Telefoni yt është duke pushuar së qeni yt.
Duke filluar nga shtatori 2026, një përditësim i heshtur, i shtyrë nga Google pa pëlqimin tënd, do të bllokojë çdo aplikacion Android që zhvilluesi i tij nuk është regjistruar pranë Google, nuk ka nënshkruar kontratën e tyre, nuk ka paguar dhe nuk ka dorëzuar dokument identifikimi qeveritar.
Çdo aplikacion dhe çdo pajisje, në mbarë botën, pa mundësi zgjedhjeje.
↓Çfarë po bën Google
Në gusht 2025, Google njoftoi ↗ një kërkesë të re: duke filluar nga shtatori 2026, çdo zhvillues aplikacionesh Android duhet të regjistrohet qendroisht pranë Google para se softueri i tyre të mund të instalohet në çdo pajisje. Jo vetëm aplikacionet e Play Store: të gjitha aplikacionet. Kjo përfshin aplikacionet e ndara mes miqsh, të shpërndara përmes F-Droid ↗, të ndërtuara nga amatorë për përdorim personal. Zhvilluesit e pavarur, grupet fetare dhe komunitare, dhe amatorët do të jenë të gjithë të përjashtuar nga mundësia për të zhvilluar dhe shpërndarë softuerin e tyre.
Regjistrimi kërkon:
- Pagimin e një tarife për Google
- Pranimin e Kushteve dhe Rregullave të Google
- Dorëzimin e dokumentit tënd të identifikimit të lëshuar nga qeveria
- Dorëzimin e provës së çelësit tënd privat të nënshkrimit
- Listimin e të gjitha identifikuesve aktualë dhe të ardhshëm të aplikacioneve
Nëse një zhvillues nuk pajtohet, aplikacionet e tij bllokohen heshtazi në çdo pajisje Android në mbarë botën.
Kush dëmtohet prej kësaj
Ti
Ti bleve një telefon Android sepse Google të tha se ishte i hapur. Mund të instalonie çfarë doje, dhe kjo ishte marrëveshja.
Google po rishkruan këtë marrëveshje, me efekt retroaktiv, në pajisje që tashmë i zotëron. Pas instalimit të përditësimit, mund të ekzekutosh vetëm softuer që Google ka miratuar paraprakisht. Në telefonin tënd: pronë jote, që ti pagove për të.
Zhvilluesit e pavarur
Aplikacioni i parë i një adoleshenti, një mjet privatësie i një vullnetari, ose një beta e brendshme konfidenciale e një kompanie. Nuk ka rëndësi. Pas shtatorit 2026, asnjëra nga këto nuk mund të instalohet pa bekimin e Google.
F-Droid ↗, shtëpia e mijëra aplikacioneve falas dhe me burim të hapur për Android, e ka quajtur këtë një kërcënim "ekzistencial" ↗. Cory Doctorow e quan "Darth Android" ↗.
Qeveritë dhe shoqëria civile
Google ka një historik të dokumentuar ↗ të pajtimit kur regjimet autoritare kërkojnë heqjen e aplikacioneve. Me këtë program, softueri që ekzekuton institucionet e vendit tënd do të ekzistojë me lejen e një korporate të vetme të jashtme dhe të papërgjegjshme.
EFF thotë ↗ se ruajtja e portave të aplikacioneve është "rruga gjithnjë e zgjeruese e censurës në internet".
"Porta e emergjencës" e Google-it është një kurth
Google thotë se "përdoruesit e avancuar" munden ende të "instalojnë" aplikacionet e pavërtetuara. Ja se si duket me të vërtetë kjo:
- Hyr në Cilësimet e Sistemit, gjej Opsionet e Zhvilluesit
- Trokite numrin e ndërtimit shtatë herë për të aktivizuar Modalitetin e Zhvilluesit
- Largo ekranet e frikësueshme për detyrim
- Vendos PIN-in tënd
- Rinis pajisjen
- Pritni 24 orë
- Kthehu, largo më shumë ekrane frikësuese
- Zgjidh "lejo përkohësisht" (7 ditë) ose "lejo pa kufizime"
- Konfirmo, përsëri, se kupton "rreziqet"
Nëntë hapa. Një periudhë detyruese prej 24 orësh pritjeje. Për të instaluar softuer në një pajisje që ti zotëron.
Më keq akoma: kjo rrugë ekzekutohet plotësisht përmes Google Play Services, jo përmes sistemit operativ Android. Google mund ta ndryshojë, ta ngushtojë ose ta heqë atë në çdo kohë, pa kërkuar përditësim të sistemit operativ dhe pa nevojë për pëlqim. Dhe deri më sot, nuk është dërguar në asnjë version beta, paraprak ose eksperimental. Ekziston vetëm si një postim blogu dhe disa modele.
Kjo është më e madhe se Android
Nëse Google mund të bllokojë retroaktivisht miliarda pajisje që u shitën si platforma të hapura, çdo prodhues pajisjesh në planet po e vëzhgon.
Parimi që po vendoset: kompania që prodhoi pajisjen tënde ka të drejtë të vendosë, pasi e ke blerë, se çfarë softueri të lejohet të ekzekutosh. Në softuer, kjo quhet "tërheqje e qilimave"; por së paku gjithmonë mund të instalosh softuer konkurrues. Në harduer, është një fait accompli që të heq agjencinë tënde dhe të bën të pafuqishëm ndaj dëshirave të një mbikëqyrësi të vetëm të papërgjegjshëm dhe monopolist të dënuar.
Hapja e Android nuk ka qenë kurrë thjesht një karakteristikë. Ishte premtimi që e dallonte atë nga iPhone. Miliona zgjodhën Android për këtë arsye të saktë. Google po e anulon këtë premtim njëanshëm, në pajisje që tashmë janë në xhepat e njerëzve, sepse ka vendosur se ka mjaftueshëm dominim tregu dhe kapje rregullative për t'ia dalë mbanë.
Ars Technica ↗: "Smira e Google për Apple kërcënon të shkatërrojë trashëgiminë e hapur të Android."
Por prit, a nuk është kjo...
"...thjesht për sigurinë?"
Arsyetimi i sigurisë është një perde tymi. Google Play Protect tashmë skanon për malware pavarësisht identitetit të zhvilluesit. Kërkesa për një dokument identifikimi qeveritar nuk e bën kodin më të sigurt. E bën zhvilluesit të identifikueshëm dhe të kontrollueshëm. Autorët e malware mund të regjistrohen. Zhvilluesit e pavarur dhe disidentët shpesh nuk munden. EFF ↗ është i qartë: ruajtja e portave bazuar në identitet është një mjet censurë, jo një mjet sigurie.
"...ende mund të instalosh jashtë nëse përdor rrjedhën e avancuar?"
Nëntë hapa, pritje 24 orëshe, fshehur në Opsionet e Zhvilluesit, të dhënë përmes një shërbimi pronësor që Google mund ta heqë kurdo që dëshiron. Kjo nuk është instalim jashtë. Kjo është një mekanizëm frikësimi i ndërtuar për të siguruar që pothuajse askush nuk e plotëson. Dhe pasi ekzekutohet përmes Play Services dhe jo përmes sistemit operativ, Google mund ta ngushtojë ose ta heqë atë heshtazi.
"...vetëm një problem nëse ke diçka për të fshehur?"
Sinjaletuesit, gazetarët dhe aktivistët nën regjime autoritare do të jenë viktimat e para. Njerëzit në situata dhune në familje janë të tjetër. Të gjitha këto grupe kanë arsye legjitime për të shpërndarë ose përdorur softuer pa vënë identitetin e tyre ligjor në një bazë të dhënash të Google. Kontributi anonim me burim të hapur është një traditë më e vjetër se vetë Google. Kjo politikë e mbyll atë në Android.
"...e njëjta gjë që bën Apple?"
Apple ka qenë një kopsht i rrethuar që nga dita e parë. Njerëzit zgjodhën Android sepse ishte ndryshe. "Edhe Apple e bën" është një garë drejt fundit dhe një argument i dobët tu quoque. Dhe nën presion rregullator (Akti i Tregjeve Dixhitale të BE-së), edhe Apple po detyrohet të hapet. Google po lëviz në drejtimin e kundërt: duke u përpjekur të forcojë më tej statusin e tij si mbikëqyrës portash.
"...vetëm 25 dollarë dhe pak letër punë?"
Ndoshta, nëse jeni një zhvillues në SHBA me një kartë krediti dhe një patentë shoferi. Provoni të jeni një student në Afrikën Subsahariane, ose një disident në Mianmar, ose një vullnetar që mirëmban një aplikacion shëndetësor komunitar. Kosta nuk është vetëm financiare: ju jeni duke dorëzuar dokument identifikimi dhe provë të çelësave tuaj të nënshkrimit një kompanie që rutinisht pajtohet ↗ me kërkesat e qeverive për të hequr aplikacione dhe ekspozuar zhvilluesit.
Luftoni kundër
Të gjithë
- Instaloni F-Droid ↗ në çdo pajisje Android që zotëroni. Dyqanet alternative mbijetojnë vetëm nëse njerëzit faktikisht i përdorin ato.
- Kontaktoni rregullatorët tuaj. Rregullatorët në mbarë botën janë vërtet të shqetësuar për monopolet dhe centralizimin e pushtetit në sektorin e teknologjisë, dhe duan të dëgjojnë drejtpërdrejt nga individët që preken dhe shqetësohen.
- Ndani këtë faqe. Lidhuni me keepandroidopen.org kudo.
- Shtyni kundër propaganduesve. Turma "mirë, në të vërtetë..." është në lëvizje. Mos i lini ata të vendosin narrativën.
- Nënshkruani peticionin në change.org ↗ dhe bashkohuni me më shumë se 100,000 nënshkrues që kanë bërë zërat e tyre të dëgjohen.
- Lexoni dhe ndani letërën tonë të hapur
- Tregojini Google se çfarë mendoni për këtë përmes anketës së tyre për verifikimin e zhvilluesve ↗ (sa mirë që mund të bëjë).
Zhvilluesit
Mos u regjistroni. Mos i bashkoni programit duke u regjistruar në Android Developer Console dhe pranuar Kushtet e tyre të parrrevokueshme. Mos verifikoni identitetin tuaj. Mos luani me rregullat e tyre.
Plani i Google funksionon vetëm nëse zhvilluesit pajtohen. Mos pajtoheni.
- Bindni zhvilluesit dhe organizatat e tjera të mos regjistrohen.
- Shtoni librarinë FreeDroidWarn ↗ në aplikacionet tuaja për të paralajmëruar përdoruesit.
- Keni një faqe interneti? Shtoni banderolën me numërues.
Punonjësit e Google
Nëse dini diçka për zbatimin teknik të programit ose arsyen e brendshme, kontaktoni tips@keepandroidopen.org nga një makinë jopune dhe një llogari jo-Gmail. Garanci absolute për konfidencialitetin.
All those opposed…
66 organizations from 21 countries have signed the open letter
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
F-Droid f-droid.org
Proton AG proton.me
FULU Foundation fulu.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
FOSDEM fosdem.org
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
FUTO futo.org
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Unified Push unifiedpush.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Cryptee crypt.ee
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
April april.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Data Rights datarights.ngo
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
Techlore techlore.tech
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
OpenMedia openmedia.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
Brave brave.com
CryptPad cryptpad.org Çfarë po thonë
Shtypi teknologjik
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica ↗
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot ↗
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge ↗
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google ↗
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot ↗
"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 kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register ↗
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U ↗
"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 ↗
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack ↗
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register ↗
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek ↗
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic ↗
"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's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica ↗
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU ↗
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine ↗
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines ↗
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina ↗
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India) ↗
"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 ↗
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines ↗
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine ↗
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear ↗
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek ↗
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday ↗
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer ↗
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt ↗
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer ↗
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation ↗
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews ↗
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police ↗
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers ↗
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld ↗
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog ↗
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register ↗
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch ↗
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net ↗
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek ↗
Editoriale dhe analiza
"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 ↗
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog ↗
"Innovation may be the biggest casualty in all of this. This new rule erodes your right to make informed decisions about your own devices."
MakeUseOf ↗
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News ↗
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog ↗
"The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours. Google decides which apps are allowed to be loaded on Android and which are not."
Tuta Blog ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog ↗
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI ↗
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt ↗
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday ↗
"Google has announced that they are altering the deal. And telling us that we should pray that they don't alter it further. Block this policy change now before they wrap their cold metal hands around our necks."
Jesse Wilson, PublicObject.com ↗
"Android is not open anymore. It's not an alternative. It's not even trying. It's iOS with ads and spyware bolted on."
fireborn, mataroa.blog ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"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'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 ↗
Organizatat dhe letrat e hapura
"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 ↗
"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 Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid ↗
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno ↗
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU ↗
"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 ↗
"If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today."
F-Droid ↗
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya ↗
"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 ↗
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud ↗
"When you set up a gate, you invite authorities to use it to block things they don't like. And when you build a database, you invite governments to try to get access."
Electronic Frontier Foundation ↗
YouTuber-ët dhe krijuesit
"This means you can't sideload an app from an unofficial source. But it could also be used to lock the ecosystem so we're forced to install only Google apps on approved Google OS versions."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals ↗
"Follow the money. Google makes money when apps are downloaded from its store. Google has completely forgotten about its earlier company motto: Don't be evil."
Tuta Blog – Blog ↗
"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 decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – 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 ↗
"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube ↗
"Google 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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube ↗
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog ↗
"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."
Techlore – YouTube ↗
"The widely-circulated narrative that Google already backed down from this is false. They didn't, and that misunderstanding may be the most dangerous part of the story right now."
Techlore – YouTube ↗
"Google is 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 ↗
"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 ↗
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – 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 ↗
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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 ↗
"This has obvious problems for non-Google operating systems like iodeOS, LineageOS, or BraxOS. Google Android will 'check in' with Google to verify the identity of the app and to validate the operating system."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals ↗
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube ↗
"Google 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 ↗
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog ↗
"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 ↗
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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 ↗
"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 removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube ↗
Zhvilluesit dhe komuniteti
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, 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 ↗
"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 ↗
"I buy a device with my own money, which I supposedly then own, but then I need to ask some corporation permission to use it."
askonomm, Hacker News ↗
"If 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 ↗
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News ↗
"You are essentially a child to them. The difference is society has decided not to step in to protect you from your abusive parents."
globular-toast, Hacker News ↗
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy ↗
"If the likes of Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and others have their way, you will not own your computer; those companies will effectively own your computers."
RUs1729, Slashdot ↗
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters ↗
"If your country is ever in the crosshairs of 'American interests' and bears the brunt of its sanctions, it is possible that you cannot install apps from your fellow citizens. Your own local government, bank, and store apps."
devsda, Hacker News ↗
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, 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 ↗
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy ↗
"I hate this so much. More and more I get the feeling I have no control over the devices I own. My fear is that Windows will eventually follow. For security reasons of course. It's the path we're on now."
cheesyvoetjes, Reddit ↗
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News ↗
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters ↗
"Google's own Play Store had over 600 million malware downloads. They keep talking about 'security' but their own store is crawling with fake apps and straight up malware while actual useful stuff gets buried or rejected."
Historical-Employ129 (324 upvotes), Reddit ↗
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"This is a war on users that want to keep control of their phones and when it's done, you will not be able to escape the enshittification."
ikidd, Lemmy ↗
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News ↗
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News ↗
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, 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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters ↗
"Requiring a government ID to distribute software. Holy shit. If you are a kid and want to create a game for your friends, you better get that birth certificate ready!"
llitz, Reddit ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes ↗
"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 ↗
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy ↗
"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 ↗
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, 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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes ↗
Zërat nga peticioni
"Bro, Google is screwing up with this. Developers and emulators are going to be screwed. They're going to end up ruining the freedom we had and turning it into iOS 2. They're doing everything wrong. "
Facundo, change.org ↗
"The new requirements have really killed my motivation to develop apps. I do not want to provide any personal information to big tech companies. The reason I want to work on FOSS is that I don’t want to give up my privacy, and this new policy is undermining that. These requirements will never create a truly safe and secure OS. Criminals can obtain government-issued IDs through the dark web or by scamming others. The only people being blocked are those who intend no harm at all. Please don’t lock down the ecosystem. "
kam kee, change.org ↗
"that's the only reason i actually use Android, this should not be an actual project of Google "
Theodore Thomas, change.org ↗
"The world needs more freedom, not less. Nobody said you *have* to use a free APK, but we need to keep the option open for anybody who does. "
Evan, change.org ↗
"Open source projects are important for not just developers, but users too. Any attempt to close android would be bad for people who want to switch to secure alternatives like graphene or lineage, but also bad for android too, as it strips community development and comments which helps improve the OS. "
Nathan, change.org ↗
"The people will ask if they feel they need to be represented. "
Catherine, change.org ↗
"If Google goes through with this, I will stop using Google products and services. This isn't about "safety". It NEVER is. Developer verification is yet another attempt at censoring and controlling everything. "
Elizabeth, change.org ↗
"We people should have a choice in what we download. There are real, legit developers out there that google is trying to push out. This isn't for your safety, google wants to choose for you what you're allowed to download. Google doesn't care what is safe for you, they want to silence and push out developers they don't like. "
UsagiMomo/SquishyCat/MayNayeo, change.org ↗
"Android livre já "
Alan, change.org ↗
"I want Android to remain an open operating system and platform. "
Eric, 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 ↗
"I have been with Android since the Motorola Droid on Android 2.0 and been with Android all the way till now. The reason I went with Android is because of the openness and freedom I can do with my device that I bought. Throughout the years, I have installed really amazing apps outside the Play Store. I should have the ability to install any app I want and App developers should be able to create any app they want without having to give their information away. Google, please don't become like Apple and lock everything down. "
Rafael, change.org ↗
"If this goes through I’m going to apple "
Matt, change.org ↗
"Android should be free; it was supposed to be the hero of free or open-source applications. "
Alan, change.org ↗
"This is crazy. Stop this madness. We pay for our devices and should have the right to install whatever software we like without verification. Keeping us safe with regulation is not the answer. Stop the madness and keep android open. "
Steven, 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 ↗
"It's a limiting choice for users and software engineers and it will depreciate Google's platform. "
Jonathan, change.org ↗
"We have the right to choose what apps we want to use or not to use leave it alone "
DENNIS, change.org ↗
"i dont want google to take such a little freedom of installing apps that i think are handy "
gosha, change.org ↗
"If Google "Walled gardens" Android, I will never buy a phone with their OS ever again. That's literally the only reason people buy Android, is because it is open not locked down like Apple. F.A.F.O. how much money you'll really lose Google. "
Brandon, change.org ↗
"I've been an android user since I got my first smartphone a galaxy 3, I've been extremely happy with the amount of peronality I can add to my phone and I've stuck with the android platform because of it. This move towards locking away the freedom to create apps without the oversight of google is a disturbing and should be stopped. Google, please stop this, be the better company, don't become Apple. Be the voice of freedom. "
Sean, change.org ↗
"I have been avoiding iPhone and using Android specifically for this reason. Why would Google change something that is working for them? Why ruin something good? Short sighted and stupid move. "
Will, change.org ↗
"As someone who believes in freedom and not being controlled by the big tech companies, we need Google to reverse this decision, otherwise, I'll just switch to a Linux phone. "
Carter, change.org ↗
"let's go, ! Keep Android alive! "
jorge, change.org ↗
"I really liked android phones cause of the freedom they use to have, but with this... they are the same as Apple so.... there's any reason for me to like Android anymore "
Fabián Jhovany, change.org ↗
"Side loading IS the ONLY reason i use Android. If its taken away, what is the POINT of android? I will move to ios. "
mehedi, change.org ↗
"Keep Android Free and Open! Locking down Android isn't about safety it's about control and censorship! "
Donald, change.org ↗
"Changes like this severely limit fledgeling development. While you promise easy ways to register for free, any barrier can be enough to stop someone from making their first app. Additionally, anonymous publishing should be available for applications that may go against the will of those in power. This change limits freedom as well as killing the developer community. "
Jack, change.org ↗
"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 ↗
"Android has always been a great thing for side loading and having control over YOUR device and removing it like this is terrible. And should be stopped!!! "
John, change.org ↗
"While thinking walled garden is a way to milk customers even more when you already collecting , selling , sharing the customer's data even tho the customers already paid for the device , services already. You are basically taking away and ignoring the customer's autonomy and disrespecting us all. "
ilayda, change.org ↗
"Please keep android open!!! That's why I have an android phone in the first place. "
Michael, change.org ↗
"Communities survive and thrive based on their ability to collaborate and share. Android is the superior platform in my eyes because it's not a closed garden that requires tithe to be paid to some arbitrary group to function. Requiring developers to cede to Google for the simple opportunity to exist would greatly hinder creativity and limit the scope of what an app could do. Were this to go forward, I would certainly be looking to alternatives for my phone and app needs, even if it is inconvenient and difficult. "
Joel, change.org ↗
"The biggest edge Android has had is choice, control, and openness, which is sorely lacking in competitors like with Apple's operating systems. This is the exact opposite of what consumers, developers, and contributors to AOSP want. This is a gross overstep. "
Jordan, change.org ↗
"Android will no longer be what it was initially pitched to be, a phone OS with the freedom to do virtually anything you wanted. After many years of owning android phones I have had to move to iPhone as I can no longer stand how google operates and what they are doing to restrict the android OS. "
Aiden, change.org ↗
"not cool google "
Colin, change.org ↗
"APPLE wAS GONE LONG AGO NOW WHERE WILL WE GO? "
henry, change.org ↗
"Why was Brazil the first country mentioned regarding developer verification for apps??? They want control, for pleasure!??? "
Bruno Eduardo, change.org ↗
"This is a blatantly security washing a monopoly move to undermine the open internet and free access that grew Google to what it is today. If Google wants to be Apple it should produce Apple level products and services without being a leach. "
E, change.org ↗
"This new policy is absurd and should never go into effect. Android's "openness" has always been a big selling point, and now they are trying to take that from everyone. "
Leonardo, change.org ↗
"This seems important not to let Google be the all powerful mega corp "
Adrian, change.org ↗
"The end for digital freedom is already nearing, with all the new social media and age verification laws. The whole point of a computer is to store and process data, allowing you to do various tasks. You should be able to use a device without having to verify 50 million things and give up your identity, it's all just an excuse for the government to track you, create more censorship, and for the companies to sell more of your data. Android is an open mobile operating system, and it should stay that way. One of the main reasons I strongly prefer Android over iOS is how open Android is. This action Google is doing will not protect anything or anyone, it will just cause more drama. "
Angus, change.org ↗
"It's just because I like piracy and I was born into piracy. "
Simp, 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 ↗
"I got an android phone in order to limit the harvesting of my personal data. Steps like these tighten the screws of surveillance and reduce our freedom to use our own devices as we see fit "
N, change.org ↗
"Why are these changes a necessity? What scary changes are happening in the technological realm that's causing Google to take these ecosystem changing moves? It appears as if you're ignoring a large section of your fan base. I hope freedom wins, but I think with the ever quickening development of A. I. that this measure may be the new necessity with mobile technology try to keep had actors at bay. "
Gene, change.org ↗
"Every year my tech gets less and less useful, it seems like every time I look away Alphabet adds more hurdles to jump over simply to have basic access to MY device. Google is a glorified intelligence agency conjured from the depths of DARPA and the CIA. They're allowed to retain their monopoly, not only because of the capitalist dystopia we live in, but because they're a thinly veiled arm of our criminal government, being welded like a cudgel against not only China's much superior tech industry, but the entire world in the form of the tailor made, digital echo chambers they lock us in. "
Steven, change.org ↗
"This angers me a lot. The things that I would say would only be suppressed, and I do not mean profanity. "
John, change.org ↗
"Why would you change what is by far the most appealing aspect of your operating system? Why would you choose to take the thing that set Google apart from Apple and imitate them? A locked down, dumbed down, "My way or the highway" approach to your user base is insulting, and now people will be desperately trying to find out create a new option, and you'll have no way to compare favorably even against your biggest competitor because you're choosing to be in the same boat. "
Michael, change.org ↗
"Stop taking away our rights we bought the device we should be allowed sideload or (install) onto our devices without google stealing every ounce of data and our privacy. "
Michael, change.org ↗
"As an Android developer myself, putting restrictions on an OS that people use to escape the restrictions of — let's say — iOS is a really bold and unconditional move. "
EXPOSED, change.org ↗
"Side loading is one of the biggest reasons I used an Android device. I’ll be using an IPhone for the foreseeable future. "
Joey, change.org ↗
"We want a free and open Android, or we'll choose a better platform. Android without free and anonymous apk's installation capabilities it's not Android anymore "
Peoplewant, change.org ↗
"As an android user who picked android because of the principles and mission laid out by the AOSP, this is in direct violation of what the project was set out to do. Please do not do this, this hurts all consumers whether they realize it or not. "
Matthew, change.org ↗
"We have the right to have a place to escape the clutches of big corporations. "
Miguel, change.org ↗
"Android has benefited greatly from being open. It is what sperated Android from iOS. If Android is going to just be iOS, might as well just buy into the Apple ecosystem which is much more robust than Android. "
Chris, 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 ↗
"SKYNET HAS INITIATED WWIII :( "
Daniel Alberto, 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 ↗
"I am from Brazil, and having an android closed here makes it impossible for Brazilians, who in our situation, most people cannot have an economic situation that can have video games, PCs to enjoy the culture, with emulators, we can have access to this, even with simpler cell phones, because here even the simplest cell phone, it costs almost 1 minimum wage, I wanted to leave my support so that we can change this bad future "
Icaro, change.org ↗
"I strongly oppose this change. Google should HIGHLY reconsider this idea. It's SPECIFICALLY this freedom that makes me go with android to begin with. This freedom of choice is what separates them from Apple. If this change goes into effect you will see many users either switch to Apple, or find any possible alternatives that support these options. "
Zachary, 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 ↗
"What happened to not being evil? "
Scott, change.org ↗
"This is wrong! Taking freedom away from people isn't the same as making them safe! If this happens there will be no reason left to stay on android... "
Arya, change.org ↗
"I only use android because of the freedom. This change would make android as restrictive as iPhones. "
Skyler, change.org ↗
"This move by Google is part of a larger trend to limit freedom online and verify everything. Government ID belongs to the government only not Google, so Google has no right to demand usage of it it's not their property and it's not Google users' property either it's the government's. Making developers present this is unnecessary as code review already prevents bad actors on Google Play Store. Limiting side loading APKs is anti freedom, and anti American. When you buy a device that means you are not restricted from doing anything you wish with it. Additionally basically nobody installs something from outside the play store or other markets like Samsung so this clearly isn't a safety thing because only the people who want or need this feature seek it out, and everyone continues to benefit from the availability of open platforms because they could decide tomorrow to install a app store other than google play store to seek out cheaper apps or ones that match their ethics such as open source. Android itself is licensed as open source and inclusion of proprietary google owned code in devices is sketchy anyway. "
Jagur, change.org ↗
"The push toward a mandatory, centralized developer verification program for Android represents a significant departure from the open-source values that originally defined the platform. By requiring independent developers to pay fees, surrender private signing keys, and provide government identification just to share an app—even outside the Play Store—these policies create a massive barrier to entry that threatens to stifle innovation and privacy. This shift doesn't just add friction; it risks dismantling alternative ecosystems like F-Droid and Aurora Store, which have long provided a vital refuge for those seeking software free from big-tech oversight. If we allow the door to close on sideloading and force every developer behind a paywall, we are effectively trading a diverse, free ecosystem for a "walled garden" that prioritizes corporate control over user agency and digital rights. It is essential that the community stands together to keep Android an open platform where developers can create and users can choose without needing a centralized permission slip. "
Andrew, change.org ↗
"Most of the apps I use are not on the play store! "
Samuel, change.org ↗
"Protect Android FREEDOM... I’ve used Android for years because it stood for freedom and choice. But lately Google has been making it harder to install APK files apps that come from outside the Play Store. That freedom to choose what I put on my own phone is what made Android different, and it’s slowly disappearing. I’m not a developer or hacker just someone who believes that the device I bought should truly belong to me. I should be able to install safe apps from any source without being blocked or discouraged. This isn’t about breaking rules it’s about keeping control over our own technology. If Google keeps tightening these restrictions Android will lose the openness that made it great. I care because user freedom matters and I don’t want to see it taken away bit by bit. "
Boris, change.org ↗
"I have been an Android evangelist since its very earliest days, driving its adoption by multiple organisations (as well as some very sceptical elderly family members). My admiration for Android has always been founded on the philosophy of open access to customise your device as you see fit. The walled Apple garden is the antithesis of this philosophy, and Google's announcement of a further step to build a similar wall around Android sickens me. Manufacturers - take heed! Google is alienating its most important customer demographic; people who believe, rather reasonably, that their phone belongs to them to do with as they wish. Consider alternatives. "
Dan, change.org ↗
"People use Android to have more freedom, if you restrict it as much as possible, what is the point in using it? If it gets too bad, I'll look into alternatives and will swich if there is anything else good enough. "
Ross, change.org ↗
"When I'm bored, I don't look through the play store - it's full of ads and mind-numbing time wasters. Instead, I look through f-droid, which is full of solo developer apps designed to actually be useful and solve a problem. Maybe a problem unique to that one developer, but it's always interesting to look at. We flock to Android because apple doesn't let us side-load. Why take away something that is core to many users experience and has only limited security problems? We all know this isn't about security, it's about control. It's my phone, let me do what I want with it. (And don't even get me started about Android's rollback "protection" >:( ) "
Spencer, 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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Not only are open platforms important in general, but this effort specifically is an anticompetitive and a fraudulent attempt by Google to begin walling the garden after profiting off of the work of devs in the community and the consumers who bought their products FOR the open nature of the software and devices. The goal here is not to secure the platform, its to kill open source and privacy conscious competition to Google's corporate surveillance complex. "
Shelden, change.org ↗
"Android users need freedom. How many apps outside the app store help users who may have personal problems to have fun and distract themselves amidst so many problems? That's why freedom is important. "
Kaue, change.org ↗
"If you break android in this way, we will go elsewhere, and more code will be written, more avenues gone down and new ways to sidestep your control and ditch your software will emerge. You can't win, but you can lose. "
Daniel, change.org ↗
"Keep android open "
Charlotte, change.org ↗
"Without Youtube Revanced on my android phone in september 2026 i have to use official youtube and i hate it when google wants to make more money and everything and will have to kill the apk files ive enjoyed for a long time, even lucky patcher app owners will have to use their money on their favorite app to waste money and so much more...and by the news of the google update it makes me upset and angry about it. Im standing up to prove who i am and will be using youtube revanced app instead of official youtube app for people like me, i will never give up and will protest with other android users who are against google for our glory. #FreeAndroid #JusticeForAndroid #MakeGoogleGoneForever "
Leland, change.org ↗
"Google, don't make me get the spray bottle. "
Skipps, change.org ↗
"Purchasing objects means ownership. If ownership is only given to the haves, the have-nots become slaves. Google, if you are doing this of your own free will, shame on you. Governments of the world: attack evildoers directly, don't punish the populace with slavery. For one sin, all Man suffers. But we don't have to live in that slavery to sinfulness! Return hate with love! "
Jame, change.org ↗
"My whole reason to use Android is because it's open. At this point, you're just making a shittier version of IOS by locking down Android... "
Zakaria, change.org ↗
"I can explain why I use Android, and therefore Google services, by the fact that Google used to care about its users, their rights, and their freedom. Although not as much as we would like. After what Google has presented, my phone will soon be no different from an iPhone. I'm not happy about this; I want freedom. I want the freedom to install the apps and APK files I choose, not just the ones I am "allowed" to download. "
Sviatoslav, change.org ↗
"Keep android open, important for the people… "
Sanjay, change.org ↗
"This is a step towards global disaster... Letting Google and Apple control any and all functionality you have on your handheld computer is absolutely absurd. The right android phone can be tuned to a perfect workhorse and sidekick, this new Android Developer Verification Requirement would kill any hope of having personalized and properly functional phones whilst letting Google choose exactly what Developers get to provide tools, collect your data, and offer in-app purchases. I think we all know Google has ruined almost every program on these devices already: accessing local files on the device requires that you use their "google files app" which is ridiculous and clearly them trying to take control where they shouldnt; photos is now "google photos"; wallet? google.; calendar? google; want to have a phone without some BS ai or something hard baked into it? well too bad! assistant cant be turned off; these little briefings with ads that pop up when you unlock your phone?; the adds in the weather app?; how about when you want to go to the nearest restaurant, just trust google to take you there i guess. Here's a very important part of all this: notice that Google replaces all of your PRIVATE apps! My files, which are private, are no longer private since by default the files app is a Google app now. My photos, which are private, owned by Google. My super secure offline location which holds my bank cards, very private, now online and stored somewhere by Google, the company that paid millions to cover up a data breach of 53 million users from 2015 to 2018 (if you were wondering why your info shows up on so many dark websites, thanks incognito!). Pretty much in short: Google is trying to own and control society and this pretty much is a huge leap for them to get there. Don't get me started on Apple. "
Kaden, change.org ↗
"I currently own an iPhone, but I've always wanted to switch to and Android because I knew that I wouldn't be limited by what their app store says I can have on my phone. With this change, it sets a precedent that I don't have the right to run what programs I want to run on my technology, and I don't want to live like that. There are so many cool projects that aren't on the Play Store for various reasons, and we can't afford to lose those simply because Google wants control. "
O, change.org ↗
"When I purchased my Android product, it was with the understanding that I could use it how I pleased. This doesn't make anything better, they are doing this in a bid to control what their consumers are able to access. It is predatory and they must be held accountable. "
Phillip, change.org ↗
"The main reason I've always preferred android over apple is the freedom of app development and usage. What's the point of using an android phone when I have to rely on an app store that limits what's available? This decision is gonna affect an already undesirable Google "
Mychal, change.org ↗
"As a regular user and a small developer, I find this measure deeply concerning. When I choose to buy an Android phone, it is with the expectation of having control over how I use it, not to face restrictions or censorship. Tools like Knox and Play Integrity are already frustrating enough, and now it seems that even downloading applications from F-Droid or other nice Stores should be checked ?! This undermines both user freedom and the open spirit that originally defined Android. We have ( well we have to take it back) the right to create, modify, and use apps—and to communicate online—without being forced to give up anonymity. It is up to users to educate themselves about potential risks, not for GAFAM to decide on our behalf. "
naknak, change.org ↗
"I bought this device. Keep your ransomware/malware away from MY device, Google. "
Zach, 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 ↗
"I am the founder of Yale Privacy Lab, where we have investigated privacy and security issues in Android apps since 2017. I can say without hesitation that this change makes Android users less safe. Android is based upon free and open source software (FOSS) and that has always been defined by user choice. Blocking the capability to install apps directly from trusted sources outside Google Play is not a small tweak. It removes a core freedom. We should not need permission to run software on devices we own. Framing this change as protection does not reflect the reality of the Android ecosystem. Google Play has long allowed unsafe apps, invasive tracker SDKs, and supply chain threats that slip through automated review. Independent audits have consistently revealed these issues inside of Google Play, even *after* Google claims to have scrubbed. For example, the X-mode SDK persisted long after it was banned in the USA by the FTC enforcement action, and was still present in many Google Play apps until Google was called out by my own investigation. Initially, Google responded by saying I was wrong but then acknowledged their error in press. Long after that, other tracker SDKs associated with X-mode and the wider ad-tech surveillance economy have persisted. In many cases, the safer and more privacy-conscious option is to use F-Droid to install apps. F-Droid is just one organization that is much more serious than Google about checking the safety of their catalog of apps. Sometimes, the safest option is installing APKs directly from trusted developers. These methods can avoid ad trackers, surveillance code, and unwanted data sharing. To cut off these options is to put many activists, journalists, whistleblowers, and ordinary users at risk. "
Sean, change.org ↗
"Google is heading down a dangerous path by trying to block or restrict APK installations from unofficial sources. This is a direct attack on one of the core reasons people chose Android in the first place: freedom. Android was supposed to be the alternative to locked-down ecosystems, not a copy of them. Let’s be honest about what this looks like. This is the same model used by Apple Inc. with iOS, where users are forced into a single app store, developers are squeezed by high fees, and anything outside that system is treated as suspicious or outright blocked. Android was never supposed to be that. Copying the worst parts of iOS defeats the entire purpose of Android existing at all. Sideloading APKs is not some fringe feature for hackers. It is essential for developers, for users in regions with limited access to official stores, and for anyone who values control over their own device. Taking that away is not about safety, it is about control. It is about deciding what users are allowed to install and where developers are allowed to distribute their work. Yes, security matters. But using “security” as an excuse to lock down the platform is lazy and dishonest. Users can handle informed choices. Warnings, permissions, and transparency already exist. Removing freedom entirely is not protection, it is restriction. If Google continues down this road, Android will lose what made it different and valuable. At that point, it becomes just another closed system pretending to be open. And if users are going to be treated like they have no control over their own devices, then there is no real difference left. People are not asking for less security. They are demanding the right to choose. And that right should not be taken away. "
Keep, 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 ↗
"Openness was supposedly Android's mission to difference itself from iOS and now they're gonna take it away? I don't want a closed system, you're just making a worse version of iOS and throwing away one of the biggest selling points of your OS, keep Android open. "
Ernesto, change.org ↗
"Keep Android Open. We are not letting you form a monopoly, Google. It's OUR devices. If you continue with this, you'll remove one of the only reasons most people are not with Apple: freedom. So think about it. "
Bruno Leonel, change.org ↗
"I figured out how to play Minecraft Java Edition on my phone, and Google is trying to take that away from me? Besides that, there are probably dozens of unverified apps on my phone that I would REALLY like to keep, and Google requiring verification will basically turn my phone into a little YouTube machine. I hate that and you should too. "
David, change.org ↗
"APKs have brought really cool Android ports to game sites like GameJolt, and and I don't want to see that go away. Also, I heard licenses for these things can get pretty darn expensive, which isn't cool. "
Deirdre, change.org ↗
"We want to use the devices we bought with our very own money, however we want without corporations force feeding us whatever they want like Google "
Magnolia, change.org ↗
"As a user, Stop it. Android is cool for openness: you close it, we'll leave "
Nicolò, change.org ↗
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