Twój telefon wkrótce przestanie być twój.
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:
- Uiszczenie opłaty do Google
- Zgody na warunki korzystania z usług Google
- Przekazania dokumentu tożsamości wydanego przez państwo
- Przedłożenie dowodu posiadania prywatnego klucza do podpisywania
- Wymienienia wszystkich obecnych i przyszłych identyfikatorów aplikacji
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:
- Przejdź do ustawień systemu i znajdź Opcje Programisty
- Kliknij numer wersji siedem razy by włączyć Tryb Programisty
- Pomiń odstraszające komunikaty sugerujące, że ktoś Cię do tego zmusza
- Wprowadź kod PIN
- Uruchom ponownie urządzenie
- Poczekaj 24 godziny
- Wróć i zamknij kolejne odstraszające ekrany
- Wybierz "zezwól tymczasowo" (7 dni) albo "zezwól na czas nieokreślony"
- 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
- Zainstaluj F-Droida na każdym urządzeniu jakie posiadasz z systemem Android. Alternatywne sklepy mogą przetrwać tylko, jeśli ludzie będą z nich korzystali.
- Skontaktuj się z organami regulacyjnymi. Organy regulacyjne na całym świecie są naprawdę zaniepokojone monopolem i centralizacją władzy w sektorze technologicznym i chcą poznać opinie bezpośrednio od osób, których ta sytuacja dotyczy i które są nią zaniepokojone.
- Udostępnij tę stronę. Wstaw wszędzie, gdzie możesz link do keepandroidopen.org.
- Nie daj się zmanipulować fałszywym aktywistom. Grupy typu "tak właściwie to..." są teraz bardzo aktywne. Nie pozwól im dyktować tonu dyskusji.
- Podpisz petycję w serwisie change.org i dołącz do ponad 100 tysięcy osób, które wyraziły swoje zdanie.
- Przeczytaj i udostępnij nasz list otwarty
- Powiedz Google'owi, co o tym myślisz przez ich własną ankietę o weryfikacji programistów (choć nie wiadomo, czy to cokolwiek da).
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.
- Zniechęcaj innych programistów i organizacje do rejestracji.
- Dodaj bibliotekę FreeDroidWarn do swoich aplikacji, by ostrzec innych użytkowników.
- Masz własną stronę internetową? Dodaj poniższy baner z odliczaniem w dół.
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
FACiL facil.qc.ca
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
FOSDEM fosdem.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
CryptPad cryptpad.org
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
FULU Foundation fulu.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
April april.org
OpenMedia openmedia.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
Proton AG proton.me
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
GitHub Store github-store.org
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
Techlore techlore.tech
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
iodé iode.tech
F-Droid f-droid.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
FUTO futo.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
Brave brave.com Co mówią inni
Prasa techniczna
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"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 Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"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)
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"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
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
Artykuły redakcyjne i analizy
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"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
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"There is also the very real possibility that Google will leak your identity with the result that any apps with political implications could result in persecution and worse."
I-Programmer
"The $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
"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
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"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
"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
"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
"Destroying F-Droid isn't some 'oops.' It's the mission. It's Google finally cutting the last remaining escape route and locking every single user inside their store."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"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 has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours. Google decides which apps are allowed to be loaded on Android and which are not."
Tuta Blog
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"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
"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
"Android is not open anymore. It's not an alternative. It's not even trying. It's iOS with ads and spyware bolted on."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"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
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"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
"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
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Once there is no such thing as 'sideloading', there's virtually no difference between iOS and Android. I see no reason to buy Android over iOS at this point."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"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
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
Organizacje i listy otwarte
"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
"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
"Changes would impose barriers to entry for individual developers, small teams and volunteer projects by imposing fees, identity checks and terms that may not align with the principles of an open ecosystem."
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google'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
"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
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"A centralized global registration system for Android will inevitably chill this work. Those communities are likely to drop out of developing for Android altogether."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"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
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
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
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"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
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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
"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
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"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
"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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"There are governments who might very much like to know the names of the developers of those applications so that they can go after them."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today."
F-Droid
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
YouTuberzy i twórcy
"Google is setting a requirement that only they can fulfill, forcing developers to go through Google and killing off thousands of apps. Countless users stranded."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"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
"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
"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
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"I'm not using the word 'phone.' I'm using the word 'computer.' This has over 8 GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage. It's a computer. And I'm also not going to be using words like 'sideload.' When you download an exe file onto your Windows computer, you've installed an application. You haven't 'sideloaded' something."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google 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
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
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
"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
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"This 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
"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
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
Programiści i społeczność
"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
"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
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"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
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"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
"This is a war on users that want to keep control of their phones and when it's done, you will not be able to escape the enshittification."
ikidd, Lemmy
"I 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
"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
"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
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), 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 war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"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
"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
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, 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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, 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
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, 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
"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
"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 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
"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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, 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
"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
"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
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), 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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"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 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
"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
"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
"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
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"After 15 years of professional development on Android I too am now thinking about switching my focus to something different. And it sucks."
MrDresden, Hacker News
"Google selling Android as both open source and open to running any software you like in order to quickly gain market share, only to break those promises after driving competing platforms out of the market is nothing more than fraud."
GeekyBear, Hacker News
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
Głosy z petycji
"The market benefits when there are choices. The choice to lock down Android is the wrong one. When I buy an android phone I buy the right to have control over the system and what happens in that system. Locking down Android phones is anti consumer. "
Jimben, change.org
"Google doesn't realise that for many Android users, the ability to install .apk files from unverified developers is the sole reason we don't flock to IOS or another mobile OS. Let's make sure they know. "
Marshall, change.org
"Keep Android from being like Apple controlling every aspect of what can be installed or not, that's why i don't own iPhones never will. If android is going in the same direction ill get a flip phone I don't need big brother telling me what i can do or can't on my phone, i worked hard to pay for! in the name of safety always same bullshit excuse when they want to violate people's rights... "
melvyn, change.org
"If this goes in effect there's literally no reason for me to stay on android. Would likely either go graphene but that feels up in the air for long term support so I guess that leaves apple. And I already hate walled gardens. Especially when the play store is basically just a malware repository. I'm so tired of corps eroding our freedoms. Why must everything be enshitified this day an age. "
Coleman, change.org
"Allow us beginning programmers get comfortable with writing scripts and getting used to a whole new set of rules without needing to have licenses that cost money. "
Wes, 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
"Stop making anti-consumer decisions, the consistent downward trend of freedom from Android is distressing and ultimately it will bite back. I will be petitioning my congressional representation as well, Google is only uniting everyone against them. "
Josh, change.org
"I chose Android for the very reason of it being open and letting me run whatever software I want. Don’t take that away after I’ve already bought my device. Millions of us chose Android for the exact reason of what you're trying to censor. Don’t lock it down because you think you know better. If I wanted a company deciding what I can or can’t do on my own device, I’d buy an iPhone instead. "
Paulo, change.org
"Technology should forever remain in a position to assist and enrich the lives of everyone, not to control, limit, or profit from the average person who was PAID to own a product, and simply wishes to make their life easier. "
Evan, change.org
"I've installed dozens to hundreds of APKs on my phone for years. Whether it's personal projects or open source tools. It's really the only defining difference between Android and iOS. Why is this even being considered by Google? "
Joseph, change.org
"Yeah, when you buy a product it belongs to you. You can do whatever you want with your product. I like it open source since it gives full control on the potential you can do with your cellphone. I don't need a nanny telling any consumer what to do or monitor constantly on where I go. I don't like having to give out my personal information to a corporation that has had history of abusing personal information of users. And I don't like the direction it's going by making everything closed source. Android would be no different than Apple. I'm considering purchasing a linux phone so that I can fully have privacy and some form of freedom. Hope this will be a start of a change. Have an odd feeling Android will be going in the direction of what Discord is trying to implement with biometrics and building a profile off of the user of the things the user searches, the contacts the user has, and even the calls. Enough said. "
Cely, change.org
"This is really bad, Google needs to keep the OS open "
Mark, change.org
"Android being open source and accessible to everyone to install and modify as they choose is the most import thing. It's why android has the market share that it does, without developers being able to build for the platform as they wish android will wither and inovation will be stiffled. "
Guy, change.org
"As an Android user for years, I'm honestly outraged by what they're trying to do. This isn't protection, it's control, it's obvious. "
Ryan, change.org
"You know, I'm pretty much the only person in my immediate friend group that doesn't have an iPhone. If android turns into just another version of iOS then what's stopping me from just going ahead and getting the iPhone to be in their ecosystem? Nothing. Wouldnt it be easier for me to just be the same as them if there's nothing better about android? "
Danielle, change.org
"Keep android open source, resist surveillance and ID verification. Consider switching to Grapheneos "
Andrew, change.org
"One of the reasons I use android is so I can do what I want unlike an iPhone. Locking it down will make it no different from the competition "
Jonathan, change.org
"Literally the best part of android devices is sideloading APKs "
Michael, change.org
"Side loading is the way I have made my phone run better, my privacy has been better maintained and it gives me freedom that Google and Apple don't. By blocking side loading apps Google is essentially turning into another Apple. It is no wonder why Motorola is looking at returning GraphineOS as well as other manufacturers are using Linux based phone OS's. People need that freedom that android has given us. "
Daniel, change.org
"I am a self-taught programmer. Without the ability to experiment I could have never learned anything. This change will utterly destroy Android by not only banning a ton of quality software from sources like F-Droid and GitHub, but will also keep the next generation of developers from being able to learn by experience. "
Wesley, change.org
"It is a based no to monopolization of Android from Google. Stop giving them all the power. Together we can ask for change. "
Claudia, change.org
"As a long-time Android enthusiast, I strongly oppose your push to force developer ID verification for APK sideloading. This policy erodes the open ecosystem that drew millions to Android, blocking access to legacy apps, region-locked content, and custom tools from sources like F-Droid. Under the guise of security, it stifles innovation and user freedom. Please reverse this immediately and honor Android's roots in choice and accessibility. "
Lucas, change.org
"Google needs to stop this. Collecting data in general is terrible "
Wojciech, change.org
"The last thing differentiating Android from iOS was the freedom to be different, to be a power user, to truly own the very device you hold in your hand. Taking that away not only strips Android of its identity, it makes it just like iOS: locked down, useless, and incapable of serving the user. If you want to protect people, teach them how to protect themselves, don't be a helicopter parent to someone else's child. "
Evan, change.org
"The whole reason I love android is due to openness and freedom, Google taking this away makes me mad because that's a staple point for Android gone. As a regular user, I use the F-Droid store, as well as finding apps directly on GitHub. "
Micheal, change.org
"Mobile devices have become such integral, personalized focal points in our lives over the last few decades, but not everyone uses their devices the same way. Having the choice of what software we choose to use and where to install from has been a key part of Android since its beginning and has been an important keystone of consumer choice. Removing those choices and putting up barriers to entry for development would be a huge blow to consumer rights. "
Scott, change.org
"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
"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've always appreciated Google for it's support of open source projects. This is why the recent trend to lock-in this user's is worrying. I believe Google doesn't need to resort to such draconian measures to grow. It's part growth is proof of this fact "
Kanwar, change.org
"One of the biggest things, if not the biggest thing, Android has had over Apple for the longest time is the freedom of the user to make the phone theirs through downloading third party apps, through developers making their own applications without being required to release it through an app store that requires a fee to put it on. My own personal experience has been that I could play one of my favorite games that's no longer on the app store. With these new restrictions and requirements Google is proposing in September, we would lose that freedom, and would become no better than Apple "
Morgan, change.org
"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
"Save Android !! Without it being open-source and freely usable, there *is* no good alternative to iOS, simply a mere copy of Apple's notoriously awful anti-consumer model. Personally, I won't stand for this blatantly money-focused and privacy-inhibiting change, and you shouldn't either! "
Brandon, change.org
"As a life long android user who is also part of open source communities, I have to speak my voice on how this goes against everything about why the people love Android. I've always shared how amazing Android is specifically being able to sideload apps outside of Google Play unlike Apple. I love being able to use my device the way I please in comparison of it being "locked down." The whole sole purpose of Android is for it to have an it open source approach for developers and consumers. I am not a developer, but as a open/close source consumer I cannot express enough how much I truly appreciate have open source applications as an option besides Google Play store. I really hope Google can find a way that we can all be one big happy family and continue what is already great. LET US KEEP OUR ANDROID FREEDOM! "
Justin, 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
"This was why I didn't use iphones "
Greg, change.org
"Android has always been a platform for freedom of choice and exploration. This restrictions from Google go against the core element that made users stick with Android for all these years. If I bought something with my own money I should be free to use it as I please. "
Eric, change.org
"Been using the android platform since 2009. Removing the ability to use MY device in the way it was always intended is disgusting. I won't stand for any of that hogwash. "
Kurt, change.org
"The level of control Google is attempting to exert over developers and users is unreal. If I download an app from a source that isn't the play store, I shouldn't need Google's approval. I will seek alternate operating systems from the Android and iOS duopoly if this goes through. "
Alice, change.org
"It is called installing on devices that I own. I don't need to be hand held under the guise of safety "
Paul, change.org
"If Android is closed off & no longer my phone as was the promise of Android, it will be the last Android anything I will purchase.. "
Michael, change.org
"Android's freedom of choice is what made me switch from apple. I find that limiting that those freedoms such as sideloading an obnoxious spit in the face of all who use and enjoy this operating system. If I wanted an anti consumer product id buy from apple. "
Link, 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
"SKYNET HAS INITIATED WWIII :( "
Daniel Alberto, change.org
"I use sideloading everyday. A lot of the apps I use are open source and not on the play store, taking away sideloading would remove a lot of the freedom android has, and then I might as well use an iPhone "
Gabriel, change.org
"This COULD end piracy of some games, paid apps, viruses/spyware and modded apps/cheats. But as a Brazilian, I'm against this, because there is a lot of Open source apps on github and F-droid with really useful functionalities. "
Gianluigi, change.org
"we pay for these devices and maintain them. we should be able to do anything we want with them. Locking us out is just greed. Like buying a car. then having to pay ever month to use the heated seats that are already in the car. if anything, let us put a different system on the phone. "
David, change.org
"I WANT MY RIGHTS I BOUGHT THE SMARTPHONE! you can add like a warning but dont block. We want older versions of software. #ourtechourrights So many old games i used to play all gone! So many outfit7 games, old minecraft versions, shopkins, angry birds they are at risk even cut the rope "
Edu, change.org
"Device freedom shluld not be limted and the whole appel of android is device freedom taking that away defeats the whole point terrible change hope this doesn't go through "
Logan, change.org
"I switched to android specifically because I felt like it was truly a device I OWNED. I used Apple in the past but hated the amount of features that were gate kept. Having the ability to download open source apps on my android device has reshaped the way I use my phone and has made my workflows significantly better. This new change will not only completely destroy the open source ecosystem I've become accustomed to, but will actively turn away myself, and Android's main user base. What's the point of ruining your reputation and the only real reason to own an android device? "
Steven, change.org
"We want our freedom of speech "
Mohammed, change.org
"#NoMoreCensorship "
Russell, change.org
"Despicable corporate over reach on full display here. Stop the change, let users choose and decided how they wish to use their devices! "
Markus, change.org
"Google will lose so much money from this, and frankly, we know money is all they care about. Not only is this an obvious nosedive into fascism, it's anti-consumer and I hope Google suffers for it. "
Darien, change.org
"We as a free people in the USA should never let anybody dictate what we can put into our phones or lives. If we let that happen then when is the next person going to come to take more of our rights, it's a dangerous path to take and it shouldn't happen. If you want that to happen, go to China and live there. "
Loren, change.org
"The whole reason Android is superior to other os is because its an open platform. If you change what makes it great....then its no longer great. Its a copy cat IOS falling in line with everyone else and no longer blazing its own path. "
Michael, change.org
"This is a tragedy, it won't stop bad intentions, it will only put our data at risk, and many apps will become lost media. "
Jessé, change.org
"Once the promise of running open software on Android is broken I ll simply toss the device into the bin and never look back. "
David, 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
"Please let us have freedom with our phones Google, thank you. "
Michael, change.org
"You will bury yourselves. "
William, change.org
"dear android, you are doing what you did to unlimited photo storage and making it limited. i have been eyeing the linux cell phone ecosystem for awhile and hope that is my option if you decide to limit and cripple the ecosystem you helped build. i have been degoogling my services like photos, drive, gmail, and calendar. if you change for the worse, i will change for the better "
michael, change.org
"Keep android open! "
Giuseppe, change.org
"The sole reason one would choose Android over Apple was because Android uniquely treated their users as Users, not Customers, or Idiots. To take the very core ethos of what appealed to consumers and destroy it in some short-sighted power-grab is insane. "
Josh, change.org
"What software I choose to create or install on my computing devices, no matter whether they fit in a pocket, is my choice alone. Google, Microsoft, Apple, et al. have zero business trying to arbitrate how I use the hardware that I own. Android is quickly becoming the very thing it swore to destroy--an opaque, locked-down, walled garden where the very concept of ownership is drawn into question--and I am already taking steps to distance myself from it should the worst come to pass. "
James, change.org
"Digital freedom matters! "
Koda, change.org
"Please dont let die the FOSS community and github hobby projects. "
Nondibianno Ambar, change.org
"is the monopoly finally going to end? "
Rafael, change.org
"Vamos parar essa empresa mercenárias "
Euler, change.org
"Im hating Google for this, i hope they not do this to Android system "
Pepino, change.org
"I like Android because of the customization and the control you have over YOUR phone. Restricting the openness and freedom you have on Android is an invasion of our rights. https://keepandroidopen.org/ "
Blake, 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
"Google’s success with Android has always been built on the foundation of an open ecosystem. I am signing this petition to urge Google to preserve the right to sideload applications and install APKs. Restricting this functionality would significantly limit user autonomy, stifle innovation from independent developers, and consolidate control in a way that goes against the spirit of the platform. Android should remain a tool that gives power to its users, not one that restricts their ability to choose where their software comes from. Please keep Android open "
Pablo, change.org
"I only have one thing to comment: Google just wants to make a profit, they are just being greedy. "
Joilton, change.org
"You are BETRAYING the loyal users who went against the social hype crowd and went with Android over Apple because of your damn promises of keeping Android as an open platform!! I never purchased an iPhone because of the locked OS and refused to purchase the first iPhone when it was released and instead went for the G Droid!! DO YOU A**HOLES REALIZE HOW MUCH WE WERE LAUGHED AT, LOOKED DOWN ON, CUT OUT OF GROUP CHATS WITH FRIENDS & FAMILY, BEING THE BUTT OF THE GREEN BUBBLE JOKES, BEING TOLD "EWWW GREEN BUBBLES!!" "ARE YOU POOR? NO WHY? YOU HAVE THE GREEN BUBBLES AND THAT MEANS YOU CAN'T AFFORD AN IPHONE" AND WE THOUGHT IT WOULD END AS WE BECAME ADULTS BUT NO IT STILL HAPPENED TO US!!! AFTER ALL OUR LOYAL SUPPORT OVER DECADES THE THANKS WE GET IS YOU UNGRATEFUL A**HOLES TURNING ON US WITH THIS GARBAGE? AS IF WE'RE TOO STUPID TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO KEEP SAFE WHILE USING OUR ANDROID DEVICES? I PRAY THOSE ANTITRUST LAWSUITS SPLIT YOUR COMPANY INTO PIECES!! IF IT HAPPENS TO GO THROUGH THERE IS LITERALLY NO MORE REASON TO STAY ON ANDROID AND I WILL HAPPILY GO TO APPLE AT LEAST THEY DON'T LIE AND YOU KNOW THEY'RE OS IS LOCKED!! "
Armen, change.org
"Google is not tuff for ts "
John, change.org
"Many apps i use are from alternative stores because they are libre and free. I won't be able to use my phone "
Alexandre, change.org
"There should be a clear flow for users to install any software they want. And there needs to be a strict policy in place so that google wont just make change in future to reverse there actions "
Amrinder, change.org
"User: I do! Developer: I do! Google: I don't! They have no real business doing this - maybe if there was an alternative, but there isn't! This is the continuation of the meltdown they've been having about adblockers. "
Nona, change.org
"Android became what it is today because it was open, flexible, and gave users real control over their own devices. When companies lock down Android, restrict sideloading, or punish people for rooting and customizing, they’re not just limiting features—they’re limiting freedom.Our phones are how we communicate, organize, learn, and participate in public life. If a handful of companies get to decide which apps, stores, and tools are “allowed,” they gain gatekeeper power over what we can say, what we can access, and how we can exist online. That directly impacts our freedom of speech and our freedom to choose how we use the devices we paid for.We are asking you to keep Android open:Stop adding policies and technical barriers that break custom ROMs, root tools, and alternative app stores.Allow users to fully control their devices, including what software they install and how they modify it.Respect the right of users and developers to experiment, innovate, and speak without being blocked by arbitrary restrictions.Locking down Android might be framed as “security,” but real security and privacy should empower users—not take away their choices. Please protect the open nature of Android and the digital freedoms that come with it. "
Cory, change.org
"Open Android was a promise to devs and users. Now Google tries to turn Android into a closed shop. That is disapointing. "
Marc, change.org
"Boydan girmek lazım "
Said, change.org
"They literally block sideloading with this and always using "security" as an excuse, they never will accept all dev, and also who give they the right to get ID of dev. Put in you place, you are a company in a democratic country, we give you power The solution for this is stop using google services, give they a prove of power, they depend of us because we give them money, stop using google service, and fight against this injustice Google is evil, and right now they are shown they craws "
Juan, change.org
"There's been a LOT of privacy conscious people out there, that don't want to be tracked everywhere they go, especially when doing personal stuff at the privacy in their own home. Open source apps are also good alternatives, when big tech can censor you or even flag you, for something that ISN'T illegal nor harmful in any way. So what Google is doing is making users more vulnerable and harmful that even violates the 4th Amendment! "
Dan, change.org
"Unnaceptable betrayal of platform standards "
Lukas, change.org
"You, the consumer, purchased your Android device believing in Google’s promise that it was an open computing platform and that you could run whatever software you choose on it. Instead, as of September 2026, they will be non-consensually pushing an update to your operating system that irrevocably blocks this right and leaves you at the mercy of their judgement over what software you are permitted to trust. "
shark, change.org
"If I wanted to use a locked garden ecosystem, I'd just buy an iPhone. Keep Android open, Google. It is also for your best commercial interest. "
Oscar, change.org
"This is some dirty anti competitive google practice. One of the main reason why people choose android is it's freedom. I'd use a custom rom if my phone supported it(it's a galaxy a04e). Man, i like AOSP, and i really think way mkre people should be using android custom roms for privacy and freedom, because of companies like this, who want to create a monopoly. Android is a good OS, but the company who owns is garbage tbh. So, what i meant is, dont let them continue with those anti competitive practices, havent we had enough of google and big techs dirty practices? "
QByte, change.org
"This undermines user choice, Again. This will hurt countless small businesses and massively increase the barrier to entry for new bootstrapped developer startups. We don't need more gatekeeping. "
Thomas, change.org
"If google makes this change i will find any alternative OS and switch to that. "
Ron, change.org
"Google shouldn’t have the power to take away choice from users and developers "
Job, change.org
"No reason to own a google device if I am limited in what I can do with it. "
Salvatore, change.org
"The continual tightening of the corporate hand around the throat of Android is pivotal to oppose. Android and other Linux-based operating systems are currently and will continue to be the front lines of the eternal battle for user freedom, privacy, and safety worldwide. "
Aaron, change.org
"One of the big reasons I've always loved Android over iOS is that I was given more freedom to do stuff like this with my own device. Taking this away from the Android community leaves not much reason to even stick around on Android IMHO. Just another tech corporation taking away more features "for your benefit". "
Sawyer, 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
"This is a clear grab at power over Android's massive userbase to manipulate the masses via censorship and mass surveillance. If this isn't stopped, they will only push the rules further and further until the slope is so slippery it becomes a cliff. "
Boris, change.org
"I originally chose android so I can learn and make things with apk packages, modify my phone and practice security and privacy. Also to break away from the apple cult. If google goes through with it, that'll betray myself and so many others who feel the same. "
Christopher, change.org
"The openness of Android is the *only* reason many of us care. We understand Google is trying desperately to make as much money as possible, but locking down the developer ecosystem will result in the exact opposite effect. Short term thinking for short term gain. "
Avery, change.org
"If this is implemented I will be abandoning the Google sphere and moving my data over to Apple. I have already signed up for an Apple ID and I am good to go if/when this happens. I will drop android and all associated subscriptions and spend my money at Apple. Goodbye Google. It was a good run 2009 to 2026. "
Scott, change.org
"Restricting the usage of Android honestly completely removes any point in even getting an Android. Google is doing something very stupid right now. "
Emery, change.org
"The freedom that Android offered was its defining feature. Without that freedom, it is no different than iOS. So when I go to buy my next phone, at least Apple hasn't pulled the rug out from under me, just saying... "
Daniel, change.org