आपका फ़ोन अब आपका नहीं रहेगा।
2027* के शुरू होते ही, गूगल बड़े ही शान्ति से आपकी सहमति के बिना, वे सारे एंड्राइड ऐप्प्स पर प्रतिबन्ध लगा देगा जिनके डेवेलपर्स ने गूगल के साथ अपना पंजीकरण नहीं किया है, उनके अनुबंधों पर हस्ताक्षर नहीं किया, उन्हें पैसे नहीं दिए, या फिर अपनी सरकारी पहचान पत्र (आधार कार्ड, पैन कार्ड आदि) न सौंपी हो।
हर ऐप और हर डिवाइस, दुनियाभर में, बिना किसी विकल्प के।
↓गूगल क्या कर रहा है?
अगस्त 2025 में, गूगल ने एंड्राइड पर डेवेलप करने के लिए नई आवश्यकताओं की घोषणा की जिसके अनुसार: 2027 के शुरू होते ही, हर एंड्राइड ऐप्प डेवलपर को केंद्रीय रूप से गूगल के साथ पंजीकृत होना होगा इससे पहले कि उनके द्वारा बनाये गए सॉफ्टवेयर किसी भी डिवाइस पर इनस्टॉल हो सकें। सिर्फ प्लेस्टोर वाले ही ऐप्प्स नहीं, सभी ऐप्प्स। इसमें साथी-सहपाठियों के बीच शेयर किये गए ऐप्प्स भी आते हैं, और F-Droid जैसे प्लेटफार्म भी, जो शौक़ीन तथा तकनीक प्रेमियों द्वारा निजी उपयोग के लिए बनाया गया है। गूगल के इस कदम से स्वतंत्र डेवेलपर्स, मंदिर-मस्जिद-गुरुद्वारे जैसी धार्मिक संस्थाएं और सामुदायिक समूह, और तकनीक-प्रेमी, ये सभी अपना सॉफ्टवेयर बनाने और वितरित करने के अधिकार से वंचित हो जाएंगे।
पंजीकरण करने के लिए आपको नीचे दिए गए कदम अपनाने होंगे:-
- गूगल को एक तय शुल्क भुगतान करना
- गूगल की नियम और शर्तों से सहमत होना
- सरकारी पहचान पत्र सौंपना (सर्वाधिक महत्त्वपूर्ण एवं चिंताजनक)
- सबूत के तौर पर अपनी private signing key दिखाना
- सभी वर्तमान तथा भविष्य के application identifiers को सूचीबद्ध करना
यदि कोई डेवलपर इन शर्तों का पालन नहीं करता है, तो उनके ऐप्प्स पूरी दुनिया में शांतिपूर्ण ढंग से हर एंड्राइड डिवाइस पर ब्लॉक कर दिए जाएंगे।
यह किसे नुक्सान पहुंचा रहा है
आपको
आपने एक एंड्राइड डिवाइस खरीदा क्यूंकि गूगल कहता है उनका डिवाइस एक खुला प्लेटफार्म है। आप उस डिवाइस पर वो इनस्टॉल कर सकते थे जो आपको पसंद है, यही शर्त थी।
गूगल अब उस शर्त को नए सिरे से लिख रहा है, उस हार्डवेयर पर भी जो आप पहले से खरीद चुके हैं। इस अपडेट के बाद, आप सिर्फ वही ऐप्प्स चला सकेंगे जो गूगल द्वारा प्रमाणित हैं। आपके फ़ोन पर: आपकी संपत्ति, जिसके लिए आपने पैसे दिए हैं।
स्वतंत्र डेवेलपर्स को
एक किशोर लड़के का पहला ऐप्प, एक वॉलंटियर का प्राइवेसी टूल, या एक कंपनी का गोपनीय बीटा। गूगल के आशीर्वाद के बिना 2027 में आप उनमें से किसी भी प्रकार के ऐप्प इनस्टॉल नहीं कर पाएंगे।
F-Droid, जो कि हज़ारों free और open-source ऐप्प्स का घर है, उन्होंने इसे एंड्राइड के "अस्तित्व पर खतरा" बताया है। Cory Doctorow ने इसे "Darth Android" कहा है।
सरकारें एवं सामाजिक संगठन
गूगल का एक साबित इतिहास है, जब तानाशाही सरकारें ऐप हटाने की मांग करती हैं तो गूगल मान लेता है। इस प्रोग्राम के साथ, आपके देश की संस्थाओं को चलाने वाला सॉफ्टवेयर एक ऐसी विदेशी कंपनी की मर्ज़ी पर निर्भर होगा जिसे कोई जवाबदेह नहीं ठहरा सकता।
EFF ने app gatekeeping को "इंटरनेट सेंसरशिप की तरफ एक अग्रसर होता हुआ रास्ता" बताया है।
गूगल का "escape hatch" एक जाल है।
गूगल कहता है कि "power users" अभी भी "unverified apps इनस्टॉल कर सकते हैं।" पर असल में यह कुछ ऐसा दिखता है:
- System Settings में जाओ, फिर Developer Options ढूंढो।
- build number को सात बार टैप करें ताकि Developer Mode चालू हो सके।
- आपके साथ जबरदस्ती नहीं की जा रही है, इसकी पुष्टि करें।
- PIN या कोई भी पासवर्ड मांगने पर डालें।
- अपने डिवाइस को Restart करें।
- 24 घंटे का इंतज़ार करें
- वापस आएं, फिर और डरावनी screens पर पुष्टि करें कि आप अपने होश में हैं।
- "allow temporarily" (7 दिन) या "allow indefinitely" दोनों में से किसी एक विकल्प का चयन करें।
- फिर से कन्फर्म करें कि आप "जोखिमों" को समझते हैं।
नौ चरण। 24-घंटे का अनिवार्य cooling-off समय। एक ऐप्प को अपने डिवाइस पर इनस्टॉल करने के लिए।
इससे भी बुरी बात: यह flow पूरी तरह से Google Play Services के द्वारा कार्यरत रहेगा, न कि Android OS द्वारा। गूगल इसे बदल सकता है, इसे कठिन बना सकता है, या फिर किसी भी समय इस flow को खत्म कर सकता है, इसके लिए न OS Updates की जरुरत है और न ही आपकी अनुमति की। और अब तक उन्होंने न beta, न preview, और न ही कोई canary build शिप किया है। यह flow सिर्फ एक blog post और कुछ mockups के रूप में है, इसे एक कागज़ी कार्यवाही भी बोल सकते हैं।
यह सिर्फ Android तक ही सीमित नहीं है
अगर गूगल उन अरबों डिवाइसों को लॉक कर सकता है जो खुले प्लेटफार्म के रूप में बेचे गए थे, तो दुनिया का हर हार्डवेयर निर्माता यह देख रहा है।
सन्देश यह जा रहा है कि: वो कंपनी जिसने आपके डिवाइस को बनाया है, आपके खरीदने के बाद तय करेगी कि आप उस पर क्या चला सकते हैं। सॉफ्टवेयर की भाषा में इसे "rug pull" या फिर हिंदी में "पैरों तले जमीन खिसकना" बोलते हैं; फिर भी सॉफ्टवेयर में आप कोई विकल्प इनस्टॉल कर सकते हो। पर हार्डवेयर के नज़रिये से देखें तो, यह एक fait accompli है या "अब पछताए होत क्या, जब चिड़िया चुग गई खेत", एक ऐसी स्थिति जो आपकी स्वतंत्रता छीन लेती है और आपको एक जवाबदेही से बचने वाले gatekeeper और दोषी एकाधिकारी (monopolist) की मनमर्ज़ी के आगे बेबस कर देती है।
Android का खुलापन सिर्फ एक फीचर नहीं था। यह एक वादा भी था जिसके चलते यह iPhone से अलग था। करोड़ों ने Android सिर्फ इसी वजह से चुना। गूगल अब उस वादे को एकतरफा रूप से तोड़ रहा है, उन डिवाइसों पर भी जो पहले से लोगों की जेब में हैं, क्योंकि उन्होंने तय कर लिया है कि उनके पास इतना बाज़ार वर्चस्व और सरकारी पकड़ है कि वे इससे बच निकलेंगे।
Ars Technica: "गूगल का एप्पल के प्रति द्वेष, एंड्राइड की खुली विरासत को तबाह करने पर उतारू है।"
परन्तु, यह...
"...सुरक्षा वाली बात है न?"
सुरक्षा वाली वजह बस "आँखों में धूल झोंकने" वाली बात है। वैसे भी Google Play Protect डेवलपर की पहचान से अलग malware को स्कैन करता है। Govt. ID की आवश्यकता से कोड सुरक्षित नहीं हो जाता, इससे डेवेलपर्स को पहचानने और नियंत्रित करने में आसानी होती है। Malware वाले डेवेलपर्स पंजीकरण कर सकते हैं। स्वतंत्र डेवेलपर्स और आलोचक अक्सर नहीं कर सकते। EFF साफ़-साफ़ कहता है: पहचान-आधारित gatekeeping एक सेंसरशिप का हथियार है, इसका सुरक्षा से कोई नाता नहीं है।
"...advanced flow के उपयोग से तो sideloading फिर भी मुमकिन है न?"
नौ चरण, 24-hour का इंतज़ार, Developer Options में दफनाया गया, एक proprietary service के द्वारा चलाया गया जिसे Google जब चाहे हटा दे। इसे sideloading नहीं कहते। यह "नाक में दम" करने वाली प्रक्रिया है जिसे यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए बनाया गया है कि लगभग कोई भी इसे पूरा न कर सके। और चूँकि यह Play Services द्वारा चलाया जा रहा है न कि OS द्वारा, गूगल इस प्रक्रिया को और सख्त या फिर चुपचाप हटा भी सकता है।
"...उन्हें दिक्कत देगा न जो कुछ छुपाना चाहते हैं?"
Whistleblowers, पत्रकार, और activists जो तानाशाही सरकार के अंतर्गत काम कर रहे हैं, वे इसके पहले शिकार बनेंगे। घरेलू उत्पीड़न से पीड़ित तबका इस कतार में अगले नंबर पर है। इन सभी समूहों के पास अपना सॉफ्टवेयर बनाने और इस्तेमाल करने के वैध कारण हैं, बिना अपनी कानूनी पहचान गूगल के डेटाबेस में डाले। गुमनाम open-source योगदान की परंपरा Google से भी पुरानी है। यह नीति उसे Android पर समाप्त करती है।
"...एप्पल भी तो करता है न?"
Apple पहले ही दिन से एक किले के समान है। लोगों ने Android इसीलिए चुना क्यूंकि यह अलग था। "एप्पल भी करता है", यह तो बस "एक अंधा, दूसरे की लाठी" वाली बात है और एक कमज़ोर तू भी तो तर्क है। और नियामक दबाव (EU के Digital Markets Act) के चलते, एप्पल को भी खुलने पर मजबूर किया जा रहा है। गूगल इसके उलट दिशा में जा रहा है: अपनी gatekeeper वाली पहचान को और मज़बूत करने की कोशिश में।
"...बस $25 और कुछ कागज़ात की ही तो बात है?"
शायद, अगर आप भारत में एक डेवेलपर हैं जिसके पास क्रेडिट कार्ड और ड्राइविंग लाइसेंस है। मान लीजिये आप sub-Saharan Africa में एक छात्र हैं, या Myanmar में एक विद्रोही हैं, या फिर एक volunteer जो community health app चला रहा है। बात सिर्फ पैसों तक सीमित नहीं है: आप अपने सरकारी पहचान पत्र और signing keys एक ऐसी कंपनी को सौंप रहे हैं जो ऐप्स हटाने और डेवलपर्स को बेनकाब करने की सरकारी मांगों का नियमित रूप से पालन करती है।
इसका विरोध करें
आप सभी
- F-Droid इनस्टॉल करें उन सभी Android डिवाइस पर जो आपके पास हैं। वैकल्पिक स्टोर्स सिर्फ तभी बचेंगे जब लोग उन्हें उपयोग करेंगे।
- अपने regulators को इसके बारे में सूचित करें। दुनियाभर के Regulators टेक सेक्टर में हो रहे monopolies तथा ताकत के केन्द्रीयकरण को लेकर गंभीर रूप से चिंतित हैं, और सीधे उन व्यक्तियों से सुनना चाहते हैं जो इससे प्रभावित और चिंतित हैं।
- इस पेज को शेयर करें। keepandroidopen.org को हर जगह लिंक करें।
- भाड़े के टट्टुओं का डट कर मुक़ाबला करें। ये "किन्तु-परन्तु" वाली फ़ौज भी जोर लगा रही है। उन्हें अपनी मनमर्ज़ी का नैरेटिव बनाने न दें।
- इस change.org petition पर हस्ताक्षर करें और उन 100,000 से अधिक हस्ताक्षरकर्ताओं का साथ दें जिन्होंने अपनी आवाज़ उठाई है।
- हमारे खुले पत्र को पढ़ें तथा शेयर करें
- गूगल को बताएं कि आप क्या सोचते हैं, उनके ही developer verification survey के द्वारा (क्या पता अँधेरे में तीर सही निशाने पर लग जाए)।
डेवेलपर्स
sign up न करें। Android Developer Console के लिए उनके प्रोग्राम को join करने के लिए sign up न करें और ऐसी नियमों एवं शर्तों को न मानें जिन्हें वापस नहीं लिया जा सकता। अपनी पहचान का सत्यापन न करें। उनकी दाल मत गलने दो।
गूगल का प्लान सिर्फ डेवेलपर्स की सहमति से ही काम कर सकता है। सहमति देने की भूल न करें।
- वे डेवेलपर्स और संस्थान जो sign up कर रहे हैं या करना चाहते हैं उन्हें रोकें।
- इस FreeDroidWarn library को अपने users को सावधान करने के लिए अपने ऐप्प में जोड़ें।
- अगर आप एक वेबसाइट चलाते हैं तो इस countdown banner को अवश्य जोड़ें।
गूगल कर्मचारियों के लिए
अगर आप इस प्रोग्राम के तकनीकी कार्यान्वयन (technical implementation) या इसके आंतरिक तर्क (internal rationale) के बारे में कुछ जानते हैं, तो कृपया कार्यस्थल के कंप्यूटर और Gmail अकाउंट के बजाय किसी अन्य निजी साधन से हमें tips@keepandroidopen.org पर संपर्क करें। आपकी गोपनीयता की पूर्ण गारंटी है।
वे सभी जिन्होंने इसका विरोध किया है.....
23 देशों के 71 संस्थाओं ने हस्ताक्षर किया है खुला पत्र
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au 
Brave brave.com 
Molly molly.im 
Osservatorio Nessuno OdV osservatorionessuno.org 
XMPP Standards Foundation xmpp.org 
Fastmail fastmail.com 
GitHub Store github-store.org 
FOSDEM fosdem.org 
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no 
FUTO futo.org 
IzzyOnDroid izzyondroid.org 
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org 
Nextcloud nextcloud.com 
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org 
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co 
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org 
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org 
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch 
CryptPad cryptpad.org 
VideoLAN videolan.org 
Obtainium obtainium.imranr.dev 
Codeberg e.V. codeberg.org 
Cryptee crypt.ee 
iodé iode.tech 
The Calyx Institute calyx.org 
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk 
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works 
OpenMedia openmedia.org 
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org 
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org 
FULU Foundation fulu.org 
Fedimedia fedimedia.it 
AdGuard adguard.com 
GrapheneOS Foundation grapheneos.org 
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de 
GNOME Foundation gnome.org 
The Tor Project torproject.org 
Italian Linux Society ils.org 
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com 
KDE e.V. kde.org 
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com 
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw 
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org 
ARTICLE 19 article19.org 
Tuta Mail tuta.com 
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org 
/e/ Foundation e.foundation 
Ghostery ghostery.com 
LineageOS lineageos.org 
FACiL facil.qc.ca 
Proton AG proton.me 
OW2 ow2.org 
F-Droid f-droid.org 
The OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) osmfoundation.org 
The Guardian Project guardianproject.info 
Techlore techlore.tech 
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org 
Open Web Advocacy open-web-advocacy.org 
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org 
microG microg.org 
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org 
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be 
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net 
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org 
JMP.chat jmp.chat 
Aurora Store auroraoss.com 
Privacy Guides privacyguides.org 
April april.org 
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu 
Data Rights datarights.ngo 
The App Fair Project appfair.org इनका क्या कहना है
टेक प्रेस
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"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 will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
संपादकीय तथा विश्लेषणकर्ता
"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
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Destroying F-Droid isn't some 'oops.' It's the mission. It's Google finally cutting the last remaining escape route and locking every single user inside their store."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"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
"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 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
"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
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"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
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"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 a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"Developers from sanctioned countries or those without Google Play access cannot verify themselves. This creates systemic discrimination against developers based on birthplace rather than conduct."
agnostic-apollo (Termux developer), GitHub
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
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
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"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
"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
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"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 does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"The proposed Android Developer Verification program isn't a security update; it's a kill switch for the open ecosystem."
Hillary Keverenge, Tech-ish Kenya
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud 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 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
"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 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
"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
संस्थान एवं खुले पत्र
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"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
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"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
"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
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"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
"This invasion of privacy of developers is not just an overreach of Google's authority over Android, but also jeopardizes developer safety."
Software Freedom Conservancy
"Google's 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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"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
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Developers who choose not to use Google's services should not be forced to register with, and submit to the judgement of, Google."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"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
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"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
"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
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"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 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
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"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
"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
यूट्यूबर और क्रिएटर
"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
"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
"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
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"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
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – 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
"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 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
"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google 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
"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."
Switched to Linux – YouTube
"I have really no more strong reason to not recommend you all get iPhones, because this just is pretty much an iPhone with a Google logo on it at this point."
Techlore – YouTube
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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 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
डेवेलपर्स एवं कम्युनिटी
"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
"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
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, 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 phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"I want to deploy apps on my device. They are my apps, it's my device, and I should not be required to ask for permission to do so."
fsniper, Hacker News
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, 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
"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
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"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
"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
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"If your country is ever in the crosshairs of 'American interests' and bears the brunt of its sanctions, it is possible that you cannot install apps from your fellow citizens. Your own local government, bank, and store apps."
devsda, Hacker News
"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
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, 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
"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
"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
"I buy a device with my own money, which I supposedly then own, but then I need to ask some corporation permission to use it."
askonomm, Hacker News
"Google 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
"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
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"We need to start treating phones differently. We're entering a world where we can't choose what we run on them. Their primary purpose is to gather data on us and serve us advertising, they're engineered for addiction, yet engaging in the world is immensely difficult without one."
specproc, Hacker News
"Google's 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
"If Android's sandbox and permission systems actually worked, then the mere act of installing an app from an arbitrary source would be as harmless as visiting an arbitrary website."
mwcampbell, Lobsters
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"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
"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 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 wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"I teach digital literacy and 99% of unsavory software I encounter on people's phones come from the Play Store or App Store. I will believe they're serious about protecting users when I see them do something about the crap ton of borderline scam apps infesting their stores."
1995ToyotaCorolla, Lemmy
"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
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, 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
"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
"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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
याचिकाकर्ताओं की आवाज़ सुनें
"My phone, my apps Let me do what I want or else an iPhone will be my phone "
Aaron, change.org
"I've been a long Android user, and I learned so much due to being able to sideload programs; even being able to manually install google play services on some devices where it doesn't come by default. I believe that Google should not lock this change so we can have our own choices to do what we want with out programs and apps; unlike Apple who locks down their ecosystem, and (more so unrelated) Amazon picking out and stopping jailbreaks, which is the reason I have an android phone. For that freedom promised. Google, make the right decision. "
Brandon, change.org
"There has always been more freedom with Android and that is why people choose it. Taking this freedom away will take your customers away. We will always find or create another option. "
Danny, change.org
"The ability to install APKs are a core feature in Android's open nature. It also helps developers to freely test and debug their apps. Installing APKs should be completely free and allowed. Thanks to everyone who made me see this project. Do you want me to draw this as a support material? Thanks. "
Emir, change.org
"Don't tread on us Google! "
Trevor, change.org
"It's my phone that I bought with my money. Why is Google allowed to determine what apps I install on it? "
Eugene, change.org
"This is very anti trust and google is doubling down in the form of 'safety and security'. Do not let this happen! "
JASON, change.org
"Android has always been my go-to, even with today’s high user preference being iOS. The reason why I have relied on it so much is because of the freedom we have to do what we want with our product and not be limited like iOS. This is not about "protecting us" this is to assert control and limit the users’ experience which is a breach of the freedom that Android has always promised. "
Alexandra, change.org
"Android has always been about freedom. "
ben, change.org
"You pay all this money, over a $1000 dollars for a topshelf phones but yet it still isn't yours to do with as you please. This is just another example of corporations taking away your freedoms to choose. "
James, change.org
"As a long time user of Android who has refused to move on to other mobile devices, and as a developer who builds personal apps for testing, I find the idea of removing sideloading to be more harmful for the android community than it is helpful. I do not want to be "an approved developer" by giving up my personal information and being forced to pay a fee. Android literally started as an open-source operating system, and now it's literally just Apple OS but Google edition. Plus the worry of malware being spread elsewhere is contradictory. Apps on the Google Play Store are NOTORIOUS for containing spyware, malware, and even pornographic ads. I once installed a Genesis emulator on the Google Play Store and the first thing I saw was an ad of a bunch of nude girls, and the ad literally had the Google Ads logo button on it, so I know that wasn't from them but y'all. When I installed a Genesis emulator outside of Google Play, there was not a single ad, and for the other apps I got that did have ads, thet didn't have freaking PORN ads. Going anti-consumer isn't protecting anyone Google, it's just making things worse but in your favor. Please Google, make the choice that would keep your userbase and community instead of one that would destroy it. If you are going to continue with this anti-consumer decision, I might as well switch to Apple because at least they take the time to double-check if their apps have malware and spyware. Don't make me switch. "
Elijah, change.org
"This feels like bait and switch. Android has been the open alternative to iOS and that's a primary reason why I've chosen to support Android over the years. We don't have a viable truly free alternative like on the desktop, but Android is the best we've got. "
Sol, change.org
"the staple and main "selling" point of android is how open and free it is. Without that it's no different than any other os. This decision is completely asinine on Google's part. "
Thomas, change.org
"Your treason against humanity's freedom is going to be your downfall we will rise up against you sick sob's !!! "
Fu google, change.org
"Isn't the point of Android to be open and allow choice to install what the user wants? Why should I pay for a phone that won't allow me to actually have control over what I own? May as well buy an iPhone. "
Kolya, change.org
"Android made it possible for free, open source software to be widely used between everyday consumers instead of locking them into subscriptions or high one time payments, and by restricting APK sideloading, this strips people away from being able to use software that more poeple are able to use. This is downright wrong. "
Michael, change.org
"is the monopoly finally going to end? "
Rafael, change.org
"Android has always been the superior product because it has allowed it's users the ability to customize their phones and download what they want. To take that away would make you no better than Apple "
Mike, change.org
"By doing this you are signaling to everyone that you believe you control enough of the market to do what you want in the interest of control, money, and shareholder value. We'll show you that you're wrong. "
Willard, change.org
"The differentiating factor with Android was always freedom. Apple had a locked down market and their own thing over there, meanwhile Android was open. I don't want to give up my tech sovereignty so a corrupt multinational conglomerate can harvest my data and shove more useless bloatware onto hardware I own, all while forcing mass surveillance. "
Michael, change.org
"I first switched over to a Samsung phone because of Android being a open OS. I love being able to make small apps for myself as a developer, and as a user I like that I can find small dev groups on places like GitHub making really cool and useful apps that you would never be able to find on the play store. "
Connor, change.org
"This change has nothing to do with security, it wants to remove the power of choice from the user and screw up many developer by forcing them to use the Play Store. Android is all about freedom and will always be. "
Yuri, change.org
"I'm not even a dev and I don't agree with this "
John, change.org
"Android is not iOS, is monopoly becoming Android to iOS "
RallenPR, change.org
"I switched to Android OS because apple's OS is closed. There will be no upsides to Android once it is closed. I will switch back to iPhones in a heartbeat so I can be on the same system as the rest of my family. "
devin, change.org
"As a user who has used the Android operating system for several years, this seems quite unfair to app developers who rely on third-party distribution channels, supposedly to "unify" the system and make it "more secure." But it simply eliminates the way third parties who aren't in the Apple App Store can distribute apps; this applies to emulators I can use on Android and apps that aren't available in the App Store. Besides eliminating the freedom they boasted about Apple, they want to implement this business model, which affects app developers' privacy (and it's clear that UK laws are having a significant impact). "
juan pablo, change.org
"I am an android user, for personal usage and Emulation purposes. I would like to still install from who I want if I want or need the apps. Android was always about customization. doing this strips users of that because i'm pretty sure there are apps out there for this purpose. "
Andy, change.org
"I am not a dev, I am a Linux user who loves the openness of android. If Android becomes locked down, and the play store is the only option, my sovereignty and freedom is gone. GOOGLE, PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE YOUR CURRENT COURSE. "
Gabriel, change.org
"Let me preface this. Sideloading is *installing a program on a personal computer,* for all that it's phone shaped. You might be used to this behavior from iOS, but even Mac PCs will let you install applications that are unsigned and made by other people, and on the closed-source Windows environment it's still *the main way to get applications,* despite there now being two different official app stores on that platform. Nothing needs to be said about the various Linux/Unix environments. The centralized registration of both apps and developers is not the right approach. It creates a monopoly over who can be an Android developer and will greatly limit the desire to develop apps if it is no longer something that can be done as a hobby but a slow, complicated expense with the requirement to identify oneself. I've done some hobbyist development, but I would not have learned coding if these were the standards I had to meet, and I'd only be losing money. It encourages turning a problem-solving hobby project others might benefit from into a cash grab, or just discourages it entirely. It will in one blow destroy all apps which are no longer maintained, or those who are developed by people who can't or won't escrow their identities with Google, including myself. It also integrates Google's control over the phone even more deeply into how even the phone's software runs, locking these allegedly open devices even more under Google's remote control, and which is already a challenge for makers of de-Googled devices. I strongly suspect it will also become used to apply arbitrary limitations to developers (read the XScreenSaver privacy policy if you'd like to know more) and block many of the tools we currently take for granted, such as those used to root phones. After all, rooting a phone would likely permit installing arbitrary apps, and Google's security model already "distrusts" those devices to the point that they break e.g. banking apps or DRM, so why would they allow something if it conflicts with their security model and they can now control any code that runs on your device? In the end, this WILL be used by Google to permanently remove many people's ability to develop apps on Android at all, likely because those people made tools that provided capabilities Google is not willing to offer or let exist on the free market anymore. The ID requirement will prevent them from creating new accounts and the devices will retroactively block even their installed apps from working while preventing those developers, those _people,_ from making more even on other stores (if other stores even continue existing, given that they would effectively become arms of Google just to have the apps work). "
Russell, change.org
"If this forced update happens. I definitely will be finding a new operating system for my phone or a new phone without Google. You can take that to the bank...!!! "
James, 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
"The only reason I've stuck with Android all these years has been its open ecosystem. If that's removed, I'd switch to Apple in a heartbeat. "
Anjali, change.org
"Dude just stop stealing our personal information already please. -_- "
Evan, change.org
"At one point in time, IOS allowed side loading, which is how I was able to play emulators on my iPod back then. Now, much of what I remember being allowed to do is either behind a paywall, or outright prevented. I (we)moved on to Android to escape those restrictions. Don't let Android turn into IOS, and keep your identity from being stolen! "
Alexander, change.org
"The only reason I prefer Android over iOS is the freedom of sideloading apps. If you remove this feature, lots of users (including me) will no longer have a reason to use Android instead of iOS. Also, isn't Google Play Protect enough to protect users from malware? Besides, sideloading is disabled by default unless you manually enable it in settings. You can add warnings and scan APKs, but please don't block them entirely. "
IPVG, change.org
"I have used android since the begining and the entire reason ive stuck with it (and this has been getting VERY hard lately with all the locking down of android, version by version, more and more like iOS).. this would just be the nail in the coffin for android, for me.. I'd rather daily drive graphene or a very limited linux os than this. Really a shame though when you talk people into using android and all the reasons people choose to switch are being removed. This is something im a single issue voter on, I will cease all google/yt/gemini/etc subscriptions and use the day I can't sideload any app I please.. and this is a complete change for the device, so massive of a change (would have directly affected many of my purchases) that I dont get how they can just do it, literally the stuff that made it special they choose to gut.. "
Joshua, 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
"This is going to kill Android "
Hazel, change.org
"This is going to change android into a half functional game console locked down to anyone who won't kiss the G, a sure sign of drm, not consumer protection. If only google approved apps are allowed, will we only be able to call google approved phone numbers, visit google approved websites, see google approved images, listen to google approved music? We are not google. "
Willem, change.org
"Google is pushing for literally the antithesis of what android alaways promised to be and actually was. This is extremely concerning, it involves and affects ALL people, not just devs. If Google don't back down and the lock down actually happens, who knows how much would it take for them to also start deciding which apps you're ALLOWED to install on YOUR phone. This is the beginning of the path to total user control. WE HAVE TO ACT NOW. "
Raymundo Iván, change.org
"I don't develop any apps, I do believe in freedom. Freedom to put whatever kind of gas I want in my vehicle(sorry EV's!). Freedom to make make some cash on the side whenever I decide to clean out my storage and have a garage sale. Freedom to choose what apps I can install on a device, running android os which I have rightly paid for. There are other options available Google if helping to keep people safe from running buggy apps on their devices is what you really care about. No need to try and be the app gatekeepers for the future. I pray someone snaps back to reality there before your company proceeds to far down this dark path. "
John, change.org
"Nobody asked for this. It's the users choice to install apks on their OWN device that they paid for. Stop doing this google! "
Alexander, change.org
"I only choose Android because of the openness and flexibility in how I choose to use my device. Locking down Android with paid developer verification and blocking me from installing apps manually is not being open. "
Jason, change.org
"This is the only reason android is better than android "
David, change.org
"Android has always been the free alternative to iOS’s restrictions. Without the freedom we’ve come to understand, what’s the draw to this OS? I’ve had some interest in small app development, but if this goes through it will kill that interest dead. "
Katylyn, change.org
"Keep android open, important for the people… "
Sanjay, change.org
"Let's be real, this isn't about security, it's about forcing people to use Google playstore, and trying to get peoples info just like what Youtube is doing right now. "
Draven, change.org
"As user and developer, this is surely concerning and, obviously, unwanted. For a period in my life I've used iOS, but didn't think twice before abandoning it completely, just as I did when moving from Windows to Linux. Again, as user and dev., I treasure having (maximum) control and privacy over my very own devices. To s##t with these ridiculous policies. "
Anthony L., change.org
"I personally knew Android because of it's open nature. Seeing this made me heartbroken. I am all about rooting so sideloading is a crucial part in some rooting operations I do on my device. Now I can't have any more cool mods on my device anymore. Thanks Google. "
chau, change.org
"I made the choice to use top tier devices that run Android OS because it gives me the freedom to customize my device to my wants, likes, and needs. This is a HUGE deciding factor for any items I, and many others, choose to purchase. "Can I make it mine?" As the de facto IT team-of-one where I work (A small all natural deodorant manufacturer that is currently the quickest growing and is becoming one of top rated brands in the US), people ask me about everything tech. I unequivocally recommended Android devices to the everyday "not-hacking-my-devices" person, and even to those that are techno-wizards. The ability to embrace the freedoms of style, function, usability, and privacy are indispensable in tech. The reasons being: You are not locked into an ecosystem that extorts money from its users and developers, while limiting the functions available to you. You can customize the system to your needs or wants. Less so now that before, but it's still doable and reasonably fun for most. Yet, MOST IMPORTANTLY, it gives you the freedom of creativity and discovery! These devices have the potential to do so much; and as users we have the potential to create so many amazing things! Maybe just for ones own amusement, just to see what they can make, or to discover new skills and challenges. Within that though, there is the potential to create something that changes people's lives, be it just entertainment or something far more significant. By limiting the ability to develop and customize the services you limit the concept of the device. By locking down the system you are locking down growth and the potential of many curious minds. "
Elizabeth, change.org
"Android has always stood for freedom, openness, and user choice. Blocking APKs goes against the very spirit of what makes Android great. Users should have the right to install the apps they want, from the sources they trust, not just from one store. Limiting APKs doesn’t make Android safer; it only takes control away from users and developers alike. Keep Android open. Keep Android free.Android has always stood for freedom, openness, and user choice. Blocking APKs goes against the very spirit of what makes Android great. Users should have the right to install the apps they want, from the sources they trust, not just from one store. Limiting APKs doesn’t make Android safer; it only takes control away from users and developers alike. Keep Android open. Keep Android free. "
Pedro, change.org
"The entire point of choosing android over IOS is for the freedom to install things that may or may not work. 3rd party installation already requires you to go through some hoops . Its my device let me install what I want. "
Brian, change.org
"We need to stop the "APPLE-FICATION" of our beloved ANDROID. We have supported Android & Google since it's beautiful inception, to stick it to EVIL BIG CORPS. LIKE APPLE. The act of PREVENTING us from installing APK's or other OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE, is a direct BETRAYAL of us LOYAL USERS of the ANDROID OS. A YUUGE SLAP in the face with 20+ years worth of power behind it. This act maybe not be coming until 2027.... Regardless, this will affect lots of Devs., Users, and others in the ecosystem that prefer to not use the "Play Store" to obtain their apps, and don't Agree with the way that Apple treats it's customers & doesn't want Android to become a company that continually oversteps it's boundaries, & HAS PUT PROFIT OVER PEOPLE SINCE IT'S INCEPTION. ANDROID started as the O.S. of the people, made by an Alliance of Companies, that know how to treat their customers and constantly listened to Android Users, in regards to features and other things that were requested after every update. This is how we have Arrived @ the current version. After countless features added, bug fixes and years of us buying devices with Androids O.S. '27 might be the last year that MILLIONS OF LOYAL ANDROID users turn their backs on the operating system & move on to other Operating Systems that don't want to treat us like children under the guise of "SAFETY".... PLS MAKE SURE TO SHARE THIS WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW AND ASK THEM TO SHARE AS WELL! OUR LITERAL DIGITAL FREEDOM & PREVENTING ANDROID FROM BECOMING EVERYTHING THEY WERE AGAINST IN THE BEGINNING IS IN OUR HANDS. WILL THIS PETITION WORK? WHO KNOWS. THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE THEIR MINDS ON RECLAIMING ALL THE LOST REVENUE FROM FREE APPS, ALT OPERATING SYSTEMS, AND CRACKED APPS/GAMES. Apple has prevented cracked App from the start, that led many ppl to switch to Android after they started bricking JAIL BROKEN iPhones. This might happen with Android as well, nobody wants a bricked Android just because we don't agree with paying between $3 &$9, in order to not get AD's every time that you start a new level on a game, every 3 minutes, every time you open the app, or being restricted from certain functions that only work with the "FULL" Version of the App. PLS ANDROID DON'T TURN INTO APPLE. Remember the motto that you based your whole system on "DON'T BE EVIL"... Leave that to Apple and their sheep users that allow themselves to be controlled by an evil corp. "
Brian, change.org
"Android has always been about freedom and customization. Let's keep it that way "
Jacob, 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
"Let me sideload my Android apps. "
Stephan, change.org
"From a U.S. point of view it leaves us with only 2 wall gardens (Apple iOS and Google Android) as choices for smartphone operating systems with no other serious competition. I do not think this is a good thing for consumers. "
Mark, change.org
"Silly choice. A large chunk of Android users will definitely switch to Apple with changes like this. "
Kai, change.org
"Control. That is all this is. Protection is a word you use to hide your true intentions, google. Google promised a platform where everybody can choose what they want; Linux does this, Windows does this. But google chose to threaten the very way of technology. We as consumers want freedom over the products we purchase, not "protection" from things "outside" of our control or knowledge. "
Trevor, change.org
"This is the main reason I am a android user. If I have to choice between 2 closed systems then I will go to OS "
Victor Daniel, change.org
"I prefer Andriod because of the freedom to install applications from web and altrenative stores other than Play Store. I've lots of apps that I use on daily basis which were downloaded from F-driod and web. Side loading applications is what makes Andriod better than iOS. Don't take away feature that which makes Andriod Cool and Amazing. "
Zupher, change.org
"These proposed restrictions by Google are a threat to personal digital autonomy and to app development. "
Daniel, change.org
"Just because old fogeys keep sending their life's savings to "princes" in Africa or "tech support assistants" in southeast Asia, does not mean that Google deny us all the right to use our devices however we want. It's the governments' responsibility to spread awareness against scams and to shut down the scammers for good. This implementation is just yet another way for a megacorp to harvest user data, because apparently there's never enough data. "
Aabhas, change.org
"this will kill the freedom that android provides and will make you lose a lot of customers you're gonna lose a ton of money from this stupid change "
Jimmy, change.org
"Google is a giant monopoly that never should have grown to the size it has in the first place. We wouldn’t be here if they were stopped a long time ago when they should have been. "
Tom, change.org
"The entier reason I left apple is because of Googles open source and user controlled devices, allowing for sideloading APKs as well as giving you ultimate say on if somthing is safe for you. Add in the new OneUI 8 that has more or less stopped users from rooting devices and we might as well just call it the "Apple Google phone" and just shut down google. Let Steve Jobs win as Google/Samsung seem to prefer. "
Jaylin, change.org
"Freedom to think and develop without cynicism. "
David, change.org
"I use Android because it's free than OS so what will be the difference between iOS and Android if it's not for "site loading".i am simply user not a developer I like to be able to take a software and install it with my device.Don't be evil but that's not true anymore but remember for where you coming from if you forget this your roots you have no future. "
Krasimir, change.org
"Ceasing to monopolize everything under the guise of "user security" only harms millions of independent developers and the users who consume their apps "
Angeles, 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
"This is the sole reason that people choose Android over iOS and removing it removes another layer of customization that Android was known for. "
Isaac, change.org
"Turning Android into Google is pathetic "
Scott, change.org
"Android is about freedom, not control this change will ruin android forever "
Eli, change.org
"This policy would put developers at risk. This isn't safety, it's censorship. "
Teagan, change.org
"Open source is people power "
Nathan, change.org
"Google is making Android more similar to iOS, and we cannot remain passive. We need to unite and resist Google's monopoly control. "
Jerry, change.org
"Rules requiring app developers to pay Google and submit identification documents undermines Android as free and open source software and further exposes Google for the greedy, controlling corporate entity it is, now so far away from it's original "don't be evil" ethos. Privacy concerns about what happens when identification information is exposed have no value to them, and the chilling effect this will have on everyone from minor students learning to develop apps to developers surveilled by their governments will ruin the internet even more than it already has. "
Mary, change.org
"Prohibition is not the way to safety and health. Good UX is enough to allow power user to own their devices. Don't listen to excuses from big corporations that play the victims, while they treat their users like disposables, in order to maximize their profits. Android must stay open. "
Lorenzo, change.org
"Google is Google's own worst enemy. If this goes through, I will never use any of their services ever again. GOOGLE IS A BAD ACTOR AND A BAD COMPANY! WHAT HAPPENED TO "DON'T BE EVIL"?!?! "
Ryan, change.org
"Google wants to become IOS but with this petition we can have a chance for Google not to block apks and it has to work so we all have to vote "
Super, 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
"Google, side loading is one of the few things that made android unique. Bring it back. "
Grayson, change.org
"I have an iPhone currently but hate it because I don’t have the ability to load any application I want. So when this goes into effect I will have zero reason to get another phone with android as it will just be a iPhone knockoff. "
Bill, change.org
"Android has always been the more free-range mobile OS. Had this not been the case, I would have switched to Apple long ago. Open-source, third-party software has driven the Android ecosystem and app development. It's no coincidence this is coming at a time when surveillance and squashing opposition is rising parallel with fascism. "
Kahina, change.org
"The only way for android to compete with Apple is to allow side loading apps. If you remove this what is the selling point of ANDROID! "
Kendall, change.org
"Google is essentially throwing away the mantle with this "anti consumer" strategy. Their just giving the masses a big--no, HUGE reason to largely rebel and replace their software with something less restrictive. You don't think it will happen, but it will... "
Xavier, change.org
"Fight for internet freedom/anonymity! "
m, change.org
"I just spent $2000 on Samsung devices to break out of the Apple ecosystem because I'm tired of being locked down, and then I hear about this. Incredibly disappointing, I guess if they go through with this then I'll head back to iPhone after this, since nothing will set Android apart anymore. "
Kat, change.org
"This level of control over a phone i own is unacceptable if i own it i should be allowed to put what ever i want on it whenever i want without googles permission "
Frank, change.org
"As a young developer, you need to stop! What you re doing will prevent anyone below the age of 18 from developing apps for their own purpose and installing on their device, which they payed for, imagine giving a toy to a kid, then putting it into a box that they can't open, that is what you are doing right now. "
Alex, change.org
"If Google goes through with this, there will be no more Free and Open Source Software on Android. This move by Google has nothing to do with malware, and everything to do with oversight and control. I bought this Android device specifically because it was sold to me as an open platform. If Google goes through with this, I will be throwing this device in the garbage and sending them an invoice for $600 "
Llywel, change.org
"this change would remove the main reason i even purchase these phones, stop it google "
andrew, change.org
"I am not a developer, just a regular apk user, and the fact that google is trying to remove a vital part of android is crazy "
Gilberto David, change.org
"Does google not understand that the reaso ehy I refused to use iphones is that I cannot use my prefered apps on it. If google loses that, google loses me as well. "
bruno, change.org
"Keep android open! "
Giuseppe, change.org
"Are you not greedy enough? "
wesley, change.org
"I really like the apps that I have found outside of the Google play store. I would be really upset to lose them and for them to stop working "
Jason, change.org
"I have contributed to FOSS apps that were published to Google play and F-Droid + similar stores, as well as written multiple apps for myself and family members. Android has long been an open platform that actually gives the user(s) freedom to do what they want with the device they own. However, that free and open model is coming under threat more and more in the name of "security" all while collecting and monetizing our user data. We do not need another walled garden Apple experience. Android users use Android BECAUSE of choice and freedom, not in spite of it. "
Christopher, change.org
"Google and Android have built their empire on the promise of letting users modify, adapt or change what they wish on their phone. Taking this incredibly backwards step from what defined their values for so many years is nothing but a slap in the face to all who have supported these companies over all these years. Changing the base use of devices for so many will have knock on effects for security, in disability or aged access and of course a complete abandonment of privacy in all users. Please share this far and wide as this is the opening act to the symphony of absolute control and forced compliance to a handful of Tech companies. "
Robert, change.org
"My business uses and older app distributed via apk. It is no longer maintainable but works perfectly fine. It will be a huge hassle rebuilding the app just to comply with this new rule to be certified. "
Aaron, change.org