. There must be an option to opt out of this. Every open source app would need to establish a legal entity to be installed on Android. Developers would be blocked for circumventing limitations that eat into Google's revenue but which aren't inherently illegal or against the ToS (i.e. personal archiving of YouTube videos). This could spell not only the end of Android but also personal computing under our own control. "
Kevin, change.org
"Android livre já "
Alan, change.org
"Freedom of choice and the end users ability to load applications and make changes to their devices is exactly why I switched to Android so many years ago. Truly hoping this is resolved and back to the core android roots once again. "
Ryan, change.org
"I have been using Android since I was a wee little lad and for the simple fact that it was mine and I had control over what and who I allowed on my devices. Using the iPoor (iPhones) always had the intrinsic "we at Apple know what's best for you" type of user experience and never got behind it. This cannot pass in in any country. "
Moe, change.org
"You are now a 0. "
İbrahim, change.org
"I choose to use android devices because they provide more freedom and ability to control my own devices and how I use them. I cannot support any measure that limits those freedoms in any way or drives up costs in a world where costs are already increasing due to incompetence and lack of care for the average person. "
Scott, change.org
"Nobody asked for this. It's the users choice to install apks on their OWN device that they paid for. Stop doing this google! "
Alexander, change.org
"Android has always stood for freedom, openness, and user choice. Blocking APKs goes against the very spirit of what makes Android great. Users should have the right to install the apps they want, from the sources they trust, not just from one store. Limiting APKs doesn’t make Android safer; it only takes control away from users and developers alike. Keep Android open. Keep Android free.Android has always stood for freedom, openness, and user choice. Blocking APKs goes against the very spirit of what makes Android great. Users should have the right to install the apps they want, from the sources they trust, not just from one store. Limiting APKs doesn’t make Android safer; it only takes control away from users and developers alike. Keep Android open. Keep Android free. "
Pedro, change.org
"I paid for this device and I can do whatever I want with it "
Marcus, change.org
"This is the only reason android is better than android "
David, change.org
"Play Integrity, Custom ROM/Root discrimination because of that, and now this? What have you BECOME, Google? You're not helping anyone, and I don't even think it helps them. If I had to pick between an unmodded Galaxy S25 (or whatever the latest one is) and a modded Galaxy S10, I'm picking the S25. It doesn't influence sales, all it does it make life harder, for everyone. Including the people imposing the restrictions, HEY, WHAT A COINCIDENCE! Just stop making the available mobile operating systems "iOS, iOS 2, and the other manufacturers' versions of iOS 2." I've talked more about custom ROMs, but replace it with customs apps and the same point is easily carried over. And because the 2 are interconnected in nature of them both being stuff that Google might not like. "
Gavin, change.org
"Google should be ashamed of itself and give users the freedom to install any app they want. Why don't they remove those apps from their store where thousands of people suffer from viruses? Bunch of scoundrels! "
Jorge, change.org
"I think it's bad because there will be no freedom or be able to test out your own apps you want to make like projects "
Angel, change.org
"What happened to not being evil? "
Scott, change.org
"As an open source developer, keeping Android open is what Android was all about! Let's keep it open so we can differentiate from other platforms, and keep Android what we all got to love! "
Benjamin, change.org
"Esse monopólio é injusto! "
Gabriel, 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
"As a kid, I used to think iPhone, and iOS as a whole, was great. As I thought "people don't need alot of things, they have everything they want." Until I had a Google Pixel 6 Pro for Christmas. It became my tinkering device, and allowed me to access things, I never knew I wanted. And it allowed me to have access things that usually would've costed my family a pretty penny. By forcing verification "
Josue, change.org
"I've said this before on a similar petition, but I sideload apps all the time, and it's a very important feature to me because I can download older versions of apps that I know function better with ease. Just like everybody else is saying, we use Android instead of iOS because we enjoy having this freedom. It won't benefit us: only Google is going to benefit. "
Daniel, change.org
"Changes like this severely limit fledgeling development. While you promise easy ways to register for free, any barrier can be enough to stop someone from making their first app. Additionally, anonymous publishing should be available for applications that may go against the will of those in power. This change limits freedom as well as killing the developer community. "
Jack, change.org
"Without users being able yo choose where they get their apps from, smartphones will be a completely locked down means of computing. It does not protect the average user's data, it just makes it so that only the people that Google says can harvest and sell are doing it. They aren't going to vet those people, they're just going to collect their entry fee. "
Nick, 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
"Big tech is trying to collectively normalize mass surveillance requiring government ID's for everything and saying "it's for our safety". It is NOT about anyone's safety. "
Amélie, change.org
"The entire point of choosing android over IOS is for the freedom to install things that may or may not work. 3rd party installation already requires you to go through some hoops . Its my device let me install what I want. "
Brian, change.org
"I, as an Android user for 17 years, believe in, and chose Android for, device openness and the freedom of choice. To choose my device, the services I use, from where I download my applications, and to choose FOSS apps that don't require developer registration or sacrificing personal privacy by accepting trackers and/or unnecessary permissions being tied to my app usage. Choice and freedom is what built Android and differentiated it from other platforms, like iOS, Windows Mobile, and other early smartphone operating systems. The trend of destroying user choice through the inability to unlock bootloader and easily root devices, the effective and increasing destruction of the custom ROM community and options, and now the elimination of third party app stores that offer incredible FOSS apps with greater focus on user privacy is one more step Google and Android are taking towards an undesirable ecosystem for many of us who still choose Android for its few remaining, and quickly disappearing, advantages. The argument that Google is requiring developer registration and restricting the ability of alternative app stores, like F-Droid, to continue to thrive as legitimate and worthwhile options is anti-consumer and isn't to protect users. Rather, it's to give users and consumers less control over their devices and data and, in my opinion, that is unacceptable. "
Roger, change.org
"Stop destroying our freedom! "
Alberto, change.org
"We can stand together to save Android and keep downloading what we love on our Android devices! "
Austin, change.org
"Trust is born out of the experience of self-agency. Google always has been trustworthy because of that. It's not been successful for breathtaking design, intuitive user experience or a consistent hardware strategy. Its most successful argument carrying the message of freedom and agency up to date is Android. Have end point management and self written helpers. Let my local plumber have his own app without being asked to update it every half year, let me build my own app for trataka meditation without need to share and make money of it - that's general computing on a mobile device accidentally married to a telephone. I can show off my fluid dynamics simulations, every month a further advanced model, and of course stupidly sink into the screen when I wait for the bus. Wonderful. So listen, Google. Don't take away my freedom, don't take away our freedom and agency. Don't waste our trust. And, with the formula you'll have read too often in your personal messages, dear Sundar, thank you for your attention to this matter. "
Frank, change.org
"I love android. I love how open it is. I love being able to download any app I want. This policy change is dumb. "
Farren, change.org
"There is no point to using android if apks are restricted. If I wanted a phone to tell me what i can and can't do, I would get an apple, because at least I get better security and UI there. The android operating system is being stripped of everything that gives you control over your own device. If apks were restricted, I would completely degoogle my life. Big brother is watching you. "
Ben, change.org
"it's always for "safety" but in reality it's to control the user base. you're forcing all these developers to submit legal ID to "prove" themselves but then data breaches happen risking so many people's identity. what do you do then? hide the fact that data breach happens or at most say sorry? android being open has benefited you as a company for decades and is what's keeping you different from iOS. lock down your platform and what's to keep anyone from switching over? what reason do you have to keep your userbase when you eventually make them choose between two locked down platforms when one is at default better than the other? and the better one is definitely not android if this happens. "
Adrian, change.org
"Hello, I have been using Android my whole life and I had always disliked IOS due to its highly locked down operating system and hearing that android (Google) wants to lock down android from 3rd party creators really hurts because not everyone can afford to publish an app onto the Google play store. also due to the fact android is the biggest OS worldwide many devices such as "Meta Quest" use android and they're store for applications would get shut down and cause many problems if they (Google) goes through with this plan. Especially as somebody who is soon to make and upload applications for Android this can be very limiting. Keep Android Open. Don't turn it into IOS. "
sqidwerd, change.org
"I know I wont b buying another Google Pixel Phone (I have a 9XL right now) if this change is made. Why would I limit myself. Its why I choose to buy nothing by apple and never will. "
Chris, change.org
"As a power user, Android is my go-to option for mobile OS. Even if they retain a method for users like me to install unverified apps, these projects will suffer from the non techy users being blocked from using these apps. "
Brendan, change.org
"The advantage of Android is precisely its freedom to choose what to do with your system and applications, just as developers have the freedom to choose where to distribute. Please do not limit the installation of APKs. There is already a warning and optional block for “unknown” apps where we currently have choices. Do not trade freedom for a false sense of security! "
Matheus, change.org
"Isn't the whole purpose of Android yo be open source? Where's that going to Google? Get your s**t together "
Jarred, change.org
"It starts with this. "
Jenna, change.org
"Google wanna eliminate biggest advantage of Android over iOS "
Misa, change.org
"Google isn't trying to protect us from malware with these policies; it's simply trying to control the platform it owns to profit from its platform and the data it collects. "
Tiburcio, change.org
"As someone who has started making my own apps for fun, the prospect of not being able to test them on my device or share them with friends is ridiculous. If this goes through my next phone upgrade will not have anything to do with google. "
Al, change.org
"If you buy a computer, you rightly expect to be able any software, developed by anyone, one that device. Why should phones be any different? This is a shameless power grab by google, and a huge step backwards for user's rights "
Christopher, change.org
"I've received pornographic viruses from puzzle games from the Google Play store. Google should remember why people go Android; Apple has locked down their systems to make them unbearable. Android gave freedom. If they lock it down, we'll use something else. I'm looking forward to a dumb phone and a physical camera...no annoying social media there. Or Google holding your money for you. Google offers nothing I need to use except an email, and last I checked, anyone offers those. The programs I love can be accessed on both Android AND PC...guess which I'll be shifting to! "
Kay, change.org
"One of the main reasons for using android is the freedom, this gets rid of that. So I may as well use ubuntu touch at this point. "
Yurii, change.org
"free is the most important part of Android,no freedom no Android. "
jason, 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
"Dear Google, you are single handedly destroying the whole purpose for which we use Android. Not only will you see a mass exodus from Google devices/services, you will force the creation of alternative operating systems that allow for user privacy and fredom for app developers. You all are making it harder for yourselves and for us. "
Kevin, change.org
"I'm not even a dev and I don't agree with this "
John, change.org
"Everyone is sharing how much they side with Android for the ability to have fuller control over what they can do with their devices .. and I'm so on board with that... I can't stand to have limitations which is why I've always used Android devices.. There's a lot of freedom to allow ourselves to develope what we'd like and share them with others .. that is something I myself enjoy be able to take advantage of as I am in no way knowledgeable in programming and most pf the time, everything I want is done by volunteers or people who just do these things as a hobby... what a community 👏 so annoyed Google is trying to enforce this stupidity "
Santiana, change.org
"Ces é paia mano "
Solalalule, change.org
"Installing APKs has been one of the strongest points of Android. Erasing it will lead to Android losing users, Android becoming a same-same with Apple and destroy its reputation. Think twice before making this change, it can be the start of Android's downfall. "
Lautaro, change.org
"It is so crazy to think I would ever think that this was the case. Android becoming IOS. I know Google wants to be Apple, but limiting supposedly open source software to now not allow true open source software seems to undermine this experiment. I will call this an experiment because you're been testing it for over a decade and now showing the true direction. Closed environment where all the data is mined and sold. Regardless of those who were here because Apple locked us into devices and software, the difference here is quality control you have none Google. You have relied on communities of users/developers to accomplish this. No More! This change unfortunately won't affect the bottom line immediately or barely when it comes to profit, but it will affect quality and choices and those are things that attract money... "
Marc, change.org
"Don't make daddy Torvalds mad what you did with his kernel "
Silas, change.org
"It is a fundamental right for everyone to be able to install whatever they want from wherever they want on any computer of theirs. "
Jim, change.org
"The Android system should be kept open and free for end users and developers to use as they see fit. Google's decision to close the system is just one more step, of many already taken, toward the evil that they once promised not to be. Hopefully, enough people will realize that Google is not a trustworthy partner in software and OS ecosystems and a new, truly open system will be developed. "
E J, change.org
"I have a bunch of applications that are not on the Google Play Store that I would lose access to if this feature were to be removed. Security Concerns are not a reason to screw over your customers, and just like you and me, we're all people too. People have the right for freedom, and you're revoking that freedom from the devices that we bought and paid for with our own money. This is extremely monopolistic and anti-competitive. There is now essentially no competition between iOS and Android Devices if this feature gets removed. You are doing a disservice to the entire existence of Android by removing this feature. This hurts more than it helps. "
C., change.org
"Android users have had the ability to use APKs for so long. It is a major thing that differentiates them from Apple, and something that has prevented me from switching over. Without the freedom of apks, there is nothing keeping me with Android or Google. "
Kayla, change.org
"APKs are literally the backbone of everything android. Schools who develop android apps as a class will be out of luck. Please keep android open. "
Zachary, change.org
"Its important to have side stores that protect privacy and not let everything enshitify. "
Augusto, change.org
"The spirit of open source is one of the basis of the Internet.Please do not reverse the course of history. "
Roberto, change.org
"This solution simply doesn't make sense. It's not our fault, or the fault of all developers, that people don't know what to do to verify or install an application that isn't malicious. In my opinion, this should come enabled normally on new smartphones, but with a developer option to disable it. You don't have to complicate everything and force us to use an adb command just to install an unverified application. That simply doesn't exist. I provided the solution. "
Saulo, change.org
"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
"Android having the ability to sideload apps is a core part of the eco system it's like if you couldn't install a .exe on windows. The core thing some of us went to android for is openness but if they take that away we will leave as fast as we arrived. "
Teddy, change.org
"KEEP ANDROID OPEN "
Dennis, change.org
"I WANT MY RIGHTS I BOUGHT THE SMARTPHONE! you can add like a warning but dont block. We want older versions of software. #ourtechourrights So many old games i used to play all gone! So many outfit7 games, old minecraft versions, shopkins, angry birds they are at risk even cut the rope "
Edu, change.org
"Open Android was a promise to devs and users. Now Google tries to turn Android into a closed shop. That is disapointing. "
Marc, change.org
"The only reason I have a Samsung is because my VTuber software is an open-source APK, and I doubt Google will approve it then the restriction happens. "
Jesse, change.org
"Without Youtube Revanced on my android phone in september 2026 i have to use official youtube and i hate it when google wants to make more money and everything and will have to kill the apk files ive enjoyed for a long time, even lucky patcher app owners will have to use their money on their favorite app to waste money and so much more...and by the news of the google update it makes me upset and angry about it. Im standing up to prove who i am and will be using youtube revanced app instead of official youtube app for people like me, i will never give up and will protest with other android users who are against google for our glory. #FreeAndroid #JusticeForAndroid #MakeGoogleGoneForever "
Leland, change.org
"We should keep Android open. "
Habsir, change.org
"Implanting a feature like this would just kill the whole point of why i brought an android device. Might as well switch to apple, cause at least I would have a more cohesive experience. "
Edgar, change.org