Seu telefone está prestes a deixar de ser seu.
A partir de Setembro de 2026, uma atualização silenciosa, imposta sem consentimento pelo Google, bloqueará todo aplicativo Android cujo desenvolvedor não se registrou no Google, não assinou o contrato e não pagou ...
Todos os aplicativos e todos os dispositivos, em todo o mundo, sem opção de não participar.
↓O que o Google está fazendo
Em agosto de 2025, o Google anunciou um novo requisito: a partir de setembro de 2026, todos os desenvolvedores de aplicativos Android deverão se registrar centralmente junto ao Google antes que seu software possa ser instalado em qualquer dispositivo. Não apenas os aplicativos da Play Store: todos os aplicativos. Isso inclui aplicativos compartilhados entre amigos, distribuídos através do F-Droid, criados por amadores para uso pessoal. Desenvolvedores independentes, grupos religiosos e comunitários, assim como amadores, serão impedidos de desenvolver e distribuir seus softwares.
O registro implica em:
- Pagar uma taxa ao Google
- Concordar com os Termos e Condições do Google
- Entregar o seu documento de identidade oficial emitido pelo governo
- Apresentar provas da sua chave de assinatura privada
- Listar todos os identificadores de aplicativo, atuais e futuros
Se um desenvolvedor não cumprir as regras, seus aplicativos serão bloqueados automaticamente em todos os dispositivos Android do mundo inteiro.
Quem é prejudicado por isso
Você
Você comprou um celular Android porque o Google disse que era um sistema aberto. Você poderia instalar o que quisesse, e esse era o acordo.
O Google está agora reformulando esse acordo, com efeito retroativo, no hardware que você já possui. Após a atualização, você só poderá executar softwares pré-aprovados pelo Google. No seu próprio celular: seu dispositivo, pelo qual você pagou.
Desenvolvedores independentes
O primeiro aplicativo de um adolescente, uma ferramenta de privacidade criada por um voluntário ou uma versão beta interna confidencial de uma empresa. Não importa. A partir de setembro de 2026, nenhum desses aplicativos poderá ser instalado sem a aprovação do Google.
A F-Droid, que hospeda milhares de aplicativos Android gratuitos e de código aberto, classificou isso como uma ameaça "existencial". Cory Doctorow chama isso de "Darth Android".
Governos & sociedade civil
O Google tem um histórico comprovado de acatar as exigências de regimes autoritários quando estes solicitam a remoção de aplicativos. Com esse programa, o software executado pelas instituições do seu país ficará à mercê de uma única empresa estrangeira que não presta contas a ninguém.
A EFF considera controles de acesso à aplicativos "um caminho cada vez mais fácil para a censura na internet".
A "saída de emergência" do Google é uma armadilha
O Google afirma que os "usuários avançados" podem "ainda instalar" aplicativos não verificados. Veja como isso realmente funciona:
- Acesse as Configurações do Sistema e localize as Opções de Desenvolvedor
- Toque no número da versão sete vezes para ativar o Modo de Desenvolvedor
- Ignore os alertas alarmistas sobre coerção
- Digite seu PIN
- Reinicie o dispositivo
- Aguarde por 24 horas
- Volte, feche mais telas de alerta
- Escolha entre "permitir temporariamente" (7 dias) ou "permitir indefinidamente"
- Confirme, mais uma vez, que compreende "os riscos"
Nove etapas. Um período de espera obrigatório de 24 horas. Para instalar software em um dispositivo de sua propriedade.
Pior ainda: esse fluxo opera inteiramente por meio do Google Play Services, e não do sistema operacional Android. O Google pode alterá-lo, restringir seu acesso ou desativá-lo a qualquer momento, sem a necessidade de atualização do sistema operacional e sem precisar de consentimento. E, até o momento, ele não foi incluído em nenhuma versão beta, preview ou canary. Ele existe apenas como uma publicação no blog e algumas maquetes.
Isso vai além do Android
Se o Google pode bloquear retroativamente bilhões de dispositivos que foram vendidos como plataformas abertas, todos os fabricantes de hardware do mundo estarão de olho nisso.
O precedente que está sendo estabelecido: a empresa que fabricou o seu dispositivo decide, depois que você o comprou, qual software você tem permissão para executar. No mundo do software, isso é chamado de "rug pull"; mas, pelo menos, você sempre podia instalar um software concorrente. No hardware, trata-se de um fato consumado que tira de você o poder de decisão e o deixa à mercê dos caprichos de um único guardião irresponsável e monopolista convicto.
A abertura do Android nunca foi apenas um recurso. Era a promessa que o diferenciava do iPhone. Milhões de pessoas escolheram o Android exatamente por esse motivo. Agora, o Google está revogando essa promessa unilateralmente, em dispositivos que já estão nos bolsos das pessoas, porque decidiu que possui domínio de mercado e influência regulatória suficientes para se safar dessa.
Ars Technica: "A inveja do Google pela Apple ameaça desmantelar o legado aberto do Android."
Mas espere, isso não é...
"...só sobre segurança?"
O argumento da segurança é uma cortina de fumaça. O Google Play Protect já verifica a presença de malware independentemente da identidade do desenvolvedor. Exigir um documento de identidade oficial não torna o código mais seguro. Isso torna os desenvolvedores identificáveis e controláveis. Os autores de malware podem se registrar. Desenvolvedores independentes e dissidentes, muitas vezes, não conseguem. A EFF é direta: o controle de acesso baseado em identidade é uma ferramenta de censura, não de segurança.
"...possível fazer sideloading se você usar o fluxo avançado?"
Nove etapas, espera de 24 horas, escondido nas Opções do Desenvolvedor, disponibilizado por meio de um serviço proprietário que o Google pode revogar quando quiser. Isso não é instalação paralela. É um mecanismo de dissuasão criado para garantir que quase ninguém consiga concluir o processo. E como ele funciona por meio do Play Services, e não do sistema operacional, o Google pode restringir ou desativá-lo discretamente.
"...um problema somente se você tem algo a esconder?"
Informantes, jornalistas e ativistas que vivem sob governos autoritários serão as primeiras vítimas. As pessoas em situações de violência doméstica são as próximas. Todos esses grupos têm motivos legítimos para distribuir ou usar software sem que sua identidade legal seja registrada em um banco de dados do Google. A contribuição anônima para o código aberto é uma tradição mais antiga do que o próprio Google. Essa política põe fim a isso no Android.
"...a mesma coisa que a Apple faz?"
A Apple tem sido um "jardim murado" desde o início. As pessoas escolheram o Android porque ele era diferente. Dizer que "A Apple também faz isso” é aceitar uma corrida para o fundo do poço e um fraco argumento tu quoque. E sob pressão regulatória (a Lei dos Mercados Digitais da UE), até mesmo a Apple está sendo forçada a se abrir. O Google está indo na direção oposta: tentando consolidar ainda mais seu status de centralizador.
"...só $25 e um pouco de burocracia?"
Talvez, se você for um desenvolvedor nos EUA com um cartão de crédito e uma carteira de motorista. Tente ser um estudante na África Subsaariana, ou um dissidente em Mianmar, ou um voluntário que mantém um aplicativo comunitário de saúde. O custo não é apenas financeiro: você está entregando sua identidade oficial e suas chaves de assinatura a uma empresa que atende rotineiramente às exigências do governo para remover aplicativos e expor desenvolvedores.
Reaja
Todos
- Instale a F-Droid em todos os dispositivos Android que você possui. As lojas alternativas só sobrevivem se as pessoas realmente as utilizarem.
- Entre em contato com as autoridades reguladoras. As autoridades reguladoras em todo o mundo estão genuinamente preocupadas com os monopólios e a centralização do poder no setor de tecnologia, e querem ouvir diretamente as pessoas afetadas e preocupadas.
- Compartilhe esta página. Compartilhe o link para keepandroidopen.org em todos os lugares.
- Enfrentem os "vendidos". O pessoal do "bem, na verdade..." está em força total. Não deixem que eles ditem o tom da discussão.
- Assine a petição em change.org e junte-se aos mais de 100.000 signatários que já fizeram ouvir suas vozes.
- Leia e compartilhe nossa carta aberta
- Diga ao Google o que você acha disso por meio do própria [pesquisa de verificação de desenvolvedores](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfN3UQeNspQsZCO2ITkdzMxv81rJDEGGjO-UIDDY28Rz_GEVA/viewform? pli=1) (para que isso sirva de alguma coisa).
Desenvolvedores
Não se inscreva. Não participe do programa inscrevendo-se no Android Developer Console e concordando com seus Termos e Condições irrevogáveis. Não verifique sua identidade. Não entre no jogo.
O plano do Google só funciona se os desenvolvedores o seguirem. Não o siga.
- Convença outros desenvolvedores e organizações a não se registrarem.
- Adicione a biblioteca FreeDroidWarn aos seus aplicativos para alertar os usuários.
- Você tem um site? Adicione o banner de contagem regressiva.
Empregados do Google
Se você tiver alguma informação sobre a implementação técnica ou a lógica interna do programa, entre em contato com tips@keepandroidopen.org a partir de um computador que não seja do trabalho e de uma conta que não seja do Gmail. Garantimos total confidencialidade.
Todos estes se opõem…
71 oraganizações de 23 países assinaram a carta aberta
April april.org
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
F-Droid f-droid.org
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
CryptPad cryptpad.org
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
iodé iode.tech
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
Proton AG proton.me
Techlore techlore.tech
FULU Foundation fulu.org
OpenMedia openmedia.org
FACiL facil.qc.ca
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
GitHub Store github-store.org
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
Brave brave.com
FUTO futo.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com O que estão dizendo
Imprensa especializada em tecnologia
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"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
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
Editoriais & análises
"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
"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
"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 has announced that they are altering the deal. And telling us that we should pray that they don't alter it further. Block this policy change now before they wrap their cold metal hands around our necks."
Jesse Wilson, PublicObject.com
"Google 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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours. Google decides which apps are allowed to be loaded on Android and which are not."
Tuta Blog
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"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
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"The proposed Android Developer Verification program isn't a security update; it's a kill switch for the open ecosystem."
Hillary Keverenge, Tech-ish Kenya
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"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
"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
"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
"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
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"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
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
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
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
Organizações & cartas abertas
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"There are governments who might very much like to know the names of the developers of those applications so that they can go after them."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"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
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
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 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
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"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
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"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
"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
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"When you set up a gate, you invite authorities to use it to block things they don't like. And when you build a database, you invite governments to try to get access."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"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
"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
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"A centralized global registration system for Android will inevitably chill this work. Those communities are likely to drop out of developing for Android altogether."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"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
"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
"If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today."
F-Droid
"Developers who choose not to use Google's services should not be forced to register with, and submit to the judgement of, Google."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"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
YouTubers & criadores
"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
"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google 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
"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
"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
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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 decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"Google 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
Desenvolvedores & comunidade
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"Whatever Google is doing kind of scares me. We have a big DIY community of diabetics in Germany running tools like AndroidAPS that cannot ever be distributed through official channels."
pimeys (Type 1 diabetic, DIY medical software), Lobsters
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"You are essentially a child to them. The difference is society has decided not to step in to protect you from your abusive parents."
globular-toast, Hacker News
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"If your country is ever in the crosshairs of 'American interests' and bears the brunt of its sanctions, it is possible that you cannot install apps from your fellow citizens. Your own local government, bank, and store apps."
devsda, Hacker News
"I 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
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"This is a war on users that want to keep control of their phones and when it's done, you will not be able to escape the enshittification."
ikidd, Lemmy
"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'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
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"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
"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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"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
"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
"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
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, 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
"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
"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
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"We need to start treating phones differently. We're entering a world where we can't choose what we run on them. Their primary purpose is to gather data on us and serve us advertising, they're engineered for addiction, yet engaging in the world is immensely difficult without one."
specproc, Hacker News
"After 15 years of professional development on Android I too am now thinking about switching my focus to something different. And it sucks."
MrDresden, Hacker News
"Google 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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"There's an entire genre of scamming where the scammers spend months building rapport with their victims before cashing out. One day is nothing."
free_bip (on the 24-hour wait defeating scammers), Hacker News
"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
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"If Android's sandbox and permission systems actually worked, then the mere act of installing an app from an arbitrary source would be as harmless as visiting an arbitrary website."
mwcampbell, Lobsters
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"I want to deploy apps on my device. They are my apps, it's my device, and I should not be required to ask for permission to do so."
fsniper, Hacker News
"My Pixel 6 just broke, and after 15 years of using Android, I've finally been convinced to move to iOS. If I must live in a walled garden, I suppose I'll choose the one with nicer flowers."
yonato, Hacker News
"If 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
"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
"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
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"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
Testemunhos da petição
"Let's fight for our freedom. "
Juan, change.org
"This is a horrendous plan. The Android Open Source Project is supposed to be just that... Open source. Requiring developers to provide Id, pay a fee, and register to release software for phones that people own is untenable. This is effectively making Android as much of a walled garden as Apple. Except Apple does it better. The whole draw of Android was the openness of the platform. If you remove that, we would be better off with Apple. PLEASE do not ruin Android by going ahead with this misguided plan. "
Alan, change.org
"Google needs to stop this. Collecting data in general is terrible "
Wojciech, change.org
"One of the main benefits of owning an Android device is having the freedom of installing any repositories and apps you wish, including those that are open source. If Google goes through with this power grab and monopolizes the Android software, then there will be no benefit compared to owning an iPhone. "
Richard, change.org
"Please don't limit the choice of those users who are either more technically inclined or simply need to use an app that isn't available on a store or signed by a registered developer. This is the kind of thing that really makes me sad. The flexibility of Android is gradually getting chipped away. First you take steps to make it incredibly difficult to have a usable experience on a rooted device via Play Integrity Services, and now you're going to take away our choice to sideload on devices that are supposedly "secure" as well? This is so anti-consumer and so against the spirit of freedom that Android afforded for those who didn't want to be locked in that I just can't find any way to justify it. How can you? "
Dustin, change.org
"It wasn’t enough to allow malicious apps on the Playstore, now they want to remove the one thing that makes someone want to use Android? And I haven’t even commented yet on the fact that they prevent users from exploring their own files freely (date, obb), and applications with security flaws that cannot be uninstalled. the situation does not seem to be good... But there is still hope "
Adonis, change.org
"As an iPhone user, Android's ability to sideload apps was the single reason I purchased an Android tablet instead of an iPad. Now that this is going away, Google can go away because they're no different than an Apple phone now. "
Robert, change.org
"Android giving users choice has been the staple point of android OS. Removing choices like sideloading apps is not the move. I develop apps for myself, I do not want to be "an approved developer" I don't have time nor care for that. This action also is the beginning of censorship, and monopolization of android OS. Android started as an open operating system, you have simply turned it into a reskinned Apple OS. Your choice to go anti-consumer is going to hurt. You are not "protecting" anyone "
lucas, change.org
"Android has always been about freedom. I've always loved side loading an app made by a line developer to complete a niche task/feature. My music player and compass app were side loaded from F Droid and I think it's super cool to be able to install custom versions of stock phone apps. I've side loaded a modded version of my camera app that brought Google Pixel's photosphere to my phone. How else would I have been able to do this without side loading?? There's no reason Android has to go this direction, it may just as well be called mock iOS if all the reasons I chose Android are taken away. May customization, freedom of how I use my phone, and innovation reign once again in the heart of Google's Android! PLEASE 🙏 "
YAIR RAFAEL, change.org
"A company like Google should not be allowed should not be allowed to do something like this. As a regular user I find what they are trying to do deeply concerning. When I choose to buy an Android phone, it's with the expectation of having control over how I use it, not to face restrictions or censorship, this is not even going over the massive privacy risks and data theft, this is an open source operating system and freedom should be key, I do not like how all of these companies and governments are trying to push age verification for everything, and I would hope for the decency of being given privacy "
Ronnie, change.org
"Google, allow us to actually own our devices! "
cornelius, change.org
"Google is a monopoly at this point, break it up. "
Barton, change.org
"This is a violation of free speech and freedom of choice. We are not apple! "
Gearrard, change.org
"As an open source coder, I cannot continue to work on mobile platforms with this change. It closes the door on an individuals right to free expression with the hardware platforms we already own. "
William, change.org
"i have been a user of fdroid for a few years and really like the apps that aren't on the play store or aren't google approved. please stop google doing this!! "
Justin, 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
"Silly choice. A large chunk of Android users will definitely switch to Apple with changes like this. "
Kai, change.org
"Yoo wtf? Cant live like dat "
Abs, change.org
"My name is Lawrence Wider Jr. I am a huge fan of Android. The ability flawlessly download the individuals files (APKs) of smartphone apps on my smartphone is the reason why I decided to choose Android as my first ever smartphone OS to use over iOS a couple of decades ago. In short, it was Freedom Of Choice that caused me to choose Android over IOS decades ago. If Google decides to go through with their plan to limit APK usage this September, then I will no longer have that awesome choice and I will no longer be able to choose the awesome smartphone OS known as Android as my smartphone os. The ability to flawlessly download the individuals files (APKs) of smartphone apps on my smartphone had also caused Android to be a fun smartphone OS for me to use. Another advantage of the ability for me to download individual files (APKs) of APKs on my Android smartphone has given me is the ability for it to be easier for me to use Android. If Google decides to limit APK file usage this September, then it would cause me to no longer choose Android as my smartphone is to use. Thank you. "
Lawrence, change.org
"Google is long overdue to be broken up like AT&T was and this blatantly anti consumer decision to lock down Android proves this. "
Kris, change.org
"If I wanted an iPhone, I would chuck my phone into the nearest dumpster and walk into the Apple store that very same day and buy an iPhone, but that is not what I want. I want the freedom to install the software of my choice and the right to use my device (that I have purchased!) in the way that I want. Google claims that developer verification is for the user's safety. However, forcing developers to disclose their identities will put their safety at risk if they live in countries where censorship is rampant, or make them a target for doxxing if any shady third parties wish to abuse this verification system for whatever petty reasons. "
David, change.org
"Freedom of choice and the end users ability to load applications and make changes to their devices is exactly why I switched to Android so many years ago. Truly hoping this is resolved and back to the core android roots once again. "
Ryan, change.org
"This is going to kill Android "
Hazel, change.org
"This is a clear grab at power over Android's massive userbase to manipulate the masses via censorship and mass surveillance. If this isn't stopped, they will only push the rules further and further until the slope is so slippery it becomes a cliff. "
Boris, change.org
"Please reconsider this decision. Android has always been about freedom and open source. Being able to support small developers and having choices to sideload apps is integral to Android's success. "
Jay, change.org
"Absolute nonsense from Google, the flexibility of the Android OS has been the only thing differentiating it from Apple products and keeping me in this ecosystem. Each "update" is just another layer of restrictions at this point. With current market prices and the state that Google is developing android, I might as well just buy a laptop instead of a flagship android. "
Pwon, change.org
"Ces é paia mano "
Solalalule, change.org
"I use Android specifically because it is a more open platform. I develop apps for myself and family members and I have no intention of becoming any kind of approved developer just to continue to do that. This is an absolute bait and switch to the most loyal of Android users and is going to drive many of us to seek out alternative operating systems. And sadly makes me want to de-google my life even further. "
greg, change.org
"I am not a developer, I am just a user, and I think it is very important to say that this does not just affect developers. There is nothing good about locking down an open ecosystem. There is no good reason for Google mandating ID Verification aside from pushing their dominance over Android. This is disgusting, given that Android has always been seen as the free haven away from Apple's walled garden. Now the only way to achieve freedom is by using a fork of Android, which will become harder and harder as Google inevitably enforces locked bootloaders. Seeing Android turn into a Google flavored IOS is just a huge punch in the gut, and really puts into perspective what can be lost under greedy leadership. "
Zakery, change.org
"Hey Google, remember what you said? "Be together, not the same." "
Christopher, change.org
"Removing a huge part of why people choose android is certainly a choice. "
Drae, change.org
"The main reason I've used Android over the years was the freedom to use it how I want including installing apps that are not on the app store. If this change goes through, I will start exploring options to move away from Android. "
Daniel, change.org
"Android is one of two operating systems used by almost every smartphone and tablet in the US. While the iphone operating system has been a locked down platform for many years, if it indeed was ever open, android has been marketed as the consumer friendly alternative. However, with android moving to lock unregistered users out of it's ecosystem, that promise may soon disappear. When a consumer purchases an electronic device, it ought to be his or hers to do with as the owner pleases. This includes installing apps from places other than google's native play store. A lockdown like this is a blatant violation of consumer rights. In the absence of widely available third party operating systems for mobile devices, this move by google bottlenecks the availability of applications and locks out independent developers, and those who will not play google's games. I should not have to elaborate on the potential for monopolization, nor the myriad ways this arrangement could be leveraged for censorship. I call on google to reverse this decision immediately, and end this threat to consumer rights and digital liberty. "
Auston, change.org
"I use apk's for work don't ban apk "
Binyomin, change.org
"In this day and age, most of the rich and powerful are attempting to restrict the choices normal people have, and Google attempting to limit the open-source nature of Android is just one more example of this. What Google is doing is not protecting anyone and only serves to limit what we are allowed to do, and I don't want to idly stand by as the rich become richer. "
Joseph, change.org
"For a large portion of Android users, the freedom and openness of the OS is why they choose to use it in the first place. I can certainly say for myself that if this goes through, I will no longer use Android as my smartphone OS. Enshittification like this will only cause Android to lose market share and will be destructive in the long run. "
Nawton, 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
"Google's promise was that Android would remain an open ecosystem allowing developers to freely play in an open sandbox and build applications without requiring a central authority. Users are capable of determining and accepting risk on their own, and the barrier to sideloading is high enough to keep most general users safe. It's been shown that even Play Store's security reviews are not perfect and that malware makes its way onto the platform, so there is no basis for this change other than greed and overreach. "
Cameron, change.org
"The ability to download external APKs which give my phone some really neat functionality is what prevents me (for the most part) from switching to IOS. Google, please don't take that away from us. At least tell us why you wish to restrict Android. "
D, change.org
"I've said this before on a similar petition, but I sideload apps all the time, and it's a very important feature to me because I can download older versions of apps that I know function better with ease. Just like everybody else is saying, we use Android instead of iOS because we enjoy having this freedom. It won't benefit us: only Google is going to benefit. "
Daniel, change.org
"This is the only reason android is better than android "
David, change.org
"As an open source developer, keeping Android open is what Android was all about! Let's keep it open so we can differentiate from other platforms, and keep Android what we all got to love! "
Benjamin, change.org
"Enough. Google blocking APK usage is an attack on user freedom, innovation, and fair competition. Blocking sideloading centralizes control, stifles small developers, and forces users into a gated ecosystem controlled by one corporate gatekeeper. We deserve the right to choose how we manage our devices, install software we trust, and support independent developers. Security can be improved without stripping choice — transparent warnings and user education. This is about digital sovereignty. Join our petition to demand that Google restore full, responsible APK access now. Defend openness, choice, and the future of a free app ecosystem. Sign now. "
Evela, change.org
"Android already provides security tools — Play Protect, install warnings, and permissions. These are the right solutions. A blanket lockdown is not security; it is control! "
Alex, change.org
"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
"Android has long been the operating system that has allowed customization and freedom. It's the bedrock on why I use the platform. Taking away the ability to use FOSS and alternative sources just kills what makes Android Android for me. At that stage I might as well give in and get a blue bubble and better base privacy. Super disappointed in this direction. "
Jacob, change.org
"I do not support Google moving android in a totalitarian direction where freedom is removed and central authority is enforced. Keep Android Free! "
Phillip, change.org
"The Android system should be kept open and free for end users and developers to use as they see fit. Google's decision to close the system is just one more step, of many already taken, toward the evil that they once promised not to be. Hopefully, enough people will realize that Google is not a trustworthy partner in software and OS ecosystems and a new, truly open system will be developed. "
E J, change.org
"There are Chinese individuals abroad who sideload Chinese app stores and Chinese apps on their non-Chinese Android phones to use those services. Chinese developers are very unlikely to verify with Google. This is a racist update from Google which will inadvertently single out Chinese individuals as well. "
Sunny, change.org
"I do not agree with Google's decision to limit my personal choices about the device I paid for. I bought my phone under the impression I was allowed to use whatever software I choose, but with these restrictions, I feel betrayed and used. I may as well stop using Android phones if it's just going to be another Apple. "
Sabrina, change.org
"Google should not limit our ability to do what we want with the devices we paid for with our own money. Google has a history of limiting or removing things (an example being the whole Manifest V3 and ad-blocker situation), often using 'security' as a way to take more control over their device and services, and I believe that if we do not stop Google from limiting APKs and forcing developers to be verified, we may well be opening up the door for them to do even more. "
Mr., change.org
"Like many others I use Android because it is more open than iOS. This change strips away one of the few real advantages it has over iPhone, sideloading apps. This change is not going to make iPhone users switch to Android but will make Android users look for alternatives. "
Omar, change.org
"I am developer and i need work that, dont block my work "
Celso, change.org
"At the very least let there be one platform that can stay open, don't close it down like everything else. Let us have this. "
Juno, 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
"There's a reason we chose Android over iOS. If this change happens there is zero reason for me to ever purchase another android device ever again. Might as well have better device hardware at that point. "
Daniel, change.org
"I'm a new Android game developer but unfortunately what Google did is unacceptable! We need to stop this stupid idea before it becomes a reality!! "
Guilherme, change.org
"Make the open source free for a sideloading app for downloading APKs. I need to download the APK for ReVanced patches and F-Droid. "
David, change.org
"I bought an Android phone because of the affordability and more open nature compared to iOS, and hope Google listens to the concerned users and changes its mind regarding this decision. "
Luke, change.org
"The thing that separates an android from an iPhone is the ability to do whatever if they pass this this would kill what it's like to have an android "
Devawn, change.org
"Let's go! Google can be based if we all pray together. "
james, change.org
"I had to begrudgingly install google on my phone recently, and it's so difficult to get it off. I'm probably going to install graphene on the phone in the near future, so I don't have to consent to everything and get tracked constantly. "
Hank, 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
"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
"Android has always been about freedom on mobile, unlike iOS, and must remain so permanently. Developer identity verification on Android will not stop fraud and other malicious activities by fraudsters and scammers. They can use the browser, calls, or SMS to continue their malicious activities with impunity. This intrusive developer verification method will push both users and developers to use dangerous workarounds to run their preferred APKs outside the Play Store on Android. Furthermore, it will expose each APK developer's identity to data leaks, facilitate identity theft, and endanger everyone's privacy not to mention that it restricts the freedom of expression of developers. "
Samuel, change.org
""DEATH TO GOOGLE!" "
Ryan, change.org
"I have been using Android since the HTC G1, and I've never been so disappointed with the whole thing as I am now. I recognise that Google is doing it's best to keep malware and malicious software out of its app store, but for people who are capable of installing F-Droid, NeoStore or one of the other alternative stores, this is a disaster. Many applications I use are only available here, and with this plan from Google, I'll be unable to access tools, applications and services I use on a daily basis. "
Jon, change.org
"If this goes in effect there's literally no reason for me to stay on android. Would likely either go graphene but that feels up in the air for long term support so I guess that leaves apple. And I already hate walled gardens. Especially when the play store is basically just a malware repository. I'm so tired of corps eroding our freedoms. Why must everything be enshitified this day an age. "
Coleman, change.org
"What a spit in the face from Google. I switched from iOS to Android for the freedom, and this is what they do to me? Google gave me yet another reason to migrate away from their technocratic oligarchy & seek independence from profit-seeking corporations. Frankly, I don't expect Google to care about its customers anymore. But I'm still going to raise my voice. "
Samuel, change.org
"Android is all about being open. Removing the ability to install apps without the play store destroys this freedom. This will kill the dreams of young app developers, and will hurt high-quality open source apps that don't have the funding to pay to Google. This move will stifle app development innovation, and will hurt users by removing choice. Without free choice, I am left asking the question "Why Android anymore?" If Android is locked down like IOS, maybe going with Apple is better. I hope I don't have to switch to IOS. "
Austin, change.org
"It is a based no to monopolization of Android from Google. Stop giving them all the power. Together we can ask for change. "
Claudia, change.org
"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
"This would create a closed system like the Apple iPhone. I have an Android phone specifically because it is an open system. As well described on: https://keepandroidopen.org/ "
Joseph, change.org
"Digital freedom matters! "
Koda, change.org
"Android was built on FOSS foundations and this anti-consumer move goes against the guiding tenants of the OS and Google's mission. No-one who uses Android wants to see Google pervert it into a second-rate apple. This move is a violation of consumer faith and a bad long-term business decision. Revert it in it's entirety before you loose the core attraction of your product. "
Tate, change.org
"Android for a long as I remember was the free option for downloading apps, games, and anything thats not supported anymore through alturnative app stores, unlike apple where everything is lockdown and MUST gobe downloaded through them. by using android and other app stores I can play games or get apps that arent supported/ dont show up on the current play store, but would still work on my phone just fine by downloading it on a 3rd party app store. By google locking down android (in other words becoming a Apple wanna'be) to downloadimg apps through THEIR playstore, they kill off any way for me to use older apps or games because they either cant run in 64bit and are stuck as 32bit apps, or because people dont want to give out their personal information to release their app on the playstore. by google having YOU, the developer, give up your personal info to publish apps on the playstore opens up MANY security vulnrabilities that can lead to the developers personal lnformation being leakedd/doxes/put on the dark web/or sold off to sketchy 3rd party conpanys without their consent. ANDROID has always been OPEN-SOURCED and should remain that way. "
Mathew, change.org
"Bro this is the only thing keeping android over iOS don't take it "
Alejandro, change.org
"What is an android without weird apps installed from a weird website... I'm just kidding but that is what make better android you can make anything that you want. but if you can't install apps from outside of the play store you are going to lose so much content and I don't talk English so well but for this cause I'm did learn... An android without free apps not is an real android. And I'm not talking about like all apps need to don't cost I'm talking of being free of install any thing that you need. That's all thanks for read and remember being free is better than being dreaming. "
Elias, change.org
"I’m not even a developer, but this whole Google lockdown thing ticks me off. The reason I went with Android was freedom — being able to choose where I get my apps, try stuff from outside the Play Store, and actually use my phone how I want. Now Google’s trying to turn it into another Apple-style cage. If they force everything through the Play Store, it’s not just developers that get screwed. We do too. Prices will go up because Google takes its cut, and half the cool niche or indie apps will disappear. I shouldn’t have to beg permission to install something from GitHub or F-Droid. It’s my phone, I paid for it — not some rental Google gets to control. This isn’t about safety or quality, it’s straight-up greed. Android was always the “open” option, and Google’s throwing that away. "
Jared, change.org
"This is really bad, Google needs to keep the OS open "
Mark, change.org
"a recently convicted monopolist extorting developers and committing further anticompetitive behavior? not in my pocket it's not. "
Marc, 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
"Big tech is trying to collectively normalize mass surveillance requiring government ID's for everything and saying "it's for our safety". It is NOT about anyone's safety. "
Amélie, change.org
"Dear Google, you are single handedly destroying the whole purpose for which we use Android. Not only will you see a mass exodus from Google devices/services, you will force the creation of alternative operating systems that allow for user privacy and fredom for app developers. You all are making it harder for yourselves and for us. "
Kevin, change.org
"Bora solar esses miserentos "
GATO, change.org
"I ought to have the right to install any program I'd like on my computer without google acting as gatekeeper. F-droid's Foss nature makes it more trustworthy than the play store has ever been. "
Cris, change.org
"I am Japanese and using translation. I am deeply disappointed about this matter. There is no need to restrict the great features of Android. If only a limited number of people can develop, it will only lead to the decline of content. Please stop making things worse. "
成田, change.org
"The actions of Google are asinine, and the fact the company is trying to do this is appalling. "
Grace, change.org
"Please don't do this, I have always been opposed to the apple mentality, I view this as my device and have loved the openness of the android ecosystem. I used to root my phones and load my own os, replace boot animations, design my own UI. Those are my fondest memories of owning an Android phone, I no longer do those things but I still occasionally side load an app, or go to FDroid, Amazon's app store, if you revoke my ability to do these things I can no longer argue against owning an iphone, as my biggest argument now is Google's android open ecosystem versus apples closed ecosystem. Don't be Apple, be Google, be better. "
Jake, change.org
"Invasion of privacy in the name of security "
Sadegh, change.org
"I should be able to share my android apps with my family and friends. It's easy to do on Windows and Linux. Why do I have to pay for sharing what is mine with friends and family around the world; yes, my actual family and friends are literally everywhere. Google often distributes malware. They allow Verizon to install unwanted apps that were often just malware. Google and Samsung force install apps we never asked for mostly so they can spy for advertising and traing their AIs. Heck, Google even watches what you put on gdrive and will remove things they don't like due to personal issues. How dystopian! "
Matthew, change.org
"I chose to use Android devices specifically due to the control that I, as an end user, have over my files and the programs I chose to install on them. Even if a program comes from an independent programmer, even from other countries stores (like RuStore), even if it an open source app (like the ones from F-Droid), or just choosing to use Telegram from the first and most reliable source ever- the developer's website itself. I once had an iOS device and I totally detested how locked up it was, it was almost as if I were digitally "high jacked", depending on authorisation to do anything! Please don't remove us our freedom of doing to our devices our own experiments, finding and developing emulators for our old games and apps that suit our needs even if they're not economically viable. Plus: Don't take away the one tool many persecuted Christians around the world have to download Bibles to their phones. That's cruel and inhumane. "
Barbara, change.org
"Android has always been the mobile enthusiast's dream. Please don't take that dream away. "
Logan, change.org
"Privacy is a human right (just like the man who developed Telegram). It's a necessity too. Android is the ultimate choice because if I recall, 85% of all mobile phone sales worldwide are Android. The ability to customize at will much like a person buying a Nissan Skyline GT-R 34 has as much right as they want to modify their vehicle to their specific needs like more HP! 2000 HP sounds sexy! The same can be said about people with Android phones. Sure, not all people are into customizing but if you buy, it's yours. No excuses from greedy corporate stooges. I love the beauty of side loading 3rd party apps because of the Freedom that it comes with. Android is the choice for hackers too! Linux based kernel under the hood. If Google released the Android platform, imagine how better it would be. It's like George Hotz (who hacked the 1st iPhone) once said "Open source is the best source! Everyone profits from it". " The people should not be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of their own people " - V from V for Vendetta. I don't remember who said "Give me liberty or give me death!". Developers should band together and be steadfast for there is strength in numbers. Even those who aren't developers! "
Juan, change.org
"Keep Android like it started, open and free for anyone! "
Edgar, change.org
"We have arrived at the point of no return surrounding our digital freedom in the face of tech's constant struggle for authoritarian control. We will simply not accept this from companies that have abused their power and control over us for decades while they claim it's to protect us, for our own good. You will NEVER regain what's been taken from you, the only option is to stop them before they succeed! "
Brandon, change.org
"One of the reasons why many people including myself chose Android over iOS is its openness. Android used to treat people like it should - users, who know what they are doing if they decided to enable sideloading (AKA "install unknown apps") or go into developer settings. If the new restrictions will get put in place, Android will lose this benefit, and while some people will not even notice the difference, others will switch to iOS, a custom ROM, or might start a development effort on an entirely new mobile operating system. Google will end up losing a decent chunk of its userbase. In addition, if we look at iOS again, they were putting all of tgose "safeguards" (aka restrictions) for a long time, and people were jailbraking their iPhones. Now think about it, if the new restrictions were to be put on "sideloadong", some developers will stop publishing on Google Play, and those users who were using those no longer available apps (especially the inexperienced ones) will start looking for ways to "fix" the problem. This will give rise to shady repair services (especially in developing countries), who will promice to get those apps back onto the users phone (mainly via ADB, as that method will continue to work), but will also end up putting some malware (such as crypto miners) on user devices at the same time. So, with that in mind, would this "developer verification" change really make Android more secure? "
Lev, change.org
"IT'S ABSURD WHAT GOOGLE IS TRYING TO DO ON ANDROID, ANDROID USERS AND ANDROID DEVICES ABOUT LOCKING THE SYSTEM SO WE CAN'T INSTALL APPS DOWNLOADED FROM WEBSITES AND DOWNLOADED FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE. GOOGLE DOES NOT OWN OUR DEVICES AND WE HAVE THE FULL RIGHT TO DO WHAT WE WANT WITH OUR DEVICES BECAUSE WE PAY FOR THEM. "
Wagner, change.org
"Google has painted developer verification as 'security' but the Play Store already hosts malware and Play Protect scans for it already. This is simply another attempt at Google to try and monopolise (see Chrome or the RCS protocol) and no one should be wanting this to happen. This affects anyone who develops outside of the Play Store (including F-Droid or GitHub repos), privacy or anonymous apps, it suffocates our OSS devs, and introduces another way for Google to oversee everything or another vector for data to be leaked. Android has always been about freedom and user control and Google should not have a say in how users use their devices. I have been an Android user since Ice Cream Sandwhich and there are multiple reasons as to why I have never owned an iPhone. I would not be able to have the phone I do today or be able to use it to its full extent without the contributions of FOSS/OSS devs and their community. Shame on you, Google. If this goes through, I'll take my chances with Linux. "
A, 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
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