Your phone is about to stop being yours.
Starting September 2026, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.
Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out.
↓What Google is doing
In August 2025, Google announced ↗ a new requirement: starting September 2026, every Android app developer must register centrally with Google before their software can be installed on any device. Not just Play Store apps: all apps. This includes apps shared between friends, distributed through F-Droid ↗, built by hobbyists for personal use. Independent developers, church and community groups, and hobbyists alike will all be frozen out of being able to develop and distribute their software.
Registration requires:
- Paying a fee to Google
- Agreeing to Google's Terms and Conditions
- Surrendering your government-issued identification
- Providing evidence of your private signing key
- Listing all current and all future application identifiers
If a developer does not comply, their apps get silently blocked on every Android device worldwide.
Who this hurts
You
You bought an Android phone because Google told you it was open. You could install what you wanted, and that was the deal.
Google is now rewriting that deal, retroactively, on hardware you already own. After the update lands, you can only run software that Google has pre-approved. On your phone: your property, that you paid for.
Independent developers
A teenager's first app, a volunteer's privacy tool, or a company's confidential internal beta. It doesn't matter. After September 2026, none of these can be installed without Google's blessing.
F-Droid ↗, home to thousands of free and open-source Android apps, has called this an "existential" threat ↗. Cory Doctorow calls it "Darth Android" ↗.
Governments & civil society
Google has a documented track record ↗ of complying when authoritarian regimes demand app removals. With this program, the software that runs your country's institutions will exist at the pleasure of a single unaccountable foreign corporation.
The EFF calls ↗ app gatekeeping "an ever-expanding pathway to internet censorship."
Google's "escape hatch" is a trap door
Google says "power users" can "still install" unverified apps. Here's what that actually looks like:
- Delve into System Settings, find Developer Options
- Tap the build number seven times to enable Developer Mode
- Dismiss scare screens about coercion
- Enter your PIN
- Restart the device
- Wait 24 hours
- Come back, dismiss more scare screens
- Pick "allow temporarily" (7 days) or "allow indefinitely"
- Confirm, again, that you understand "the risks"
Nine steps. A mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period. For installing software on a device you own.
Worse: this flow runs entirely through Google Play Services, not the Android OS. Google can change it, tighten it, or kill it at any time, with no OS update required and no consent needed. And as of today, it hasn't shipped in any beta, preview, or canary build. It exists only as a blog post and some mockups.
This is bigger than Android
If Google can retroactively lock down billions of devices that were sold as open platforms, every hardware manufacturer on the planet is watching.
The principle being established: the company that made your device gets to decide, after you've bought it, what software you're allowed to run. In software, this is called a "rug pull"; but at least you could always install competing software. In hardware, it is a fait accompli that strips you of your agency and renders you powerless to the whims of a single unaccountable gatekeeper and convicted monopolist.
Android's openness was never just a feature. It was the promise that distinguished it from iPhone. Millions chose Android for exactly that reason. Google is now revoking that promise unilaterally, on devices already in people's pockets, because they've decided they have enough market dominance and regulatory capture to get away with it.
Ars Technica ↗: "Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy."
But wait, isn't this...
"...just about security?"
The security rationale is a smokescreen. Google Play Protect already scans for malware independent of developer identity. Requiring a government ID doesn't make code safer. It makes developers identifiable and controllable. Malware authors can register. Indie developers and dissidents often can't. The EFF ↗ is blunt: identity-based gatekeeping is a censorship tool, not a security one.
"...still sideloading if you use the advanced flow?"
Nine steps, 24-hour wait, buried in Developer Options, delivered through a proprietary service that Google can revoke whenever they want. That's not sideloading. That's a deterrence mechanism built to ensure almost nobody completes it. And since it runs through Play Services rather than the OS, Google can tighten or kill it silently.
"...only a problem if you have something to hide?"
Whistleblowers, journalists, and activists under authoritarian governments will be the first victims. People in domestic abuse situations are next. All these groups have legitimate reasons to distribute or use software without putting their legal identity in a Google database. Anonymous open-source contribution is a tradition older than Google itself. This policy ends it on Android.
"...the same thing Apple does?"
Apple has been a walled garden from day one. People chose Android because it was different. "Apple does it too" is a race to the bottom and a weak tu quoque argument. And under regulatory pressure (the EU's Digital Markets Act), even Apple is being forced to open up. Google is moving in the opposite direction: attempting to further entrench its gatekeeping status.
"...just $25 and some paperwork?"
Maybe, if you're a developer in the US with a credit card and a driver's license. Try being a student in sub-Saharan Africa, or a dissident in Myanmar, or a volunteer maintaining a community health app. The cost isn't only financial: you're surrendering government ID and evidence or your signing keys to a company that routinely complies ↗ with government demands to remove apps and expose developers.
Fight back
Everyone
- Install F-Droid ↗ on every Android device you own. Alternative stores only survive if people actually use them.
- Contact your regulators. Regulators worldwide are genuinely concerned about monopolies and the centralization of power in the tech sector, and want to hear directly from individuals who are affected and concerned.
- Share this page. Link to keepandroidopen.org everywhere.
- Push back on astroturfers. The "well, actually..." crowd is out in force. Don't let them set the narrative.
- Sign the change.org petition ↗ and join the over 100,000 signatories who have made their voices heard.
- Read and share our open letter
- Tell Google what you think of this through their own developer verification survey ↗ (for all the good that will do).
Developers
Do not sign up. Don't join the program by signing up for the Android Developer Console and agreeing to their irrevocable Terms and Conditions. Don't verify your identity. Don't play ball.
Google's plan only works if developers comply. Don't.
- Talk other developers and organizations out of signing up.
- Add the FreeDroidWarn library ↗ to your apps to warn users.
- Run a website? Add the countdown banner.
Google employees
If you know something about the program's technical implementation or internal rationale, contact tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work machine and a non-Gmail account. Strict confidence guaranteed.
All those opposed…
66 organizations from 21 countries have signed the open letter
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
FULU Foundation fulu.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
OpenMedia openmedia.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
F-Droid f-droid.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
Brave brave.com
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Unified Push unifiedpush.org
CryptPad cryptpad.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
April april.org
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
Techlore techlore.tech
FOSDEM fosdem.org
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
Proton AG proton.me
Data Rights datarights.ngo
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
FUTO futo.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org What they're saying
Tech press
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google ↗
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation ↗
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register ↗
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India) ↗
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News ↗
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine ↗
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer ↗
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog ↗
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge ↗
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch ↗
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines ↗
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register ↗
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek ↗
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer ↗
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide ↗
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek ↗
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek ↗
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online ↗
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines ↗
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U ↗
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday ↗
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek ↗
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina ↗
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police ↗
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld ↗
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers ↗
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU ↗
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register ↗
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot ↗
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine ↗
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot ↗
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews ↗
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf ↗
"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's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt ↗
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack ↗
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net ↗
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic ↗
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear ↗
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews ↗
Editorials & analysis
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt ↗
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud 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 ↗
"The $25 isn't the real cost. The chilling effect is. Submitting government ID to Google is a non-starter for pseudonymous contributors and privacy researchers."
Arafat Alim, DEV Community ↗
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI ↗
"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 ↗
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog ↗
"Once there is no such thing as 'sideloading', there's virtually no difference between iOS and Android. I see no reason to buy Android over iOS at this point."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Google is turning sideloading from a right into a permission slip, and the open-source community has until September to convince it otherwise."
Reclaim The Net ↗
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog ↗
"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 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 ↗
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog ↗
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday ↗
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News ↗
"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 ↗
Organizations & open letters
"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 ↗
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"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 Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid ↗
"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 ↗
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid ↗
"Google's 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 ↗
"Developers who choose not to use Google's services should not be forced to register with, and submit to the judgement of, Google."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations ↗
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya ↗
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU ↗
YouTubers & creators
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube ↗
"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube ↗
"The widely-circulated narrative that Google already backed down from this is false. They didn't, and that misunderstanding may be the most dangerous part of the story right now."
Techlore – YouTube ↗
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog ↗
"This has obvious problems for non-Google operating systems like iodeOS, LineageOS, or BraxOS. Google Android will 'check in' with Google to verify the identity of the app and to validate the operating system."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals ↗
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog ↗
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube ↗
"Google 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 ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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 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 ↗
"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 ↗
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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 ↗
"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."
Switched to Linux – YouTube ↗
"This is an iPhone now. I didn't want to buy an iPhone. I use Android because it gives me freedom. If you are not going to give me freedom with my computer, then why would I buy your stuff anymore?"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube ↗
"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 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 ↗
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube ↗
Developers & community
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News ↗
"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 buy a device with my own money, which I supposedly then own, but then I need to ask some corporation permission to use it."
askonomm, Hacker News ↗
"If your country is ever in the crosshairs of 'American interests' and bears the brunt of its sanctions, it is possible that you cannot install apps from your fellow citizens. Your own local government, bank, and store apps."
devsda, Hacker News ↗
"If I go down this path, I will stop all development on Android. I implore all other developers to resist this. This will completely lock down the platform forever, there will be no going back."
BatteryMountain, Hacker News ↗
"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 ↗
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, 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 ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters ↗
"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 open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, 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 ↗
"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 ↗
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters ↗
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes ↗
"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 ↗
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, 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 ↗
"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 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 ↗
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters ↗
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News ↗
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters ↗
"After 15 years of professional development on Android I too am now thinking about switching my focus to something different. And it sucks."
MrDresden, Hacker News ↗
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News ↗
"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 ↗
"We need to start treating phones differently. We're entering a world where we can't choose what we run on them. Their primary purpose is to gather data on us and serve us advertising, they're engineered for addiction, yet engaging in the world is immensely difficult without one."
specproc, Hacker News ↗
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News ↗
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, 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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Computing is infrastructure. Personal computers are a means of expressing agency. This is like banning people from moving furniture around their house without approval from mortgage lenders."
wervenyt, Tildes ↗
"Google'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 wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News ↗
Voices from the petition
"Allow us beginning programmers get comfortable with writing scripts and getting used to a whole new set of rules without needing to have licenses that cost money. "
Wes, change.org ↗
"dont do that man "
Kaktus, change.org ↗
"We shouldn't have the decision to sideload apps stripped from us so more of our data can be stolen from under our noses. The majority of the apps I use are from small devs. Devs who likely wouldn't have the time to jump through Google's arbitrary hoops, or wouldn't want to the security risks that comes with that compliance. "
Rebecca, change.org ↗
"Open source has always been foundational to everything Google and Android have accomplished. But locking off local installation will hurt open source development on the Android platform. I personally have apps I won't be able to use anymore. Please don't do this to us, we don't want to have to change platforms yet again. "
David, change.org ↗
"No one is happy about this change. F-droid is infinitely more trustworthy than the play store, and does not need google prying into developers personal info to keep people safe. Being an open platform is the fundamental basis of android user's usage "
Cris, change.org ↗
"Android used to be the go to mobile if you wanted quality and freedom from having to buy in to one type of tech (e.g. Apple). Now they're forcing developers and users to buy into their tracking. This just may well be the push I need to give up my mobile all together. Thanks Google! "
Jason, change.org ↗
"The Only reason I have an Android cell phone is because I can install Linux to it Take away my ability to use My cell the way I want then there is no longer any reason for me to own any cell phone This type of Dictatorship and greed for money and it power needs to stop I install LineageOS to my cell to stop the constant nag from Google to push this button pop ups. And to try to curb all the spyware I use No social apps, "I hate social spyware" My cell phone is a "Phone" Google has proven to me my dislike for all things Google was correct I will be looking online for a True Open Source Hardware / Software cell phone cost last time I checked was approx $2,000.00 USD "
chris, change.org ↗
"I download many applications outside the Play Store because it doesn’t offer the variety I’m looking for. Instead, it constantly pushes advertised apps in front of me, which makes it feel like I’m being guided toward what benefits the platform, not what I actually want to explore. Restricting this freedom feels less about protecting users and more about protecting the platform’s own interests - its revenue and its control over what people can access. It’s like forcing me into a cage, but making it legal - where my ability to choose and explore freely is no longer truly my own. "
Dawn Alexis, change.org ↗
"Google, pls keep the sideloading and freedom of anyone installing or developing apps and others choosing to use them open. It is a breach of trust by making the ecosystem closed. People will hate google, no doubt I have started feeling so too with your move / proposed move. "
Gaspi, change.org ↗
"As an average user, this policy just feels awfully abusive. I have always had the mindset that if a device is yours, it should be you who gets to decide what's put in it, and to see Google make such a constraining change and directly cause so much harm to all Android users' freedom and specially small creators capacity to be a part of the community and to CREATE just deeply revolts me. The freedom and the customization of Android is what has always made me use it in the first place, if we can't even have THAT then what even is the point anyways?! "
Kris, change.org ↗
"More sensorship, more control, just another step into taking away the little bits of freedom we have left in this country in the things we love doing the most. I say no thank you, go away. "
Brandon, change.org ↗
"I will switch to iOS and get rid of my android devices and Google home setup if this policy is implemented. I use android because it is open. If Google makes it an inferior version of the iPhone then I will switch over to iPhone. "
Scott, change.org ↗
"Restrictions like these are a form of control lets not take away anyone's freedom of choice "
Daniel, 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 ↗
"This is not only concerning or invasive. It's unjust, deceitful and abusive. Once you break this trust, they can AND WILL control every aspect of the software chain. Not even casual users will be safe then. "
Jesse, change.org ↗
"Android, since it's existence, has always been about the user. Removing access to apps that millions of people use every day will shatter that foundation and make android indifferent to its competitors. "
Jack, change.org ↗
"This is absurd. To remove one of the main things that drew people to android over iPhone is laughably moronic. Especially when some of the best apps recommend by people come from outside the play store. Pull it together! "
Logan, change.org ↗
"Google is going to ruin what they built and turn into Apple. "
Abnormal Software, change.org ↗
"Another broken Google promise. Keep Android open "
Pero, change.org ↗
"Without sideloading in Android, it will be impossible for us to install any app outside the Google Play Store, making traditional unverified sideloading much more difficult on certified devices, and therefore blocking it in 2027. This isn’t about protection here. It was more like the beginning of censorship, and monopolization of android OS. Let make our voices heard "
Jacob, change.org ↗
"#DOWNWITHGOOGLE "
Monty, change.org ↗
"Keep Android Open Google! Make it stand out to users and developers above the iPhone! "
Jason, change.org ↗
"As a lifelong Android user and now a beginner developer, I say this is nothing more than an attempt to turn Android into an iPhone 2. You're not protecting anyone, and this seems more like the beginning of an Android monopoly. An open-source system shouldn't have this kind of restriction/censorship, much less force developers to identify themselves and pay fees for beta apps. It shouldn't have a single store. This decision to act against consumers and developers will have very serious negative consequences. After all, when I choose to buy an Android, I choose it for the freedom it gives me and the variety of stores and places where I can download programs that aren't on the Play Store, whether games or development programs. Nobody chooses an Android for its features, much less for the Google system. We choose it because we want the freedom to do what we want with what we buy with our money, taking full responsibility for what we download. Because if I wanted a centralized store with no freedom whatsoever, I would buy an iPhone. "
Sophya, change.org ↗
"It is called installing on devices that I own. I don't need to be hand held under the guise of safety "
Paul, change.org ↗
"This would simply make me walk away from using android devices, you act like android is the only phone OS out there and it's not. Linux is a powerful tool, so don't be foolish Google. "
Christopher, change.org ↗
"Keep Android Open "
Timothy, change.org ↗
"It's a no to big brother and feeling myself fold up when I look at my phone "
William, change.org ↗
"Google, this would absolutely destroy android. Seriously, one of the only reasons people get Androids over iPhones (aside from them being cheaper) is that they can sideboard apps from the factory. Limiting that would be a huge blow to the Android market. "
Christopher, change.org ↗
"I've been an user of Android based phones for a very long time. I am fully against the idea of this move Google is trying, as it is just another notch in the attempted censorship and surveillance of the internet as a whole. If this move is allowed to go through, I will find workarounds or work towards getting a third party phone deal where I don't have to deal with this. These big tech companies should not have the authority to force us to bend to them. We have the power to make them back down. Let our voice be heard. Boycott these companies and make them lose money. The moment their financial gains are threatened, they will surrender. "
Brandon, change.org ↗
"Honestly with having used Android multiple times throughout my life, platforms like F-Droid have provided me with some very good open source applications and I'd hate to see that go away. "
Lucas, change.org ↗
"I use apk's for work don't ban apk "
Binyomin, change.org ↗
"I choose to use Android as it gives me the ability to freely use my mobile phone the way I intend to. I would like to continue developing apps as a hobby without needing to be an "approved developer" and sharing my government issued identity with Google. "
Christian, change.org ↗
"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 ↗
"They never let us have nice things, i hope we win. "
Victor, change.org ↗
"Android is built on the Linux kernel and draws much of its foundation from the GNU/Linux ecosystem. The spirit of that ecosystem is openness, transparency, and user freedom. Limiting APK installation beyond reasonable security safeguards risks shifting Android toward a controlled ecosystem rather than keeping it an open platform. Security improvements are important, but they should not come at the expense of developer independence, open-source distribution, and users’ freedom to install software responsibly. Instead of restricting APK usage, a better approach would be to improve user education, provide clearer warnings, and offer optional security layers that protect users without limiting their freedom. "
Alireza, change.org ↗
"This is censorship at its core. Stop trying to destroy the open internet under the guise of safety. "
Dominic, change.org ↗
"This is a thinly veiled attempt by Alphabet towards an easier monopoly on apps and the more restrictive economy that Apple has on its own software economy. This uncompetitive and restrictive behavior is directly harmful to both consumers and developers, not in the least to mention freedom and privacy overall as well. "
Emily, change.org ↗
"We need to stop Google controlling us. "
Carmen, change.org ↗
"I use apps that I cannot find on the Google Play Store, Google restricting users to only the Play Store is not only bad, but a hindrance to myself as well since some of these apps I use are of every day use. Android was made to be an open source system since day one, and it needs to stay that way. "
Nova, change.org ↗
"I really don't want this to happen because downloading external applications is what makes this operating system special: it allows you to be free to do whatever you want with your phone. I don't want it to become an iPhone 2.0. Please don't do it. "
Dark, change.org ↗
"The entire reason I used to use Android was because of how open it was. I used to be a staunch supporter of Android and even encouraged others to give it a shot. By restricting third-party app installations, it will be similar to iOS, but without any of it's closed environment benefits. Furthermore, this may further encourage users to explore other OS's such as LineageOS or GrapheneOS, rendering any supposed benefits moot. I am personally looking to switch my Android OS to GrapheneOS once this update becomes live. Android was always the best choice in freedom and ownership. This will be a serious mistake on Google's part, similar to Microsoft forcing Copilot on users. "
Areeb, change.org ↗
"If I want to be restricted in where I get my apps from, which ones to install and my phone to look each year the same, I buy a device with an apple on it (never did). It should be your choice which apps you want to install and where to obtain them from - not the device vendors or OS manufacturers. Keep android open! "
Andreas, change.org ↗
"We should have the right to use our devices how we want to, whether we install our apps from official sources or not. Google already by default blocks installation from outside sources unless you yourself allow it and warns you of potential dangers from installing 3rd party apps, we should continue to have the freedom to install what we want on our devices and choose to take a risk or not going outside of the Play store. "
Joshua, change.org ↗
"People who choose Android over Apple do so because Android offers the freedom to install apps freely and develop apps as a hobby. I think that if they remove access to APKs, I'll switch to Apple, and I think most people will do the same. "
Alexis, change.org ↗
"Goolag, you are destroying Android and becoming the new Apple. Soon, there will be no escape from your lifeless, locked-down, prison-sentence operating system. Anyone who wants to use real Android, with APKs, custom ROMs, actual Material design, will be locked out. Rooting will be impossible, and Android will be gone. No more cuddly bugdroids to open the lock. No more Graphene OS. No more Lineage OS. No more TWRP. Terabytes upon terabytes of open-source projects, all rendered obsolete. Keep Android open. Because nobody will buy your half-baked, Gemini-centered trash, and live in your dystopian agentic world. Your aiPhones will sit on shelves, never purchased. Sideloading bans will not protect anyone. They will only make the Android community collapse. If you are not from Goolag, listen carefully. Get a custom ROM now, and remove everything with the word “Google” from your devices. Use Startpage instead. Install NewPipe and bypass Goolag’s ad revenue. Sabotage Goolag in every way possible. But do it legally, friends! You don’t want to be caught by the FBI for criminally pirating paid software off of sites like Aptoide! "
squooshy, change.org ↗
"Ts need to be stopped "
danilao, 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 ↗
"Android was meant to be competion for apple an OPEN SOURCE it's what made android better and not a closed system like the competitor. Read the room Google! "
Jesse, change.org ↗
"I originally chose android so I can learn and make things with apk packages, modify my phone and practice security and privacy. Also to break away from the apple cult. If google goes through with it, that'll betray myself and so many others who feel the same. "
Christopher, change.org ↗
"Google has been sued up the butt for monopolizing before, and now they're trying again? And on top of these ridiculous surveillance laws all because a few parents can't watch their children, this is just a stupid decision to make. "
Kamareon, 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 ↗
"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 ↗
"Android has always stood for user choice. The freedom to install apps from outside an official store is a core part of what made the platform different and appealing in the first place. Removing options like sideloading moves Android away from its original philosophy. I develop apps for personal use, and I have no interest in becoming an “approved developer” just to run my own software. Not everyone has the time or desire to navigate additional gatekeeping just to maintain control over their own devices. Limiting these freedoms sets a concerning precedent. It shifts the platform toward tighter control, reduced openness, and potential monopolization. Android began as an open operating system — moving away from that foundation risks turning it into a closed ecosystem that mirrors the very model it once differentiated itself from. Restricting user choice under the banner of “protection” doesn’t benefit everyone. Many users value autonomy, flexibility, and control over their own hardware. Removing those options feels less like protection and more like limitation. "
Dennis, change.org ↗
"As a developer, a main appeal of Android has been that I can write my own software for it. I've shared some of my more polished and completed apps with others, although my primary motivation has been to "scratch an itch". Although F-Droid doesn't track download or usage stats, I can tell from comments in my github issues that the majority of the users of my apps have found and installed it from F-Droid. Likewise, most of the software I've installed on my own device comes from F-droid. I like the focus F-Droid apps have on privacy and find the quality to be much higher on average than on the Google play store. I strongly recommend that F-droid, other 3rd party stores, and the ability to install an .apk file from any other source is retained. Users deserve the freedom to use their device as they see fit, and should be respected enough to decide that for themselves. Google has already shown itself to be a poor gatekeeper when it comes to deciding what is allowed in the Play Store. High quality and immensely useful apps have been removed for being incompatible with increasingly restrictive policies (such as Termux), while low quality clones of existing apps, ad spam, scams, and outright malware, continues to be allowed. I will not use, recommend, nor develop for an ecosystem where Google has the only say in what I'm allowed to do with it. "
Matthew, change.org ↗
"Only reason I use android instead of iOS. Don't take it away from us. "
Robert, change.org ↗
"I was really shocked when I heard that such thing is happening. I mean, isn't the point of Android itself to be fully open, especially compared to competitors as iOS? What's so wrong with a person developing apps as their passion/hobby? I don't think it is necessary to have to upload a government ID to a corporation just to make your app be able to be usable. It also impacts me, because I use very many open source apps as alternatives, which fit my usage a lot better, and I like to support those projects, and one more point, many people switching from iOS to Android are looking for the freedom that is sideloading apps without any hurdles. This has to change, or chaos would ensue around the Android world, and especially FOSS communities. "
Arsen, change.org ↗
"This is going to kill Android "
Hazel, change.org ↗
"Apenas apoio "
Immer, change.org ↗
"Ive used exclusively Android for years because of the freedom it gives its users. Such a wonderful community of developers and users that I know everyone would mourn if it went away. POWER TO THE PEOPLE! "
Alora, 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 ↗
"I use android to *avoid* closed environments and allow for more freedom in what I can do. Don't remove freedom of choice, you damn cowards! "
Douglas, change.org ↗
"If a company wants to be THE company in everyone's life, they better offer something that everyone wants. ...otherwise, give use the freedom to choose something that is. "
Achi, change.org ↗
"Android's philosophy was based on openness. Google wants to take your freedom. They disguise it as security updates, but in reality, they want to rake even more profits and take control of your personal freedom. "
Tyler, change.org ↗
"I will stop using Android if that actually happens and goes through, because what's the point then? "
Cederick, change.org ↗
"Removing the only reason to use Android... "
John, change.org ↗
"Google, this accomplish two things: 1/ This will limit privacy respecting apps to those of us who run degoogled OSs. 2/ More people will flash degoogled OSs onto their phones. Do you really want less data coming in to monetize? Your call. "
Scott, change.org ↗
"Locking the bootloader is bad. Preventing side loading is bad. If I buy a device, I want to use it as I like. That is the whole reason I've stuck on ith Android in the first place. Guess those days are gone. "
Joseph, change.org ↗
"Google, don't make me get the spray bottle. "
Skipps, change.org ↗
"I am sad to see this is the way the world is going. We are slowly giving away our rights and freedom and nearly no one is noticing. Liberty dies when no one is looking "
Jacob, 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 ↗
"Keep android open "
Charlotte, change.org ↗
"My property. My rules. "
Steven, 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 ↗
"I am from Brazil, and having an android closed here makes it impossible for Brazilians, who in our situation, most people cannot have an economic situation that can have video games, PCs to enjoy the culture, with emulators, we can have access to this, even with simpler cell phones, because here even the simplest cell phone, it costs almost 1 minimum wage, I wanted to leave my support so that we can change this bad future "
Icaro, change.org ↗
"Google’s success with Android has always been built on the foundation of an open ecosystem. I am signing this petition to urge Google to preserve the right to sideload applications and install APKs. Restricting this functionality would significantly limit user autonomy, stifle innovation from independent developers, and consolidate control in a way that goes against the spirit of the platform. Android should remain a tool that gives power to its users, not one that restricts their ability to choose where their software comes from. Please keep Android open "
Pablo, change.org ↗
"Android's freedom of choice is what made me switch from apple. I find that limiting that those freedoms such as sideloading an obnoxious spit in the face of all who use and enjoy this operating system. If I wanted an anti consumer product id buy from apple. "
Link, change.org ↗
"we need to choice. stop google "
Dhlox, change.org ↗
"Play Integrity, Custom ROM/Root discrimination because of that, and now this? What have you BECOME, Google? You're not helping anyone, and I don't even think it helps them. If I had to pick between an unmodded Galaxy S25 (or whatever the latest one is) and a modded Galaxy S10, I'm picking the S25. It doesn't influence sales, all it does it make life harder, for everyone. Including the people imposing the restrictions, HEY, WHAT A COINCIDENCE! Just stop making the available mobile operating systems "iOS, iOS 2, and the other manufacturers' versions of iOS 2." I've talked more about custom ROMs, but replace it with customs apps and the same point is easily carried over. And because the 2 are interconnected in nature of them both being stuff that Google might not like. "
Gavin, change.org ↗
"As an app developer, the last time I sent google my address, they put it on their store page for anyone to see. It was not clear to me that they would do this and it happened without my clear consent. During this time, I was also receiving death threats. I felt unsafe and afraid, and Google's actions directly contributed to my lack of personal safety. I will never trust Google with my personal information again. I would rather just not support Android platform than compromise my privacy and safety. "
Skye, change.org ↗
"F droid is my primary way of installing apps. Blocking sideloading will fundamentally change how I use my phone, and make it impossible for me to use my phone in the way that I have for years. "
T, change.org ↗
"Let's fight for our freedom. "
Juan, change.org ↗
"Android began as the open-source, mod-friendly underdog in the cell phone market years ago. I watched it as it grew into a thriving scene where we could brag to our Apple-loyal friends about the freedom we had in our platform, the platform we bolstered up and supported and went against the culture at the time to get behind. Over time, it's become less and less free and open; locking bootloaders, denying permission to access all of the storage we pay for on our devices, penalizing power users who root their phones by disabling basic functionality, and now that their Play Store monopoly has been called out for what it is Google, so desperately in need of more money than they earn from collecting and selling all of our private data to finance their AI ambitions, which are trained on all of our data in the first place, is locking down the user's ability to control how they can utilize the device they own even further, just so they can have a say (and a fee collected) in every application that others produce for what used to be a truly open-source platform. It's disgusting how for ensh*tification has gone. These are Our devices. We pay for them. They are ours to have to replace, to finance, to insure, to charge, and to use. You should have a say in literally every single aspect of how they're used, and exploiting small developers under the guise of "security" is just pathetic. "
Sheldon, 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 ↗
"Lets keep android open or change to linux phone. Together we can. "
Sin, change.org ↗
"I've received pornographic viruses from puzzle games from the Google Play store. Google should remember why people go Android; Apple has locked down their systems to make them unbearable. Android gave freedom. If they lock it down, we'll use something else. I'm looking forward to a dumb phone and a physical camera...no annoying social media there. Or Google holding your money for you. Google offers nothing I need to use except an email, and last I checked, anyone offers those. The programs I love can be accessed on both Android AND PC...guess which I'll be shifting to! "
Kay, change.org ↗
"It's a limiting choice for users and software engineers and it will depreciate Google's platform. "
Jonathan, change.org ↗
"This is a tragedy, it won't stop bad intentions, it will only put our data at risk, and many apps will become lost media. "
Jessé, change.org ↗
"The new requirements have really killed my motivation to develop apps. I do not want to provide any personal information to big tech companies. The reason I want to work on FOSS is that I don’t want to give up my privacy, and this new policy is undermining that. These requirements will never create a truly safe and secure OS. Criminals can obtain government-issued IDs through the dark web or by scamming others. The only people being blocked are those who intend no harm at all. Please don’t lock down the ecosystem. "
kam kee, change.org ↗
"I've relied on a third-party adblocker to disable adverts throughout my entire phone, and pulling this stunt would jeopardise such wishes not to have adverts in literally every single application I use. I do not want the Android OS to become iOS in being unnecessarily strict on sideloading and people's rights to download any apps they want that might not be on the Play Store. Google, you NEED a reality check if you really think being anti-consumer is going to "help" anybody in their lives. "
Finn, change.org ↗
"Save APK files!! We need emulators to test it out. And I’ve never use android before, I feel like using it for the future. Please save them!! "
Deryl, change.org ↗
"Google you suck ass. the whole point of Android is freedom. you're going to destroy so much and anger so many people if you do this 3 do it on pixel n ChromeOS or whatever but leave everything else alone you're ruining something beautiful "
liam, change.org ↗
"Leave our phones alone. Dont turn Android into Apple "
leavemyphonealone, 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 ↗
"As a consumer, i have The right to install applications freely without pressure or retaliation,since ona has The right to choose the applications one needs or uses. Furthermore,Android was designed for free use without restriction and with open source code for allá programmer,developers,and users of The device.This restriction would be illogical and would destroy The esence of Android.I oppose the removal of F-Droid and other third party applications. CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT BE FORCED INTO CHANGES THEY NEITHER WANT NOT SUPOORT;BESIDES BEING PROHIBITED,IT IS ILLEGAL TO DECIDE FOR THE USER.ANDROID IS FANTASTIC BECAUSE EVERY USER CAN PERONALIZE THEIR DEVICE.SOMEONE MIGHT HAVE A SPECIFIC BRAND IN MIND,BUT THEIR DEVICE WILL REFLECT THAT PERSONALIZATION,UNLIKE ¡OS, NO TO BLOCKING THIRD PARTY APPS "
Juan Manuel, change.org ↗
"my friend told me to sign it so i did "
Ethan, change.org ↗
"It's not much, but this is the first steps towards change. "
Alex, 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 ↗
"1 federal lawsuit wasn't enough? This only scratches the surface of the game they keep playing. Why after all that's happened, being convicted of monopoly must Google feel the need to lockdown the one shot we have at staying private on mobile? Even if they do want to collect more data it will cost them some of their userbase. The terms of the update alone are outrageous. Fees & gov't ID? Let's sue 'em again! 😂 "
Zach, 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 ↗
"Hope all Android devices keep free on apk sideload and Bootloader unlock "
Hanzhang, change.org ↗