Je telefoon is straks niet meer van jou.
Vanaf 2027* zal Google zonder toestemming een stille update uitrollen die elke Android-app blokkeert waarvan de ontwikkelaar zich niet bij Google heeft geregistreerd, een contract heeft getekend, Google heeft betaald én een identiteitsbewijs heeft afgegeven.
Dat geldt voor iedere app op ieder apparaat, wereldwijd, zonder dat je dit kunt voorkomen.
↓Wat Google van plan is
In augustus 2025 kondigde Google een nieuwe verplichting aan: vanaf 2027 moet iedere Android-app-ontwikkelaar zich centraal registreren bij Google voordat hun software op enig apparaat geïnstalleerd kan worden. Niet alleen Play Store-apps: álle apps. Dit geldt ook voor apps die tussen vrienden gedeeld worden, die via F-Droid verspreid worden, of die door hobbyisten voor eigen gebruik gebouwd worden. Onafhankelijke ontwikkelaars, kerk- en gemeenschapsgroepen en hobbyisten worden allemaal buitengesloten van het ontwikkelen en verspreiden van hun software.
Voor registratie is het volgende vereist:
- Een vergoeding aan Google betalen
- Akkoord gaan met de algemene voorwaarden van Google
- Je identiteitsbewijs overhandigen
- Bewijs leveren van je privé-ondertekeningssleutel
- Alle huidige en toekomstige applicatie-identificatiecodes opsommen
Als een ontwikkelaar zich er niet aan houdt, worden zijn apps stilletjes geblokkeerd op elk Android-apparaat overal ter wereld.
Wie hier de dupe van wordt
Jij
Je hebt een Android-telefoon gekocht omdat Google je vertelde dat hij open was. Je kon installeren wat je wilde, en dat was de afspraak.
Google herschrijft die afspraak nu, met terugwerkende kracht, op hardware die jij al bezit. Na de update kun je alleen nog software draaien die Google vooraf heeft goedgekeurd. Op jouw telefoon: jouw eigendom, waarvoor jij hebt betaald.
Onafhankelijke ontwikkelaars
De eerste app van een tiener, een privacytool van een vrijwilliger, of een vertrouwelijke interne bèta van een bedrijf. Het maakt niet uit. In 2027 kan geen daarvan geïnstalleerd worden zonder Googles zegen.
F-Droid, thuisbasis van duizenden vrije en open-source Android-apps, heeft dit een "existentiële" bedreiging genoemd. Cory Doctorow noemt het "Darth Android".
Overheden en maatschappelijk middenveld
Google heeft een gedocumenteerde staat van dienst in het meewerken wanneer autoritaire regimes om het verwijderen van apps vragen. Met dit programma bestaat de software die de instituties van je land draait bij de gratie van één enkele, niet ter verantwoording te roepen buitenlandse onderneming.
De EFF noemt app-gatekeeping "een steeds verder uitdijende route naar internetcensuur."
Googles "nooduitgang" is een valluik
Google zegt dat "power users" niet-geverifieerde apps "alsnog kunnen installeren". Zo ziet dat er daadwerkelijk uit:
- Ga naar de systeeminstellingen en zoek de Ontwikkelaarsopties op
- Tik zeven keer op het buildnummer om de ontwikkelaarsmodus te activeren
- Klik de schrikschermen over dwang weg
- Voer je pincode in
- Start het apparaat opnieuw op
- Wacht 24 uur
- Kom terug, klik nog meer schrikschermen weg
- Kies "tijdelijk toestaan" (7 dagen) of "onbeperkt toestaan"
- Bevestig, nogmaals, dat je "de risico's" begrijpt
Negen stappen. Een verplichte bedenktijd van 24 uur. Om software te installeren op een apparaat dat je bezit.
Erger nog: dit proces loopt volledig via Google Play-services, niet via het Android-besturingssysteem. Google kan het op elk moment wijzigen, aanscherpen of stopzetten, zonder dat daar een OS-update of toestemming voor nodig is.
Dit gaat verder dan alleen Android
Als Google met terugwerkende kracht miljarden apparaten kan dichttimmeren die als open platformen verkocht zijn, kijkt elke hardwarefabrikant op de planeet goed mee.
Het principe dat hier wordt gevestigd: het bedrijf dat jouw apparaat heeft gemaakt mag, nadat je het hebt gekocht, beslissen welke software je mag draaien. In software heet dit een "rug pull"; maar daar kon je tenminste nog concurrerende software installeren. In hardware is het een fait accompli dat je je handelingsvrijheid ontneemt en je machteloos maakt tegenover de grillen van één enkele, niet ter verantwoording te roepen gatekeeper en veroordeelde monopolist.
Androids openheid was nooit slechts een functie. Het was de belofte die het onderscheidde van de iPhone. Miljoenen kozen voor Android om precies die reden. Google trekt die belofte nu eenzijdig in, op apparaten die al in de zakken van mensen zitten, omdat ze hebben besloten dat ze genoeg marktdominantie en regulatory capture hebben om er mee weg te komen.
Ars Technica: "Googles jaloezie op Apple dreigt de open erfenis van Android te ontmantelen."
Maar wacht, is dit niet...
"...gewoon een kwestie van veiligheid?"
Het veiligheidsargument is een rookgordijn. Google Play Protect scant al op malware, onafhankelijk van de identiteit van de ontwikkelaar. Een identiteitsbewijs eisen maakt de code niet veiliger. Het maakt ontwikkelaars identificeerbaar en controleerbaar. Malware-auteurs kunnen zich gewoon registreren. Indie-ontwikkelaars en dissidenten vaak niet. De EFF is duidelijk: identiteitsgebaseerde gatekeeping is een censuurinstrument, geen beveiligingsinstrument.
"...nog steeds sideloaden als je de uitgebreide procedure gebruikt?"
Negen stappen, 24 uur wachten, verstopt in de Ontwikkelaarsopties, geleverd via een propriëtaire dienst die Google op elk moment kan intrekken. Dat is geen sideloading. Dat is een afschrikkingsmechanisme, gebouwd om ervoor te zorgen dat bijna niemand het doorloopt. En omdat het via Play-services loopt in plaats van via het OS, kan Google het stilletjes aanscherpen of stopzetten.
"...alleen een probleem als je iets te verbergen hebt?"
Klokkenluiders, journalisten en activisten onder autoritaire regeringen zullen de eerste slachtoffers zijn. Daarna mensen in situaties van huiselijk geweld. Al deze groepen hebben legitieme redenen om software te verspreiden of te gebruiken zonder hun juridische identiteit in een database van Google achter te laten. Anonieme open-source bijdragen zijn een traditie die ouder is dan Google zelf. Dit beleid maakt daar op Android een einde aan.
"...hetzelfde wat Apple doet?"
Apple is vanaf dag één een walled garden geweest. Mensen kozen voor Android omdat het anders was. "Apple doet het ook" is een race naar de bodem en een zwak tu quoque-argument. En onder regelgevingsdruk (de Digital Markets Act van de EU) wordt zelfs Apple gedwongen zich open te stellen. Google beweegt in de tegenovergestelde richting: het probeert zijn gatekeeper-status verder te verankeren.
"...gewoon 25 dollar en wat papierwerk?"
Misschien, als je een ontwikkelaar in de VS bent met een creditcard en een rijbewijs. Probeer eens een student in sub-Sahara-Afrika te zijn, of een dissident in Myanmar, of een vrijwilliger die een gezondheidsapp voor de gemeenschap onderhoudt. De kosten zijn niet alleen financieel: je levert je identiteitsbewijs en het bewijs van je ondertekeningssleutels in bij een bedrijf dat routinematig meewerkt aan overheidsverzoeken om apps te verwijderen en ontwikkelaars te ontmaskeren.
Verzet je
Iedereen
- Installeer F-Droid op elk Android-apparaat dat je bezit. Alternatieve stores overleven alleen als mensen ze ook daadwerkelijk gebruiken.
- Neem contact op met de toezichthouders. Toezichthouders wereldwijd maken zich oprecht zorgen over monopolies en de machtsconcentratie in de tech-sector, en willen rechtstreeks van geraakte en bezorgde mensen horen.
- Deel deze pagina. Link overal naar keepandroidopen.org.
- Spreek astroturfers tegen. De "ja maar eigenlijk..."-fractie is volop aanwezig. Laat hen het verhaal niet bepalen.
- Onderteken de petitie op change.org en sluit je aan bij de meer dan 100.000 ondertekenaars die hun stem hebben laten horen.
- Lees en deel onze open brief
- Vertel Google wat je hiervan vindt via hun eigen enquête over ontwikkelaarsverificatie (voor zover dat iets uithaalt).
Ontwikkelaars
Meld je niet aan. Doe niet mee aan het programma door je in te schrijven bij de Android Developer Console en akkoord te gaan met hun onherroepelijke algemene voorwaarden. Verifieer je identiteit niet. Doe niet mee.
Het plan van Google werkt alleen als ontwikkelaars meewerken. Doe dat niet.
- Praat andere ontwikkelaars en organisaties uit hun aanmelding.
- Voeg de FreeDroidWarn-bibliotheek toe aan je apps om gebruikers te waarschuwen.
- Heb je een website? Voeg de countdownbanner toe.
Google-werknemers
Als je iets weet over de technische uitvoering of de interne overwegingen van het programma, neem dan vanaf een niet-werk-machine en een niet-Gmail-account contact op met tips@keepandroidopen.org. Strikte vertrouwelijkheid gegarandeerd.
Allen die zich verzetten…
71 organisaties uit 23 landen hebben de open brief ondertekend
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
FUTO futo.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
GitHub Store github-store.org
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Proton AG proton.me
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
OpenMedia openmedia.org
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
Brave brave.com
April april.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
iodé iode.tech
FULU Foundation fulu.org
FACiL facil.qc.ca
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Techlore techlore.tech
CryptPad cryptpad.org
F-Droid f-droid.org
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org Wat anderen erover zeggen
Vakpers
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"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
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"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
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"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
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"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
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"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 will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
Opiniestukken en analyses
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"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 has announced what can only be described as a death blow to the open ecosystem that made Android. Under the guise of 'security,' Google is implementing draconian developer verification requirements."
AndroidSage
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"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
"Android is not open anymore. It's not an alternative. It's not even trying. It's iOS with ads and spyware bolted on."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"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
"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
"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
"There is also the very real possibility that Google will leak your identity with the result that any apps with political implications could result in persecution and worse."
I-Programmer
"Developers from sanctioned countries or those without Google Play access cannot verify themselves. This creates systemic discrimination against developers based on birthplace rather than conduct."
agnostic-apollo (Termux developer), GitHub
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"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
"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
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
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
"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
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"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
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google isn't certifying apps, they're certifying developers. This implies that the company can somehow predict whether a developer will do something malicious in the future."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"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
"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
"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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Google has announced that they are altering the deal. And telling us that we should pray that they don't alter it further. Block this policy change now before they wrap their cold metal hands around our necks."
Jesse Wilson, PublicObject.com
"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
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
Organisaties en open brieven
"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
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
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
"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
"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
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"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
"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
"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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"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
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"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
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"Developers who build privacy-first browsers, encrypted messaging apps, VPNs, Tor-based software or tools for journalists and activists would be required to upload government ID to Google. These developers are unlikely to trust Google and might stop developing for Android."
Brave
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"Developers who choose not to use Google's services should not be forced to register with, and submit to the judgement of, Google."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"Changes would impose barriers to entry for individual developers, small teams and volunteer projects by imposing fees, identity checks and terms that may not align with the principles of an open ecosystem."
Infosecurity Magazine
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"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
"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
YouTubers en makers
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"I have really no more strong reason to not recommend you all get iPhones, because this just is pretty much an iPhone with a Google logo on it at this point."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."
Techlore – YouTube
"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 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 is an iPhone now. I didn't want to buy an iPhone. I use Android because it gives me freedom. If you are not going to give me freedom with my computer, then why would I buy your stuff anymore?"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"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 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
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."
Techlore – YouTube
"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
"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
"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
Ontwikkelaars en gemeenschap
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"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
"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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"Antitrust action is badly needed. It is ridiculous that I need permission from my device manufacturer to install software on hardware I own."
jim201, Hacker News
"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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"Making it harder makes it harder to treat ourselves. Software like AndroidAPS is unique. It's hard to find or very expensive and inferior in the proprietary market."
pimeys (diabetic user on life-critical medical software), Lobsters
"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
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, 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
"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
"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
"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
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
"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
"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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"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
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"I buy a device with my own money, which I supposedly then own, but then I need to ask some corporation permission to use it."
askonomm, Hacker News
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"Can't come at a worse time. People are just learning to make things through vibe coding, and they're gonna want to put their own apps on their phones. And now Google says no."
Serinus, Lemmy
"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 phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"If the likes of Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and others have their way, you will not own your computer; those companies will effectively own your computers."
RUs1729, Slashdot
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), 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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, 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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"My Pixel 6 just broke, and after 15 years of using Android, I've finally been convinced to move to iOS. If I must live in a walled garden, I suppose I'll choose the one with nicer flowers."
yonato, Hacker News
"If Android's sandbox and permission systems actually worked, then the mere act of installing an app from an arbitrary source would be as harmless as visiting an arbitrary website."
mwcampbell, Lobsters
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"Software gatekeeping is a threat to human rights. Just recently an app to track ICE was banned from the iOS app store even though this should clearly be protected first amendment speech."
gthing, Reddit
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, 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
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"Twice I have had to deal with Google silently disabling my drone app to the point I had to buy an older phone to perform work. When I purchase a device that works with another device, under no circumstances should I be at the mercy of any updates they make."
cbrophoto (drone professional), Reddit
"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
Stemmen uit de petitie
"I use android phones and coordinate my digital life using the Google ecosystem. I chose Android/Google because although I loved the iPhone and iOS, I didn't want to use a closed digital environment. I don't "sideload" apps on my phone, just like I don't "sideload" programs on my laptop. I install apps myself, outside of the Google Play Store. I've rooted many of my phones too, for many different reasons. There's nothing illegal going on, I simply want things on my phone to look and function a certain way. When Google takes away my ability to install apps myself in September, it will eliminate it's primary advantage over Apple. When my current phone contract ends I'll buy an iPhone instead of a Samsung or other Android OS phone. There are millions of other people, like myself, that will do the exact same thing. "
John, change.org
"This would mean there's no longer a reason to use android "
Chandrea, change.org
"Remember, "DON'T BE EVIL." These are still worthy and wise words to live by. Don't be a competition crushing monopoly, driven by the love of money and power which, is the root of much evil. With wisdom and awareness, operate according to the principles of enlightened self-interest, acting in the world with peace and virtue in order to more readily manifest Heaven on Earth, Our Earth in Heaven. Let us be good for our own sake if not for goodness sake. "
Mark, change.org
"this will kill the freedom that android provides and will make you lose a lot of customers you're gonna lose a ton of money from this stupid change "
Jimmy, change.org
"Android has always been defined as the more open platform. What gets people to move away from Apple is to get away from the closed ecosystem from having direct control over their own devices. This runs contrary to Androids original mission statement and what the platform stands for. This is not what I want for my device nor my family wishes for this either. "
Logan, change.org
"This is unreal, time to change to non android, play store devices.... "
Robert, change.org
"👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 "
Cairan Pedro, change.org
"1 federal lawsuit wasn't enough? Why after all that's happened, being convicted for monopoly must Google feel the need to throw "
Zach, change.org
"This is like Linux changing into Windows "
A., change.org
"If Scroogle were ever to block sideloading on Android, it would fundamentally change what makes Android…Android. Sideloading isn’t a loophole. It’s a feature. It’s part of the open philosophy that originally set Android apart from more locked-down ecosystems like Apple’s iOS. If sideloading disappears, users no longer truly “own” their devices, they’re renting permission to use them. No more installing open-source, privacy-friendly, and competitive apps, everything is now strictly controlled and monitored by the data-hungry scroogle monopoly. Here's hoping the EU steps in and fines them trillions this time, 'cause the data-hungry devils running scroogle (and microsoft too) just keeps showing that they can't be trusted with ANYTHING. "
Raashid, change.org
"There are games, apps, that are FREE, because the authors want it that way, no charge. WHY SHOULD GOOGLE WIN MONEY WITH THEM??? "
Ana, change.org
"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
"I have always used android for this exact reason. For the freedom to do whatever I want on my device that I paid for. "
Juan, change.org
"Freedom of application installation on my own device is paramount to democratic computer access. "
John, change.org
"If Google goes through with this, I will stop using Google products and services. This isn't about "safety". It NEVER is. Developer verification is yet another attempt at censoring and controlling everything. "
Elizabeth, 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
"I and many others rely on and enjoy using apps outside of Google's controlled storefront. Attempting to restrict the freedom and choice of users is anti-consumer and an insult to the autonomy of everyone who chooses to use their own devices as they see fit. The market for mobile device hardware and operating systems is already a duopoly; limiting choice even further is anti-competitive. People can and should be able to decide what code is allowed to run on their general computing devices that they own. "
Ryan, change.org
"Keep Android open to any app. I continue to use and develop for Android because it's the only mobile OS that allows me to install and use the software that I decide to use. I frequently develop software for me and my close friends. We need Android to stay open! "
Oleksandr, change.org
"This change has nothing to do with security, it wants to remove the power of choice from the user and screw up many developer by forcing them to use the Play Store. Android is all about freedom and will always be. "
Yuri, change.org
"Google, this is NOT acceptable. You are NOT the gatekeepers of development. You ARE BEING EVIL. "
David, change.org
"Keep Android Open. We are not letting you form a monopoly, Google. It's OUR devices. If you continue with this, you'll remove one of the only reasons most people are not with Apple: freedom. So think about it. "
Bruno Leonel, change.org
"Let me preface this. Sideloading is *installing a program on a personal computer,* for all that it's phone shaped. You might be used to this behavior from iOS, but even Mac PCs will let you install applications that are unsigned and made by other people, and on the closed-source Windows environment it's still *the main way to get applications,* despite there now being two different official app stores on that platform. Nothing needs to be said about the various Linux/Unix environments. The centralized registration of both apps and developers is not the right approach. It creates a monopoly over who can be an Android developer and will greatly limit the desire to develop apps if it is no longer something that can be done as a hobby but a slow, complicated expense with the requirement to identify oneself. I've done some hobbyist development, but I would not have learned coding if these were the standards I had to meet, and I'd only be losing money. It encourages turning a problem-solving hobby project others might benefit from into a cash grab, or just discourages it entirely. It will in one blow destroy all apps which are no longer maintained, or those who are developed by people who can't or won't escrow their identities with Google, including myself. It also integrates Google's control over the phone even more deeply into how even the phone's software runs, locking these allegedly open devices even more under Google's remote control, and which is already a challenge for makers of de-Googled devices. I strongly suspect it will also become used to apply arbitrary limitations to developers (read the XScreenSaver privacy policy if you'd like to know more) and block many of the tools we currently take for granted, such as those used to root phones. After all, rooting a phone would likely permit installing arbitrary apps, and Google's security model already "distrusts" those devices to the point that they break e.g. banking apps or DRM, so why would they allow something if it conflicts with their security model and they can now control any code that runs on your device? In the end, this WILL be used by Google to permanently remove many people's ability to develop apps on Android at all, likely because those people made tools that provided capabilities Google is not willing to offer or let exist on the free market anymore. The ID requirement will prevent them from creating new accounts and the devices will retroactively block even their installed apps from working while preventing those developers, those _people,_ from making more even on other stores (if other stores even continue existing, given that they would effectively become arms of Google just to have the apps work). "
Russell, 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, 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
"Open source projects are important for not just developers, but users too. Any attempt to close android would be bad for people who want to switch to secure alternatives like graphene or lineage, but also bad for android too, as it strips community development and comments which helps improve the OS. "
Nathan, change.org
"I chose to use Android devices specifically due to the control that I, as an end user, have over my files and the programs I chose to install on them. Even if a program comes from an independent programmer, even from other countries stores (like RuStore), even if it an open source app (like the ones from F-Droid), or just choosing to use Telegram from the first and most reliable source ever- the developer's website itself. I once had an iOS device and I totally detested how locked up it was, it was almost as if I were digitally "high jacked", depending on authorisation to do anything! Please don't remove us our freedom of doing to our devices our own experiments, finding and developing emulators for our old games and apps that suit our needs even if they're not economically viable. Plus: Don't take away the one tool many persecuted Christians around the world have to download Bibles to their phones. That's cruel and inhumane. "
Barbara, change.org
"Android shines in giving the user freedom to use their devices however they choose to. If Google closes down on this freedom, in my use case as a power user I will be unable to install apps any except from the play store which is a platform that is littered with bad app that are useless and sometimes they cost money making it unnecessarily difficult for Indy devs working on apps whether it for job or weekend project "
Cristian, change.org
"Sideloading is genuinley the one actual reason I choose android phones over Apple. Without it, the switch is actually negligble. This is not the business decision to make. "
Leon, 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
"We shouldn't have the decision to sideload apps stripped from us so more of our data can be stolen from under our noses. The majority of the apps I use are from small devs. Devs who likely wouldn't have the time to jump through Google's arbitrary hoops, or wouldn't want to the security risks that comes with that compliance. "
Rebecca, change.org
"Keep Android Open Google! Make it stand out to users and developers above the iPhone! "
Jason, change.org
"Yoo wtf? Cant live like dat "
Abs, change.org
"Aaaaaaaaae "
Sharon, change.org
"Android has long been censored by Google with aggressive and unfair privacy policies, for example, the screen that appears when you install an app from an external source. Not content with that, Google wants to take away the rest of the freedom that Android possesses, something that the creators of this system strongly advocate. "
Eduarda, change.org
"You have to ask yourself. What is google's motivation and it's simple power ingredient "
D., change.org
"As someone who has recenlty been looking into privacy. I hope we can limit big corporations hold on our personal lives. "
Ronald, 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
"Android is the operating system for those who want freedom, and to take away our ability to install what we wish, is the start of Google trying to take further control over us. The internet is already falling apart with attempts to "protect" people, but in reality, the internet isn't a place for big companies to try and protect people against their will. "
Dino, change.org
"As a developer, a main appeal of Android has been that I can write my own software for it. I've shared some of my more polished and completed apps with others, although my primary motivation has been to "scratch an itch". Although F-Droid doesn't track download or usage stats, I can tell from comments in my github issues that the majority of the users of my apps have found and installed it from F-Droid. Likewise, most of the software I've installed on my own device comes from F-droid. I like the focus F-Droid apps have on privacy and find the quality to be much higher on average than on the Google play store. I strongly recommend that F-droid, other 3rd party stores, and the ability to install an .apk file from any other source is retained. Users deserve the freedom to use their device as they see fit, and should be respected enough to decide that for themselves. Google has already shown itself to be a poor gatekeeper when it comes to deciding what is allowed in the Play Store. High quality and immensely useful apps have been removed for being incompatible with increasingly restrictive policies (such as Termux), while low quality clones of existing apps, ad spam, scams, and outright malware, continues to be allowed. I will not use, recommend, nor develop for an ecosystem where Google has the only say in what I'm allowed to do with it. "
Matthew, change.org
"Google is a monopoly at this point, break it up. "
Barton, change.org
"This will eliminate a large number of users from the Android platform, most will leave because they are being restricted, and the others like myself will leave purely on principle. Teaching people to use technology in a smarter way will always be better than restrictions, and all of this will just be the beginning of censorship and control on a global scale, as is already happening with other Google applications. "
Bradley, change.org
"This move is a step backward for the Android ecosystem for so many reasons, but most of because all Google claiming this is for "security" is very disingenuous. Malware already exists on the Play Store, and restricting independent, open-source software does not make users safer, it only makes the ecosystem more closed and worse off. This is anti-consumer to a tee and should not be allowed to happen. "
Teemu, change.org
"Really hurting developers with this move. I implore those that are have good conscience left at google to re-evaluate. "
Calvin, change.org
"i liked playing gta sa on my droid dont ruin some kids childhood "
Husam, change.org
"As a regular user of Fdroid and other app stores, I want to be able to continue using my devices that I paid good money for to use the apps that I want to use! Stop this locking down of Android immediately! "
Jolene, change.org
"Keep android open, or there will be a fork. Open software always prevails "
Mikka, change.org
"Open source is people power "
Nathan, change.org
"This would create a closed system like the Apple iPhone. I have an Android phone specifically because it is an open system. As well described on: https://keepandroidopen.org/ "
Joseph, change.org
"Android making this is just bullshit, the developer thing is just to make more easy to sue devs, and indie games creators that don't want to get near to google greedy ass. It is better they cease and desist "
Michel, change.org
"I think it is a slap in the face for users and developers alike. "
Timothy, change.org
"Locking down android will create incredible friction to open source and 3rd party application stores. Imagine if you could only install PC programs from Microsoft Store. "
Andres, change.org
"We did not ask for this. We do not consent to this. Android's entire identity is built around it being an open platform. We know you aren't doing this for security, you're doing it for control. Don't be evil. "
Gregor, change.org
"Google has their own line of phones already. If people wanted Google to have this level of power over them, they would buy the devices the company is selling. This is simply trying to create a monopoly, if not a universe in which a company holds more power than any government, and I think we all know that that is no good outcome. This is a direct attempt to hinder people's creative freedom and ability to share their own projects with the world, whether it's a fun game, or a useful tool, anything. A policy like this has to go. "
Lucy, change.org
"Google should not be able to say what apps we can and can’t download. I use my android to download indie games that are not on the Google Play Store, so this will hurt a lot of indie devs that have their games downloadable as APK’s "
Owen, change.org
"Freedom of expression and choice, without filtering. "
Ralph, change.org
"first off i bought this phone i should have the right to put what ever program i want on it, I'm already upset so many things are locked behind root access my wife is a programmer and she fiddles with android programs. this would mean she can't do this anymore. it makes it a lot harder for indie android programmers to get started "
Joshua, change.org
"Android for a long as I remember was the free option for downloading apps, games, and anything thats not supported anymore through alturnative app stores, unlike apple where everything is lockdown and MUST gobe downloaded through them. by using android and other app stores I can play games or get apps that arent supported/ dont show up on the current play store, but would still work on my phone just fine by downloading it on a 3rd party app store. By google locking down android (in other words becoming a Apple wanna'be) to downloadimg apps through THEIR playstore, they kill off any way for me to use older apps or games because they either cant run in 64bit and are stuck as 32bit apps, or because people dont want to give out their personal information to release their app on the playstore. by google having YOU, the developer, give up your personal info to publish apps on the playstore opens up MANY security vulnrabilities that can lead to the developers personal lnformation being leakedd/doxes/put on the dark web/or sold off to sketchy 3rd party conpanys without their consent. ANDROID has always been OPEN-SOURCED and should remain that way. "
Mathew, change.org
"Android needs to remain about choice not a locked down OS like Apple, that's the reason I and so many others choose android "
Sean, change.org
"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
"Being able to install "unverified" apps from third party app repositories has allowed me to discover ad-free software that fits my needs perfectly that aren't available on the Google Play store. Removing support for "unverified" apps would destroy all ability for me to use the phone I purchased how I see fit. "
Nella, 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
"Google always voiced themselves as the "Open Platform" in direct competition with Apple. With the lockdown happening, there is no more competition. It's either "isolated OS" or "fellow isolated OS". In today's day and age, especially, the people value and are drawn to the ability to make their own choices without the difficulties and frustrations of being restricted and banned from doing something. It's *why* so many people switched to Android/ Google devices, and *why* so many Android/Google users *refuse* to use Apple products. The lockdown is just creating another Apple under a different company. "
Amelia, change.org
"This angers me a lot. The things that I would say would only be suppressed, and I do not mean profanity. "
John, 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
"Be better than IOS, this is not the way "
Kai, 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
"Google, you are tearing down the very empire you built through the Android system. I hope that before 2026 you Google team resolve this, otherwise I will opt for an iPhone. "
Alan, change.org
"The only reason I've stuck with Android all these years has been its open ecosystem. If that's removed, I'd switch to Apple in a heartbeat. "
Anjali, change.org
"I use android because its easy to mod and customize. If I own the device, I want complete control of it. That comes with the understanding that my modifications could break it . If we lose sideloading and indie and open source development, we'll just have to stray further from the platform to find it again. In a world where the easy to access services and products are becoming increasingly controlled and locked down to the detriment of the consumer, there's real benefit to be had in being one of the few exceptions. "
Cole, change.org
"Google is literally taking away our right. Yes we CAN bypass this with there feature allowing us to install unverified apps but making us wait 24 hours BUT they are going to give our devices a "unsafe" mark stopping banking and many other apps from working the same way they did to ROOTED phones. "
yousef, change.org
"I bought this device. Keep your ransomware/malware away from MY device, Google. "
Zach, change.org
"Please don't make this change Because that's why I got an Android in the first place! "
Jerry, change.org
"this change would remove the main reason i even purchase these phones, stop it google "
andrew, change.org
"I want my freedom to install any app I want on MY DEVICE!!! "
Aswin, change.org
"I've been using Android since I was little. Openness of the system was the main reason why I never chose Apple, and never will. Google crosses all lines and has no right to do any promises ever! "
Emil, change.org
"Just another horrible move from Big Tech companies to further control the rate of which Technology can advance. The only thing I enjoyed about Android - it being very open source and developer friendly - but now that it is being threatened, maybe I should start rallying towards buying ACTUAL Open-Sourced Tech instead of prioritizing capital gain instead of Technical Advancements. "
Aaron, change.org
"Stop this madness !! Don’t you have better things to do like stop governments looking at the peoples emails, pictures etc. It’s ridiculous you are tracking and legally hacker everyone’s as it is. Do the right thing and stop trying to track and sell everyone’s Data. You have enough money and data. LEAVE APK AND DEVELOPERS ALO E. "
Brian, change.org
"As an Android developer, I care deeply about security and privacy, and I also care about user choice. Restricting APK usage and sideloading does not “fix” security. It centralizes control and limits legitimate use cases like testing builds, F-Droid, enterprise/internal apps, and accessibility tools. Android should protect users with strong warnings, permissions, and verification, not by making alternative distribution harder. If this is forced, I’ll move to something like GrapheneOS, and I’m saying that as a Pixel daily driver. "
Sean, change.org
"You either die being choice free and open for the people, or live long enough to change your values and become like Apple. Don't be disgusting. "
Daniel, change.org
"I do not need hpw to be told how to use my phone. If android goes through this Im downgrading to flip phones and will never use androids again. Ive never used Apple for this reason. Let me decide whats good or ill for myself, I am a grown autonomous human being and do not need to be kept "safe" by a large corporation, safe from what Im not even sure? Sounds like control not safety. "
Jake, 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
"We need liberty, the end of the APKs is a extremely bad decision to be honest. "
Anonymous, change.org
"I am sad to see this is the way the world is going. We are slowly giving away our rights and freedom and nearly no one is noticing. Liberty dies when no one is looking "
Jacob, change.org
"I've always like Google for supporting open source. If Google doesn't not support open source who will? Come Google please keep being advocate of open source. I don't mind all the tracking Google does as long as they support open source "
allan, change.org
"This is a huge advantage over ios, you can't take this away 😢 "
Abhinav, change.org
"In the past, Google claimed to be "good" with its "don't be evil" slogan. That time has passed. Now we need to fight against these clearly evil policies. Join this cause! "
Cristiano, change.org
"Bribed their way outta the consequences for being an evil monopoly. Corporations behave kinda like sociopaths, but sociopaths atleast pretend not to be evil. When Google removed their motto "Don't be evil", they went from evil, to cartoonishly evil. When 300 million people realize 3 people have half of the money, half of the money in 'merica wont be eneough to save them. "
Jason, change.org
"As a user, I will always opt to sideload apps whenever possible. Whether I need a photo editor, keyboard app, audio equalizer app, or any other kinds of apps, I consistently seek open-sourced sideloading options before I even consider using the Google Play Store. Whenever I need any mobile app that isn't social, I prioritize finding an open-sourced app solution. With Google's dominance in the global mobile OS market, it's clear they will attempt to restrict any freedoms of their OS that they can get their hands on if they're not stopped. The importance of maintaining the freedom to sideload apps has never been more critical. Legislative initiatives like the App Store Accountability Act, which pushes users into surrendering personal private details to proprietary third-party solutions for identity verification, underscore why sideloading is a crucial defense line. If Google is allowed to proceed with implementing these restrictions, users will likely get funneled into using its proprietary app store, forced to share personal information like age and biometric data that links back to them for targeted ads and surveillance. Google's push for limiting sideloading is a textbook case of anti-competitiveness as well. The danger of this change can be summed up in an analogy: if some people occasionally get food poisoning from non-vetted sources, should we altogether limit food access to vendors that are deemed as, 'approved' or 'verified' by a multibillion-dollar, anti-consumer corporation? If this decision doesn't get shot down, there is a risk of being forced to give up personal privacy, autonomy, and choice. "
Matthew, change.org
"I only bought an Android just for the custom APKs part. If I have to buy an entirely new phone for the slightest bit of sideloading, I will. "
Robert, change.org
"We all have the right to contract unlimited. As free people. If Google controllers Android then that's peonage making Android users slaves, in a life that is so dependent around our phones!!!! "
Larry, change.org
"Google detente. "
Angel Gabriel, change.org
"I use sideloaded android apps all the time! They are very useful to have. Android removing this feature will be detrimental to me and many other android users. "
Ian, change.org
"Android Freeeeee!! "
Tymmi, change.org
"I didn't even know they were trying to pull this until today! This is scary and concerning as a consumer, stop limiting my freedom on my device! "
Chloe, 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
"Android is all about being open. Removing the ability to install apps without the play store destroys this freedom. This will kill the dreams of young app developers, and will hurt high-quality open source apps that don't have the funding to pay to Google. This move will stifle app development innovation, and will hurt users by removing choice. Without free choice, I am left asking the question "Why Android anymore?" If Android is locked down like IOS, maybe going with Apple is better. I hope I don't have to switch to IOS. "
Austin, change.org
"Apk's are the best part of Google so � "
Nick, change.org
"This is a spit in the face of open-source and Android's userbase. "
Mark, change.org
"I ought to have the right to install any program I'd like on my computer without google acting as gatekeeper. F-droid's Foss nature makes it more trustworthy than the play store has ever been. "
Cris, change.org
"Android gives users choice and that is literally the reason why I use Android. For people in places like Iran, China, Russia, and others who want to use apps that can get them unbias news media, but cannot install western news media apps from the Google Play Store how do you think they get their apps. If Google really cared about the security of their users they would actually fix stock Android's issues with permissions management and lack of zero trust architecture. Instead of fighting the symptoms (third part apps) Google should be finding the cure which is fixing the first lines of user's defense browers and OS. Google isn't coming for third party browser extentions, but they are coming for our apps. This makes no sense. It is clearly a ploy to give Google more Apple like control of OUR devices and wants to stop users who do not want to go as far as installing a more secure Android ROM (*cough* *cough* install GrapheneOS *cough*), but who still want a DeGoogled phone. "
Jannet, change.org
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