Twój telefon wkrótce przestanie być twój.

136 dni do zamknięcia systemu

Z początkiem 2027* roku, cicha aktualizacja wymuszona przez Google bez zgody użytkowników, zablokuje każdą aplikację na Androida której twórca nie zarejestrował się w Google, nie podpisał umowy, nie zapłacił i nie przakazał danych z dowodu tożsamości.

Każda aplikacja i każde urządzenie na całym świecie, bez możliwości rezygnacji.

Co Google planuje

W sierpniu 2025 roku, Google ogłosiło nowy wymóg: wraz z początkiem 2027 roku każdy programista aplikacji na Androida musi się zarejestrować w centralnym systemie Google zanim jego aplikacja będzie mogła zostać zainstalowana na jakimkolwiek urządzeniu. Dotyczy to wszystkich aplikacji, nie tylko tych ze Sklepu Play. Aplikacje udostępniane miedzy przyjaciółmi, dystrybuowane przez F-Droida, stworzone przez hobbystów na użytek prywatny. Niezależni programiści, organizacje kościelne i społeczne, a także hobbyści - wszyscy zostaną pozbawieni możliwości tworzenia i dystrybucji swojego oprogramowania.

Rejestracja wymaga:

Jeśli programista się nie zgodzi, jego aplikacja zostanie po cichu zablokowana na każdym urządzeniu z systemem Android na świecie.

Komu to zaszkodzi

Tobie

Telefon z Androidem wybierało się dlatego, że Google twierdziło, że to otwarty system. Można było instalować, co się chciało i taka była umowa.

Google teraz przepisuje tę umowę z mocą wsteczną (retroaktywnie) na każdym urządzeniu, które już posiadasz. Po zainstalowaniu aktualizacji, będzie można uruchomić tylko te aplikacje, które Google uwcześnie zatwierdziło. Na Twoim telefonie: Twojej własności, zakupionej przez Ciebie.

Niezależnym programistom

Pierwsza aplikacja nastolatka, narzędzie do ochrony prywatności stworzone przez wolontariusza, poufna wewnętrzna beta danej firmy - nie ma to żadnego znaczenia. W 2027 roku żadna z nich nie będzie mogła zostać zainstalowana bez błogosławieństwa firmy Google.

F-Droid, dom dla tysiąca darmowych i otwartoźródłowych aplikacji, nazwał to "egzystencjonalnym" zagrożeniem. Cory Doctorow nazywa to "Darth Androidem".

Rządy i organizacje społeczne

Firma Google ma za sobą historię przypadków, w których podporządkowywała się żądaniom autorytarnych reżimów dotyczącym usunięcia aplikacji. Wraz z wprowadzeniem powyższego programu oprogramowanie, z którego korzystają instytucje w Twoim kraju, będzie istniało tylko i wyłącznie dzięki woli jednej, niepodlegającej żadnej kontroli zagranicznej korporacji.

Oragnizacja EFF nazywa kontrolę dostępu do aplikacji jako "coraz szerszą drogę do cenzury w Internecie".

"Furtka" od Google w rzeczywistości jest pułapką

Google twierdzi, że "zaawansowani użytkownicy" "wciąż mogą zainstalować" niezweryfikowane aplikacje. Oto jak to naprawdę wygląda:

  1. Przejdź do ustawień systemu i znajdź Opcje Programisty
  2. Kliknij numer wersji siedem razy by włączyć Tryb Programisty
  3. Pomiń odstraszające komunikaty sugerujące, że ktoś Cię do tego zmusza
  4. Wprowadź kod PIN
  5. Uruchom ponownie urządzenie
  6. Poczekaj 24 godziny
  7. Wróć i zamknij kolejne odstraszające ekrany
  8. Wybierz "zezwól tymczasowo" (7 dni) albo "zezwól na czas nieokreślony"
  9. Potwierdź, znowu, że rozumiesz "zagrożenia"

Dziewięć kroków. Obowiązkowy 24-godzinny okres oczekiwania. Żeby móc zainstalować oprogramowanie na urządzeniu, którego jesteś właścicielem.

Co gorsza: cały ten proces odbywa się w całości przez Usługi Google Play, a nie przez system Android. Google może go zmienić, zaostrzyć jego zasady albo całkowicie wyłączyć w dowolnym momencie, bez jakiejkolwiek zgody czy konieczności aktualizacji systemu operacyjnego. Na dzień dzisiejszy, program nie trafił jeszcze do żadnej wersji beta, podglądowej ani eksperymentalnej. Istnieje jedynie jako wpis na blogu i kilka makiet.

To jest coś większego niż tylko Android

Jeśli Google może z mocą wsteczną zablokować miliardy urządzeń, które zostały sprzedane jako otwarte platformy, każdy producent sprzętu na świecie uważnie to obserwuje.

Przyjęta została zasada: to producent decyduje po zakupie, jakie oprogramowanie możesz uruchomić na urządzeniu. W świecie oprogramowania, nazywane jest to "rug pull" (dosłownie: wyciąganie spod kogoś dywanu), ale zawsze można było zainstalować konkurencyjne oprogramowanie. W przypadku sprzętu jest to fakt dokonany, który pozbawia Cię możliwości wyboru i sprawia, że nie masz wpływu na kaprysy pojedynczego, nieodpowiadającego przed nikim strażnika dostępu i skazanego monopolisty.

Otwartość Androida nigdy nie była tylko cechą. Była obietnicą, która odróżniała go od iPhone'a. Miliony wybrały Androida dokładnie z tego powodu. Google teraz jednostronnie wycofuje się z tej obietnicy w odniesieniu do urządzeń, które już są w kieszeniach użytkowników, ponieważ uznali, że mają wystarczającą dominację rynkową i wpływ na organy regulacyjne, aby uszło im to na sucho.

Ars Technica: "Zazdrość Google'a wobec Apple'a grozi zniszczeniem tradycji otwartości Androida."

Ale chwila, czy nie...

"...chodzi po prostu o bezpieczeństwo?"

Argumenty dotyczące bezpieczeństwa to tylko przykrywka. Usługa Google Play Protect już teraz skanuje aplikacje w poszukiwaniu złośliwego oprogramowania, niezależnie od tożsamości twórcy. Wymóg posiadania dokumentu tożsamości wydanego przez państwo nie zwiększa bezpieczeństwa kodu. Sprawia, że programistów można zidentyfikować i kontrolować. Twórcy złośliwego oprogramowania mogą się zarejestrować. Niezależni programiści i dysydenci często nie mogą. Oragnizacja EFF mówi wprost: kontrola dostępu oparta na tożsamości jest narzędziem cenzury, a nie zabezpieczeniem.

"...jest to wciąż instalacja z innego źródła?"

Dziewięć kroków, 24-godzinny okres oczekiwania, ukryte w Opcjach Programisty, dostarczone przez własnościową usługę, przez którą Google może wycofać dostęp kiedykolwiek będzie chciało. To nie jest instalacja z innego źródła. To jest mechanizm odstraszający stworzony, aby upewnić się, że prawie nikt go nie ukończy. Dzięki temu, że działa on poprzez Usługi Google Play a nie system operacyjny, Google może go zaostrzyć albo po cichu wyłączyć.

"...jest to tylko problemem jeśli masz coś do ukrycia?"

Pierwszymi ofiarami będą sygnaliści, dziennikarze i aktywiści działający w krajach rządzonch przez reżimy autorytarne. Kolejną grupą będą osoby doświadczające przemocy domowej. Wszystkie te grupy mają uzasadnione powody, aby rozpowszechniać lub korzystać z oprogramowania bez przekazywania swojej tożsamości do baz danych Google'a. Anonimowy wkład w rozwój oprogramowania otwartoźródłowego to tradycja starsza niż samo Google. Niniejsza polityka położy jej kres na Androidzie.

"...jest to przypadkiem to samo co robi Apple?"

Apple od samego początku funkcjonowało jako zamknięty ekosystem. Ludzie wybierali Androida właśnie dlatego, że był inny. Twierdzenie „Apple też tak robi” to wyścig ku upadkowi i słaby argument typu tu quoque (tj. "oni też"). A pod wpływem presji regulatorów (Akt o rynkach cyfrowych) nawet Apple zostało zmuszone do otwarcia się. Natomiast Google podąża w przeciwnym kierunku: próbuje jeszcze bardziej umocnić swoją pozycję kontrolną.

"...jest to po prostu 25 dolarów i jakaś papierologia?"

Może jeśli jesteś programistą w Stanach Zjednoczonych z kartą kredytową i prawem jazdy. Spróbuj jednak postawić się w sytuacji studenta z Afryki Subsaharyjskiej, dysydenta z Birmy lub wolontariusza utrzymującego aplikację służącą lokalnej społeczności. Koszt nie jest tylko finansowy: oddajesz rządowy dowód tożsamości i dowody posiadania kluczy podpisujących firmie, która rutynowo stosuje się do żądań od rządów dotyczących usuwania aplikacji i ujawniania tożsamości programistów.

Walcz

Wszyscy

Programiści

Nie rejestruj się. Nie dołączaj do programu, rejestrując się w Android Developer Console i akceptując ich nieodwołalne Warunki korzystania z usługi. Nie potwierdzaj swojej tożsamości. Nie wchodź w to.

Plan Google'a zadziała tylko jeśli programiści się do niego zastosują. Nie rób tego.

Pracownicy firmy Google

Jeśli wiesz coś na temat wdrożenia technicznego programu lub jego wewnętrznych założeń, skontaktuj się z nami pod adresem tips@keepandroidopen.org z komputera niebędącego komputerem służbowym i z konta innego niż Gmail. Gwarantujemy całkowitą poufność.

Wszyscy, którzy są przeciwni...

71 organizacji z 23 krajów podpisało list otwarty

FULU Foundation fulu.org Techlore techlore.tech Tuta Mail tuta.com LineageOS lineageos.org Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org Open Web Advocacy open-web-advocacy.org FUTO futo.org VideoLAN videolan.org Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net CryptPad cryptpad.org Nextcloud nextcloud.com Cryptee crypt.ee ARTICLE 19 article19.org FOSDEM fosdem.org Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw Data Rights datarights.ngo Obtainium obtainium.imranr.dev JMP.chat jmp.chat The App Fair Project appfair.org /e/ Foundation e.foundation Osservatorio Nessuno OdV osservatorionessuno.org GNOME Foundation gnome.org Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org iodé iode.tech Fastmail fastmail.com Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org Privacy Guides privacyguides.org AdGuard adguard.com Rocky Linux rockylinux.org The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org Ghostery ghostery.com The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org GitHub Store github-store.org OpenMedia openmedia.org Molly molly.im Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org XMPP Standards Foundation xmpp.org The OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) osmfoundation.org Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no Brave brave.com Italian Linux Society ils.org European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org IzzyOnDroid izzyondroid.org OW2 ow2.org microG microg.org F-Droid f-droid.org Aurora Store auroraoss.com FACiL facil.qc.ca The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org The Guardian Project guardianproject.info Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org KDE e.V. kde.org Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au Codeberg e.V. codeberg.org Proton AG proton.me The Calyx Institute calyx.org epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be April april.org Fedimedia fedimedia.it The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu GrapheneOS Foundation grapheneos.org The Tor Project torproject.org

Przeczytaj cały list otwarty i podziękuj sygnatariuszom →

Co mówią inni

Prasa techniczna

"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"

TechSpot

"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."

Android Police

"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"

Gizmochina

"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"

Infosecurity Magazine

"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"

Tom's Guide

"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"

SlashGear

"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"

Cybernews

"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"

How-To Geek

"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"

It's FOSS News

"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."

Hackaday

"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"

The Verge

"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"

The New Stack

"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."

I-Programmer

"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"

TechCrunch

"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"

Bleeping Computer

"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"

Internet Freedom Foundation (India)

"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"

Ars Technica

"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"

Benzinga

"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"

Android Headlines

"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."

Thom Holwerda, OSnews

"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"

How-To Geek

"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"

MakeUseOf

"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"

Android Headlines

"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"

Ars Technica

"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"

How-To Geek

"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"

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

"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"

Android Headlines

"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"

Open Source For U

"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"

InfoWorld

"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"

Techzine EU

"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 dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"

The Register

"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"

Techdirt

"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"

heise online

"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"

How-To Geek

"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"

How-To Geek

"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"

Tuta Blog

"Keep Android Open"

Linux Magazine

"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"

TechRepublic

"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"

9to5Google

"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"

Datamation

"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"

The Register

"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"

XDA Developers

"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"

Reclaim The Net

Artykuły redakcyjne i analizy

Organizacje i listy otwarte

"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

"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

"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."

European Parliament

"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."

F-Droid

"Google's developer verification policy creates a centralized database, controlled by a single corporation, containing the real-world identity of every person who writes software for Android."

Brave

"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

"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

"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."

Tuta

"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

"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."

F-Droid Open Letter

"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

"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

"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."

AdGuard

"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"

Tech-ish Kenya

"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."

F-Droid

"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

"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."

ACLU

"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."

Nextcloud

"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

"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."

Tuta

"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."

AdGuard

"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."

Tuta

"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

"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

"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."

Osservatorio Nessuno

"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

"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 Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."

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

YouTuberzy i twórcy

"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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

"That's not openness. That is control."

ChiefGyk3D – 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

"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"

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

"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."

Switched to Linux – YouTube

"Google is doing to Android what Microsoft once tried to do to the web. Embrace, extend, extinguish. Just wrapped in a shinier open-source package."

ChiefGyk3D – YouTube

"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."

Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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

"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

"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."

Techlore – YouTube

"Google keeps getting in as much trouble as Apple when Google is half evil and Apple is full evil. So there are probably people inside Google saying, 'Why not just go full evil?'"

Louis Rossmann – YouTube

"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

"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

"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

"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."

Techlore – YouTube

"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."

fireborn – Blog

"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

"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 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

"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

"Android has become what they set out to destroy."

Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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

Programiści i społeczność

"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

"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

"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."

Apocryphon, 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

"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."

Zak, 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

"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's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."

Zak, Hacker News

"My Pixel 6 just broke, and after 15 years of using Android, I've finally been convinced to move to iOS. If I must live in a walled garden, I suppose I'll choose the one with nicer flowers."

yonato, Hacker News

"This is a war on users that want to keep control of their phones and when it's done, you will not be able to escape the enshittification."

ikidd, Lemmy

"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

"Computing is infrastructure. Personal computers are a means of expressing agency. This is like banning people from moving furniture around their house without approval from mortgage lenders."

wervenyt, Tildes

"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."

afferi300rina, Hacker News

"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."

MrZander, Hacker News

"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

"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

"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

"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."

tejtm, Hacker News

"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."

Max-P, Lemmy

"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."

hbn, 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 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

"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."

layfellow, 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

"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

"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."

vala, Lemmy

"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."

anordal, Lobsters

"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

"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

"After 15 years of professional development on Android I too am now thinking about switching my focus to something different. And it sucks."

MrDresden, Hacker News

"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."

masterofn001, Lemmy

"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."

WaffleMonster, Slashdot

"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

"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

"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

"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."

koala, Lobsters

"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

"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."

TheTearMiser, Lemmy

"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

"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

"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."

nibbleyou (developer in India), 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

"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."

hn92726819, 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

"I want to deploy apps on my device. They are my apps, it's my device, and I should not be required to ask for permission to do so."

fsniper, Hacker News

"The 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

"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

"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

"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."

gumby271, 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

"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

"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."

lynxy, Tildes

"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."

flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News

"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

Głosy z petycji

"As a normal user, I prefer the ability to sideload my own ADB devices, and to use F-Droid, and to keep my rights, and my freedom to the device. This centralization is a gross attempt to restrict rights and make the system as bad as iOS. This is an attempt to control, resist it people. "

Owen, change.org

"I use apps that I cannot find on the Google Play Store, Google restricting users to only the Play Store is not only bad, but a hindrance to myself as well since some of these apps I use are of every day use. Android was made to be an open source system since day one, and it needs to stay that way. "

Nova, change.org

"The biggest reason I use Android is that I'm free of the lockdown and monitoring imposed by Apple. If Google locks out developers then the system I love will perish. "

Samuel, change.org

"The thing about Android has always been that it is open, people should have the right to install whatever software they want on their phones. KEEP ANDROID OPEN!!! "

Sofia, change.org

"This errodes competition by giving Google more control over what content is easily allowed. Fundamentally, this is anti-competition and a way for Google to cement their ability as the "taste maker" for Android devices. "

David, change.org

"I choose to use Android as it gives me the ability to freely use my mobile phone the way I intend to. I would like to continue developing apps as a hobby without needing to be an "approved developer" and sharing my government issued identity with Google. "

Christian, change.org

"I use sideloading on Android pretty much daily at this point, the idea of not being able to do anything I want with the phone that I'VE BOUGHT with MY OWN MONEY is just sick. I hope this petition has enough Signatures to make a change "

JOAO, change.org

"Keep android open. Keep android from becoming Apple! "

Adam, 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

"It really seems like part of a conspiracy to turn the entire digital world into a tool for psychological and mass control. Let's raise our voices together against this immense idiocy, most likely promoted primarily by governments and not directly by Google. 👁️📐👌⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐❤️ "

Alessio, change.org

"This decision makes you seem even more authoritarian and greedy than usual. Regardless, since we all know you care about your profit margins more than anything else I'd like to point out that you're depriving yourselves of potential profits. The small developers that are honing their skills developing apps that; for whatever reason; they can't or don't want to publish through you, they may create the next viral app as a result of their efforts. If you take away their ability to develop without you being in complete control you are killing potential profits. "

Caleb, change.org

"The idea that any owner of an android device would need permission from Google, or really any other third party, to install an application on his own device is ridiculous. This trend of companies reaching into people's lives, locking up their personal property and appointing themselves as a the nanny with the key that gets to dictate how that property is to be used is a violation of the most basic right to own property. It will not be tolerated and any company embracing this paradigm will find itself increasingly blacklisted. "

Andrey, change.org

"This one feature is the one thing that has kept me from using iphone, if google proceeds, there will be many people like me that will make the jump because android will have nothing else to offer in comparison, this is bad for everyone not just the ones that use apps outside play store, they really want to kill android brands just like this. I hope they don't commit to this horrible anti consumer change "

Miguel, change.org

"Android earned its place in the market because it was open. The ability to sideload applications isn't a loophole — it's a feature, and a promise. It's what set Android apart, attracted developers, and gave users real ownership over their devices. That openness, rooted in the same Linux principles Android was built on, is the reason Google is where it is today. Restricting sideloading would be a profound betrayal of that foundation. It trades user freedom for platform control, and developer trust for gatekeeper revenue. It is, in short, pulling up the ladder after climbing it. I believe many in this community — developers, enthusiasts, and everyday users alike — feel the same way. We chose Android because it respected our autonomy. If that changes, so will our choices. I urge Google to listen to this community and protect what made Android worth building for in the first place. "

Felix, change.org

"Only reason I've always used android is because it's pretty open to apps I make for myself. If that is taken away, there's no reason not to go to Apple. "

Bill, 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

"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

"If this is Android's future then it's time for Linux phones! My device my rules. "

Juan Antonio, change.org

"Android for me has always been the freedom to choose. The right to find alternatives that won't actively gather my information. I want to keep my freedom. I trust my open source small developers more than I trust corporations who put profit over my rights. "

Yeshua, change.org

"The Google need to stop "

ghost, change.org

"I will stop using Android if that actually happens and goes through, because what's the point then? "

Cederick, change.org

"Turning Android into Google is pathetic "

Scott, change.org

"Google shouldn't be able to restrict something that made us purchase the phones in the first place! "

Yousef, change.org

"Google is long overdue to be broken up like AT&T was and this blatantly anti consumer decision to lock down Android proves this. "

Kris, change.org

"As a developer who has long relied on Android’s open ecosystem, I am writing to express my strong opposition to Google’s new policy requiring all developers to register centrally with Google—even to distribute apps outside the Play Store. I understand the need for security, but Android already has robust, built-in safeguards that don't require this level of control. This new mandate forces every developer to submit to Google’s terms, pay a fee, and provide a government ID simply to offer apps through my own website or a third-party store. This fundamentally breaks what made Android "Android." My concerns are straightforward: Barriers to Entry: This creates friction for independent developers, open-source projects, and small teams who cannot absorb these compliance costs. Privacy & Surveillance: It creates a global database of every developer, tracking those who actively choose to avoid Google’s ecosystem. Arbitrary Power: It gives Google unilateral power to disable any app, from any developer, for any reason, across the entire Android ecosystem. Anti-Competitive: It allows Google to surveil competitive threats and market trends outside its own store, using that data to undermine rivals. The existing measures—sandboxing, user warnings, and Google Play Protect—have served us well for seventeen years. No evidence has been presented that these are insufficient. I urge Google to rescind this policy immediately. Turning Android into a centrally controlled platform where one corporation acts as the gatekeeper for all software is a threat to innovation, digital sovereignty, and the open principles that built this ecosystem. I ask Google to work with us, not against us, to find solutions that respect both security and freedom. "

Reese, change.org

"The entire reason I chose android over apple was the freedom I had to do what I wanted on the device I paid for. Google enforcing this "lock-down" is just shooting themselves in the foot and giving people more reason to give apple a shot. "

Riley, change.org

"I've always chosen to use Android because I want to have control of how I use my phone. I know installing something might cause problems, but after all it's my decision and my phone too! If I wanted to be "more safe" I'd buy a phone with iOS. Let the users decide how they want to use their phones at their own risk. "

Nicky, change.org

"We cannot allow Google to further restrict android, to become a sort of increasingly dystopian corporate restrictive service, that we are paying more over the years, to recieve less features from. "

Bo, change.org

"Android has one major thing over apple, and that is the ability to download and use whatever software you want on your device alongside the variety of said software. As someone who enjoys finding projects made by other users, or full apps that can alter your experience for the better, we can't just let Google change that. "

Dakota, change.org

"No kings, not even Google. We the people are largely on android instead of IOS because of its open ecosystem. Killing that kills one of your major reasons for existing. Continue and your can bid farewell to massive chunks of users when the decision of what new phone to choose comes around. "

Patrick, change.org

"Guys, let's join forces and stop Google from putting these restrictions on Android. "

Kettisson, change.org

"On veut pouvoir faire ce que l'on veut quand l'on veux "

Philippe, 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

"A significant amount of the apps I use are small hobbyist open-source apps who would not want to go through the verification process just to have their apps be able to be easily installed, and this would effectively kill almost all of them "

Trevor, change.org

"I'll be concise. This is not the right direction to go. This really is a monopoly and openness is the right choice. You're causing more harm than good and people's freedom of choice needs to be addressed. Thank you. "

Aaron, change.org

"This is not only concerning or invasive. It's unjust, deceitful and abusive. Once you break this trust, they can AND WILL control every aspect of the software chain. Not even casual users will be safe then. "

Jesse, change.org

"They are literally going against the reason people even buy Android phones in the first place "

Lightis, change.org

"Either way this is going to lead to a massive lawsuit My phone is my device Google doesn't own it nor does it have the power to tell me what I can and can't install on the device that I own Google believes that it rules the world it's censorship completely destroyed YouTube now they plan to destroy Android in the same way but $1,000 says by this time next year Google will cave to the demands of the people "

Isaiah, change.org

"I choose to use android for the freedom. If thry implement this in such a way that hinders that, I will no longer have a reason to pick android over iPhone. Guess I will see how this plays out. "

James, change.org

"Being able to get softwares and actually having device freedom is why I have always chosen android over apple. No freedom means that I can't do things I want to on my phone or any android device, which is the point of me buying android "

Zaiden, change.org

"You will bury yourselves. "

William, change.org

"Ridiculous. Android always has been open source, and by restricting access to downloading APK files, you're removing the freedom that comes with android. You say it's for safety but if that was the case, you would be removing a bunch of terrible apps on YOUR store filled to the brim with viruses and malware. We know this isn't about protection, it's about control and monopolyzing the phone industry. This decision clearly shows how little you understand your own customers, nor actually care about them "

Aiden, change.org

"Hi, I've been using an android phone for over a decade and, like the computers I grew up with, I've been able to choose which operating system to install and where I get my apps/programs from too. There are currently a number of app stores, beyond those provided by Apple and Google. Sadly, Google has decided (https://developer.android.com/developer-verification) to use their near-monopoly position in the android market to engage in blatantly anti-competitive behaviour by requiring app developers to register with Google. Google is trying to sell this as a "security" but this "security" marketing ploy not convincing nor does it tell the whole story. Further, having put an arbitrary barrier to competition, Google has decided to charge app developers for the "privilege" of having the app on android - where previously there was no such fee (https://keepandroidopen.org/). Google has stated they will begin this from September 2026, so action is needed promptly. As an Australian, I recall the time in 2021 when Google threatened to remove it's search engine from Australians (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-55760673 and https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/inside-google-s-mothballed-plans-to-quit-search-in-australia-20231108-p5eil7) and when Google threatened to sue the Australian government in 2025 (https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/google-threatens-to-sue-if-youtube-is-included-in-australias-kids-social-media-ban/axud666av). Happily, we have not responded to their threats. This is another time to stand up, exercise our national sovereignty and make companies that operate in Australia, abide by applicable Australian legislation. Multi-nationals, like Google, are no exception. "

Colin, change.org

"I don't know what words will reach the ones that need to hear them. I'll just say I'm willing to switch, drop, or do what I think works for me. "

Daniel, change.org

"The whole point of Android is that we had a choice and a powerful environment to create and use apps. This was the one feature that allowed Android to grow in the beginning and has sustained that growth since to become the most dominate phone OS in the world. People left Apple for Android. This is nothing but a cash grab and to lock people in their walled garden. Very anti-consumer. "

Joe, change.org

"Google loves trying to downfall their own creation by doing stupids things. Android is a best OS to side load apps, and also freedom to install apps outside of google play, but this goes so bad that i prefer apple over this. we can also side load without apple trying to remove side load. and no, i don't want to be "an approved developer" i don't want pay to a boring business who trys to downfall their own creation by doing shitty updates, because who wants to show their identify just for be "an approved 18+ old" user? well, NOBODYS. even adults. bye android, hello apple. "

Juh, change.org

"Android already provides security tools — Play Protect, install warnings, and permissions. These are the right solutions. A blanket lockdown is not security; it is control! "

Alex, change.org

"Android was built on FOSS foundations and this anti-consumer move goes against the guiding tenants of the OS and Google's mission. No-one who uses Android wants to see Google pervert it into a second-rate apple. This move is a violation of consumer faith and a bad long-term business decision. Revert it in it's entirety before you loose the core attraction of your product. "

Tate, change.org

"I've been using APKs ever since I got my first phone, and now, it's an indispensable part of my life. Things I downloaded, games that I played that would be lost to time because the very people who made them forgot about them, things I watched, all those experiences... How can one take it away from us? We want our freedom. So what if we may be downloading viruses and having our data stolen? It's our choice, and it's nothing to be worried about by other people. And in my experience, there aren't as many viruses in the internet as people think. I know that I never got one. If APKs are gone, my main sources of entertainment — the things that kept me alive all this time by brightening up my days — they will be gone too. So, this cannot happen. This can't go on. I need my APKs. And I will not stop fighting for their existence, because they are a valuable part of my existence. - The Meteor "

João Pedro, change.org

"There is no valid reason to do this except greed and control. If someone installs malicious software on their own device thats their issue. "

Jonathan, change.org

"If I paid for my device I should be able to do whatever I want with it, you don't own it google I do, and your taking away one of the only reasons I love and use an android. "

Dylan, change.org

"#NoMoreCorruption "

Russell, change.org

"Without the ability to make my own choices on it I have no reason to use android. I am already tired of and furious about censorship if this goes through I will never use android again. "

Orrin, 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

"I've been using Android for 10+ years instead of iOS sorely because of how open it is. I can customize a lot of my phone for convenience, looks, accessibility; I can download programs from F-Droid or games from Itch.io. Removing that or making it significantly harder is a deal breaker for me. "

Lucas A, change.org

"The entire reason I left the Apple ecosystem and came back to Android is because of the freedom you get with installing any app you want. If Google locks down app installations, there will be zero reason for me to still stay on an Android opereting system. Don't be evil, Google. "

Amirali, 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

"Google wants developers to pay them a fee even though it has nothing to do with them. Also I own my phone I get to decide what's on it not Google. I'm also cancelling all Google subscriptions because I don't want to support this company anymore. "

alex, change.org

"We can't back down "

Victor Vitienzo, change.org

"Android has always been my favorite platform because I can download apps externally, often community-created apps with various benefits. Removing this option from Android is like erasing its very essence. "

Davi, change.org

"APK being open is the soul reason the market stayed successful. It is a staple of our freedoms, fun, and expression. This is a Trojan Horse that infringes on our right to privacy and freedom of speech. Anyone can access our private information. The time to act is now. "

Ciara, change.org

"Android was created as an open platform. That openness made custom ROMs, alternative app stores, and independent FOSS projects possible. Limiting third-party APK installation reduces user choice and hurts independent developers. Security matters, but it should not remove legitimate options. Keeping Android open protects innovation and freedom of choice. "

Kevyn, change.org

"As consumers, we are entitled to the full functionality of the technology we purchase. This includes the freedom to choose how we use our devices and what software to run on them. Google claims their efforts to lock down Android are for security purposes, but their true motivations are based in a incessant need for control and financial gain. Malware concerns have never justified sideloading restrictions on computers, regardless of OS - so why would they suddenly apply to their pocket-sized counterparts? Smartphones serve as the primary drivers enabling both our personal and professional lives, online and offline. Big tech’s desire to rob the people’s agency and ownership over such vital technology through needless restrictions and invasive surveillance for an extra dime clearly shows their lack of integrity and respect for the consumer. Removing the freedom of choice from Android means creating a landscape where all mobile technology will never truly serve their users as all tools should. Coming from someone who has used both Android and iOS devices, I have learned how indispensable the freedom provided by Android really is, even for an average user. Google’s willingness to restrict their users, destroying Android’s greatest strength and its legacy is extremely disappointing. I do not want to live in a world where all technology becomes a series of “walled gardens” as Apple has notoriously made their own phones. We deserve to own our technology, not be owned by our technology. "

Jurrien, change.org

"Don't trust billionare companies, they want to take away our choice! "

Hugo, change.org

"Ok,So as anAndroid User,It is known that Android has a very large freedom on apps,and that's also why many users prefer the system.And In This Way ,Google's banning on apps is a killing action that ruins its powerful use.So if Google don't want to see it,PLEASE STOP THIS STUPID DECISION! "

Huang, change.org

"Keep Andriod open! "

Andre, change.org

"I should be able to use any app I want on my phone "

Alejandro, change.org

"After this decision I will just go with iPhone, this was the only reason I was using Android, just making it worse for the consumer, this is not about security but locking down people's choice of store, which in my opinion should be illegal give that we bought our phones and we should be able to do with them as we please "

Colin, change.org

"Stop this bullshit of trying to control our lives, deciding what I can and can't do. Enough with planned obsolescence, enough with authoritarianism. I, and only I, decide what's best for me, what I can and can't download on MY PHONE. "

Leonardo, change.org

"The iOS user experience is invariably more polished and seamless than any Android device. In the tablet market especially, Android can't hold a candle to iOS when it comes to usable. For the entirety of Android's existence, the freedom to use our devices the way we want, rather than being beholden to the whims of a manufacturer, has been THE reason to use Android. Not a reason, not the most important or compelling reason, THE ONE AND ONLY REASON. To remove or hamper the ability to sideload apps is to remove Android's only reason to exist. Remember, no matter how many of our rights and abilities you remove with regard to how customers use their devices, there's one right you cannot touch: our right to purchase an objectively easier to use iOS device. "

Pranam, change.org

"I sideload and digitally mod a lot of my devices, and while I was just about to consider switching to Android because of this (and Apple's limit in storage), this sort of removal of freedom, even small and masked as 'the right thing' for security, just isn't right. There's already trust issues within Apple's app store, and the 'free' stuff doesn't support developers properly, so why copy paste the same issues that made people want to switch in the first place? How else will people get apps that properly support their device that aren't locked in some way or just won't? How else will people try and test prototypes of apps? How else will people... get this... have fun with the device they bought with money to have and physically own? And yet a company wants the money to steal more water and ruin immune systems of the future. This is totally 'the right thing'. "

Laura, change.org

"Apk's are the best part of Google so � "

Nick, change.org

"this discourage even people that want to start at programming "

Elton, change.org

"Android giving users choice has been the staple point of android OS. Removing choices like sideloading apps is not the move. I develop apps for myself, I do not want to be "an approved developer" I don't have time nor care for that. This action also is the beginning of censorship, and monopolization of android OS. Android started as an open operating system, you have simply turned it into a reskinned Apple OS. Your choice to go anti-consumer is going to hurt. You are not "protecting" anyone. ~Seth "

Nathan, change.org

"free is the most important part of Android,no freedom no Android. "

jason, change.org

"This would be removing a key benefit of android over apple. Having control over what is on your device should be a given to owning it as your personal property, and Google shouldn't have a say in what is and isn't allowed on your phone in any circumstance "

Ethan, 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

"Hold Google accountable to the original vision of Android. Stop Google from limiting APK file usage. "

Jeff, change.org

"The core idea of Android and OSS is threatened. Android will no longer hold the offer of a unique opportunity of freedom for those feeling locked out of their own lives. It will join the likes of other mediocre technologies being force-fed to an unwilling population. This is not the way. "

Joy, change.org

"It's like Google looked at the Microsoft debacle (hello! Linux!) that's currently going on and said wait..hold my beer... Not as easy to change from Google Android like Windows to Linux but it can be done! Already have proton emails so the ball is rolling! If this goes thru I will definitely find alternatives. And instead of using a mix of Google Play store apps and gmail and FOSS as of now, I'll just stick to FOSS and stick with proton email as the primary and go the way of degoogled or possibly apple. Or even go with a cheap flip phone and just forget about using any apps at all! see your already helping me curb the addiction you created by these smart phones and with the physical media resurgence this could kind of go with the whole theme so to speak. Thanks for the ideas Google! I've gotten into the habit of changing and finding alternatives in the last ten plus years to everything. This would not be any different. Know your place and keep your promises Google. Or to quote a couple of your slogans. "Don't be evil" and "Do the right thing" "

Marvin, change.org

"Android has always been the superior product because it has allowed it's users the ability to customize their phones and download what they want. To take that away would make you no better than Apple "

Mike, change.org

"I've been the victim of identify theft and attempted payment fraud through the old Google Wallet platform. Thankfully my bank caught it, but when I disputed the charges Google insisted they were authorized, messing up my finances by having nearly $1500 drop out of my account for a week while I insisted I didnt transfer large amounts to random addresses. Ultimately, my bank sided with me, and despite being provided with police reports and dispute reports Google still wanted the transactions to go through. The consequence I received for not wanting to have money stolen from me is that Google has suspended payments for my account across all their services. I cannot buy apps from the Play Store or anything else requiring a payment even a decade later. Luckily some developers will take payment directly for the few apps that I have ended up needing to buy, and FDroid or other alternatives have given me a lot more choices to Google's ecosystem. You have to get creative when the corporation won't let you participate. Despite these hardships I still prefer Android's openness to iOS. Google should not fundamentally lock out alternatives. "

Dominic, change.org

"One of the things that makes Android special is the freedom it gives developers and users, I hope it doesn't go away. "

Chris, change.org

"Ad blockers, trackers, and data siphons are blocked almost completely using some of the apps from f-droid. When authorization is given to an apple device to use your voice, the camera, location, there is almost no way at to stop data siphons and trackers. "

Louis, change.org

"I like to have a choice to choose and I understand the risks, that is why I check, Google should not have monopoly over it. "

Rosalie, 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

"Google wanna eliminate biggest advantage of Android over iOS "

Misa, change.org

"I've used both an apple and an android, the differences between them are like night and day, one has made it almost impossible to have free applications unless your willing to deal with a bombardment of ads, it also made it near impossible to have true safety, privacy, and freedom . Safety) there are applications that are aiding in the fight against tyrannical countries by making you decide what apps should be acceptable in which country you are harming people. Privacy) There wont be any anonymity with Developers, who now have to pay to make something for others, this doesn't encourage charity and generosity, it only fuels greed Freedom) There wont be a single application no matter how 'offline' the features are that wont be paid or ad-bloated, I don't get to choose any app and deal with the consequences, of those choices. in the words of Ben Franklin "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" "

jack, change.org

"The whole point of Android was it was an os that gave you the freedom to use your phone the way you wanted unlike apple this ruins it's whole purpose "

Cem, 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

"We have the right to choose what apps we want to use or not to use leave it alone "

DENNIS, change.org

"You're forcing us to create an alternative. We live in an age of increasingly powerful AI, we will not let you control everything. "

Anthony, change.org

"Another broken Google promise. Keep Android open "

Pero, change.org

"Sideloading is what keeps Android as a different thing compared to iOS. Taking that away is like making it the same. Worst, decision, ever. "

Marcos Eloy, change.org

"This is an insane power play that is attempting to force more money into Google's pockets for developer licenses. There are a lot of legitimate uses for sideloading apps that are legal. Certain emulators cannot be on the Play Store, which are 100% legal. Some apps don't release on the Play Store because of region requirements that don't allow it, so APK's are the only option. Plus, there are a lot of firms that likely develop in-house security apps, that don't and CAN'T be published to the Play Store for security reasons, so this will also lock out those companies from their own security systems and applications. Also, sometimes installing a previous version of an app is needed when the latest version is broken. Also, if I want to develop my own app, now I have to have a developer license to even test it? This is absolutely anti-consumer at its finest, and Google will lose a lot of business from this power play. The sad part is that they will be likely facing a lawsuit from many companies that will be affected by this, because this is a huge change that will affect a huge majority of Android users. "

Nathan, change.org

"I've used side loading a number of times in the past to load 3rd party developed apps. Not supporting this will make me seriously reconsider other phones and OS "

Richard, change.org

"Open means Open Google. You are a Liar Google. Pass this and watch the revolt. There are other options than Google, Google. "

Paul, change.org

"I started using an Android device because of the freedom to use the software I wanted to use. If Google goes forward with these restrictions, I wont have any reason to use Android devices anymore. "

Luis, change.org

"I think the freedom to have a choice on this matter is important, not just because there is a case to make regarding unsupported products let alone possible monopoly concerns, but also because there is a major issue regarding the freedom of choice on this matter that I think should not be taken away as an option for consumers. "

Ronald, change.org

"Sadly, this is yet another corporate power grab. The intentions behind this initiative don't make any sense (e.g. protecting users) unless you view it through the lens of corporate chokehold on user freedoms. I've been using android for many years because it was the only platform that allowed freedom for power users and this will change soon if the company doesn't change its posture. "

Jaime, change.org

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