El teu telèfon està a punt de deixar de ser teu.
A partir del 2027*, una actualització silenciosa, imposada per Google sense consentiment, bloquejarà totes les aplicacions d’Android el desenvolupador de les quals no s’hagi registrat amb Google, no hagi acceptat el seu contracte, pagat i lliurat una identificació oficial.
Totes les aplicacions i dispositius, arreu del món, sense excepció.
↓Què està fent Google
L'agost de 2025, Google va anunciar un nou requisit: a partir del 2027, tots els desenvolupadors d'aplicacions d'Android hauran de registrar-se centralment amb Google abans que el seu programari es pugui instal·lar en qualsevol dispositiu. No només les aplicacions de la Play Store: totes. Això inclou aplicacions compartides entre amics, distribuïdes a través de F-Droid, o creades per aficionats per a ús personal. Desenvolupadors independents, comunitats, organitzacions i aficionats quedaran exclosos de poder desenvolupar i distribuir el seu programari.
El registre requereix:
- Pagar una taxa a Google
- Acceptar els termes i condicions de Google
- Lliurar una identificació oficial
- Proporcionar proves de la clau privada de signatura
- Llistar tots els identificadors d’aplicacions actuals i futurs
Si un desenvolupador no compleix, les seves aplicacions es bloquegen silenciosament en tots els dispositius Android del món.
A qui perjudica
Tu
Vas comprar un telèfon Android perquè Google deia que era obert. Podies instal·lar el que volguessis, i aquest era l'acord.
Google està reescrivint aquest acord de manera retroactiva en el maquinari que ja tens. Després de l'actualització, només podràs executar programari que Google hagi aprovat prèviament. Al teu telèfon: la teva propietat, que tu has pagat.
Desenvolupadors independents
La primera app d'un adolescent, una eina de privadesa creada per voluntaris o una beta interna confidencial. No importa. El 2027, cap d'aquestes es podrà instal·lar sense el vistiplau de Google.
F-Droid, que allotja milers d’aplicacions lliures i de codi obert, ho ha qualificatcom una "amenaça existencial". Cory Doctorow ho anomena "Darth Android".
Governs i societat civil
Google té un historial documentat de complir quan règims autoritaris exigeixen eliminar aplicacions. Amb aquest programa, el programari que utilitzen les institucions del teu país dependrà del criteri d'una única corporació estrangera no responsable.
L'EFF adverteix que el control d’aplicacions és "un camí cada cop més ampli cap a la censura a Internet".
La "via alternativa" de Google és una trampa
Google diu que els "usuaris avançats" encara poden "instal·lar" aplicacions no verificades. Això és el que implica realment:
- Entrar a la configuració del sistema i trobar les opcions de desenvolupador
- Prémer el número de compilació set vegades per activar el mode desenvolupador
- Ignorar advertències intimidatòries
- Introduir el PIN
- Reiniciar el dispositiu
- Esperar 24 hores
- Tornar-hi i ignorar més advertències
- Triar "permetre temporalment" (7 dies) o "permetre indefinidament"
- Confirmar de nou que entens "els riscos"
Nou passos. Una espera obligatòria de 24 hores. Per instal·lar programari en un dispositiu teu.
Encara pitjor: aquest procés depèn completament de Google Play Services, no del sistema Android. Google el pot modificar o eliminar en qualsevol moment, sense actualització del sistema ni consentiment.
Això va més enllà d'Android
Si Google pot bloquejar retroactivament milers de milions de dispositius venuts com a oberts, tots els fabricants del món estan observant.
El principi que s’estableix: la companyia que fabrica el dispositiu decideix, després de comprar-lo, quin programari pots executar. En programari això s'anomena "aixecar la catifa" (en anglès 'rug pull'); però almenys podies instal·lar alternatives. En maquinari és un fet consumat que et deixa sense control.
L'obertura d’Android no era només una característica. Era una promesa. Google ara la revoca unilateralment
Ars Technica: "L'enveja d'Apple per part de Google amenaça amb desmantellar el llegat obert d’Android."
Però espera, això no és...
"...només per seguretat?"
El motiu de seguretat és una cortina de fum. Google Play Protect ja analitza el programari maliciós independentment de la identitat del desenvolupador. Exigir una identificació oficial no fa que el codi sigui més segur. Fa que els desenvolupadors siguin identificables i controlables. Els autors de malware es poden registrar. Els desenvolupadors independents i els dissidents sovint no poden. L'EFF és clara: el control basat en la identitat és una eina de censura, no de seguretat.
"...encara es poden instal·lar apps amb el flux avançat?"
Nou passos, una espera de 24 hores, amagat dins les opcions de desenvolupador, i gestionat per un servei propietari que Google pot revocar quan vulgui. Això no és instal·lació manual. És un mecanisme dissuasiu dissenyat perquè gairebé ningú el completi. I com que depèn de Play Services i no del sistema operatiu, Google el pot restringir o eliminar silenciosament.
"...només és un problema si tens alguna cosa a amagar?"
Els denunciants, periodistes i activistes sota règims autoritaris seran les primeres víctimes. Les persones en situacions de violència domèstica vindran després. Tots aquests col·lectius tenen motius legítims per distribuir o utilitzar programari sense associar la seva identitat legal a una base de dades de Google. La contribució anònima al programari lliure és una tradició anterior a Google. Aquesta política l'elimina a Android.
"...és el mateix que fa Apple?"
Apple ha estat un ecosistema tancat des del principi. La gent va triar Android precisament perquè era diferent. "Apple també ho fa" és una carrera cap avall i un argument feble de tipus tu quoque. A més, sota pressió reguladora (com la Digital Markets Act de la UE), fins i tot Apple s’està veient obligada a obrir-se. Google es mou en la direcció contrària: reforçar encara més el seu control.
"...només són 25 $ i una mica de paperassa?"
Potser, si ets un desenvolupador als EUA amb targeta de crèdit i permís de conduir. Prova de ser un estudiant a l'Àfrica subsahariana, o un dissident a Myanmar, o un voluntari que manté una aplicació de salut comunitària. El cost no és només econòmic: estàs cedint la teva identificació oficial i proves de les teves claus de signatura a una empresa que habitualment compleix amb les demandes governamentals per eliminar aplicacions i exposar desenvolupadors.
Passa a l’acció
Tothom
- Instal·la F-Droid a tots els dispositius Android que tinguis. Les botigues alternatives només sobreviuen si la gent realment les utilitza.
- Contacta amb els teus reguladors. Els reguladors d’arreu del món estan realment preocupats pels monopolis i la centralització del poder en el sector tecnològic, i volen escoltar directament les persones afectades i preocupades.
- Comparteix aquesta pàgina. Enllaça a keepandroidopen.org a tot arreu.
- Planta cara als astroturfers. La gent del "bé, en realitat..." està molt activa. No deixis que controlin el relat.
- Signa la petició a change.org i uneix-te a les més de 100.000 persones que ja han fet sentir la seva veu.
- Llegeix i comparteix la nostra carta oberta
- Digues a Google què en penses a través del seu propi formulari de verificació de desenvolupadors (pel que servirà).
Desenvolupadors
No us hi registreu. No participeu en el programa registrant-vos a la consola de desenvolupadors d'Android ni acceptant els seus termes i condicions irrevocables. No verifiqueu la vostra identitat. No hi jugueu.
El pla de Google només funciona si els desenvolupadors hi col·laboren. No ho feu.
- Convinceu altres desenvolupadors i organitzacions perquè no s’hi registrin.
- Afegiu la biblioteca FreeDroidWarn a les vostres aplicacions per avisar els usuaris.
- Tens una web? Afegeix el bàner de compte enrere.
Treballadors de Google
Si coneixes detalls sobre la implementació tècnica del programa o les seves motivacions internes, contacta amb tips@keepandroidopen.org des d'un dispositiu no laboral i un compte que no sigui Gmail. Confidencialitat absoluta garantida.
Tots els que s'hi oposen…
71 organitzacions de 23 països han signat la carta oberta
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
April april.org
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
Data Rights datarights.ngo
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Italian Linux Society ils.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
FOSDEM fosdem.org
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
FACiL facil.qc.ca
Proton AG proton.me
Brave brave.com
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Techlore techlore.tech
GitHub Store github-store.org
OpenMedia openmedia.org
FUTO futo.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
CryptPad cryptpad.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
iodé iode.tech
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
F-Droid f-droid.org Què en diuen
Premsa tecnològica
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"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
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"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
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"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
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
Editorials i anàlisi
"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
"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
"Once there is no such thing as 'sideloading', there's virtually no difference between iOS and Android. I see no reason to buy Android over iOS at this point."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"The 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 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 has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"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 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 requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"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
"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
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"The proposed Android Developer Verification program isn't a security update; it's a kill switch for the open ecosystem."
Hillary Keverenge, Tech-ish Kenya
"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 is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Destroying F-Droid isn't some 'oops.' It's the mission. It's Google finally cutting the last remaining escape route and locking every single user inside their store."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"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 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
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"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
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"The $25 isn't the real cost. The chilling effect is. Submitting government ID to Google is a non-starter for pseudonymous contributors and privacy researchers."
Arafat Alim, DEV Community
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
Organitzacions i cartes obertes
"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
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"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
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"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
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"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
"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
"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
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"This extends Google's gatekeeping authority beyond its own marketplace into distribution channels where it has no legitimate operational role."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"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
"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
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"For developers building tools specifically designed to protect user privacy, being forced to surrender their own personal data as a precondition for distribution is deeply contradictory."
AdGuard
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"This invasion of privacy of developers is not just an overreach of Google's authority over Android, but also jeopardizes developer safety."
Software Freedom Conservancy
"When you set up a gate, you invite authorities to use it to block things they don't like. And when you build a database, you invite governments to try to get access."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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
"If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today."
F-Droid
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
YouTubers i creadors
"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
"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
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"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
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"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
"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 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 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
"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
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"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
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"I have really no more strong reason to not recommend you all get iPhones, because this just is pretty much an iPhone with a Google logo on it at this point."
Techlore – YouTube
"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
"The widely-circulated narrative that Google already backed down from this is false. They didn't, and that misunderstanding may be the most dangerous part of the story right now."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google is 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
"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
"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
Desenvolupadors i comunitat
"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
"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
"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
"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
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"Making it harder makes it harder to treat ourselves. Software like AndroidAPS is unique. It's hard to find or very expensive and inferior in the proprietary market."
pimeys (diabetic user on life-critical medical software), Lobsters
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, 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
"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
"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
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, 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
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, 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
"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
"The fundamental problem is that we are relying on the good graces of Google to keep Android open, despite the fact that it often runs contrary to their goals as a $4T for-profit behemoth. The 'don't be evil' days are very far behind us."
paxys, Hacker News
"Requiring a government ID to distribute software. Holy shit. If you are a kid and want to create a game for your friends, you better get that birth certificate ready!"
llitz, Reddit
"Twice I have had to deal with Google silently disabling my drone app to the point I had to buy an older phone to perform work. When I purchase a device that works with another device, under no circumstances should I be at the mercy of any updates they make."
cbrophoto (drone professional), Reddit
"Google 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
"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
"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
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, 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
"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
"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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"Any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you, and won't give you a key, they're not doing it for your benefit."
vord (quoting Cory Doctorow), Tildes
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, 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
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"I hate this so much. More and more I get the feeling I have no control over the devices I own. My fear is that Windows will eventually follow. For security reasons of course. It's the path we're on now."
cheesyvoetjes, Reddit
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, 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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"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
"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
"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
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"I buy a device with my own money, which I supposedly then own, but then I need to ask some corporation permission to use it."
askonomm, Hacker News
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, 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
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"You are essentially a child to them. The difference is society has decided not to step in to protect you from your abusive parents."
globular-toast, Hacker News
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"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
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, 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
"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
Veus de la petició
"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
"Android is the operating system for those who want freedom, and to take away our ability to install what we wish, is the start of Google trying to take further control over us. The internet is already falling apart with attempts to "protect" people, but in reality, the internet isn't a place for big companies to try and protect people against their will. "
Dino, change.org
"one of the best advantages of Android over iOS "
Anderson, change.org
"As a big android user I love the option to try out apps that people make that dont want to use google play. Or the ability to sideload an app if its not "officially" supported but can run fine. The open nature of it is what makes things great and taking that away will push away people. "
T, change.org
"I don't want to be forced change brands or worse build my own (device), just to install programs I make / want to use, I feel like I will have to hack my phones and replace the OS with something that I can't verify how safe it is (I know android has its problems but still) "
tom, change.org
"Im sick of these souless corps squeezing every cent from us they can! "
Marcus, change.org
"As a regular user and consumer, I am frightened by this direction. Android has historically differentiated itself by being an open platform that users can customize to their liking - this is THE main reason I continue to purchase Android phones. I am a developer as a hobby, and will occasionally create my own apps to support my unique projects and requirements. I have no interest in becoming an authorized developer - that wouldn't make sense for me. In addition, I benefit STRONGLY from the community of existing open-source apps. I am an avid F-Droid user, and find the apps there to be of equal or better quality than those in the Play Store. If Android is to become as locked-down as iOS, then my next phone purchase will be from Apple to benefit from their increased privacy protections. The main differentiator drawing me.to Android will be gone. "
Patrick, change.org
"Delusional to think this wouldn't shrink the number of users. "
Les, change.org
"I use android because its easy to mod and customize. If I own the device, I want complete control of it. That comes with the understanding that my modifications could break it . If we lose sideloading and indie and open source development, we'll just have to stray further from the platform to find it again. In a world where the easy to access services and products are becoming increasingly controlled and locked down to the detriment of the consumer, there's real benefit to be had in being one of the few exceptions. "
Cole, change.org
"This is ridiculous the fact that google is causing this will effect everybody it's gonna make it way harder for developers to post there apps to specific users. "
Daisuke, change.org
"Allow us beginning programmers get comfortable with writing scripts and getting used to a whole new set of rules without needing to have licenses that cost money. "
Wes, change.org
"Google is trying to remove any ownership of a device that I bought and paid for. If they wanted to make it some what more difficult to side load in order to prevent people accidentally installing non-reputable apps, that would be understandable, however there complete blocking of installing apps on my own device shows an irreverence for my personal property. "
Ryan, change.org
"This is a huge advantage over ios, you can't take this away 😢 "
Abhinav, change.org
"Because if Google prevents unverified apk installation it will interfere with downloading open source apps and self-signed apps "
error, 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
"This whole security benefit is BS "
Jordan, 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
"One of the reasons that I had chosen android over IOS is its open ecosystem, and the ability to side-load my own apps outside of traditional sources to meet my needs, but by locking this down, not only does this destroy the open-source movement, but it also stalls and even halts development all-together, which means that you will no longer be able to gain the advantage of "community" improving upon the various aspects of the android operating system. "
gabi, change.org
"I shouldn't have to build my own services and self host everything if I want freedom and privacy but it's getting to that point. "
Colt, change.org
"Google, if you want to destroy freedom of choice while you are in a country that have mottos like 'Give me liberty or give me death', you are self destructing your company because people will abandon your operating systema and use other ones/new ones instead. Where we get our apps is none of your business. If you are dead set obsessed about tr king people, you shold have chosen another job instead of an internet company/email/OS, like the N.S, Hay. instead, would have saved you from self destructing your company. "
S., change.org
"When I'm bored, I don't look through the play store - it's full of ads and mind-numbing time wasters. Instead, I look through f-droid, which is full of solo developer apps designed to actually be useful and solve a problem. Maybe a problem unique to that one developer, but it's always interesting to look at. We flock to Android because apple doesn't let us side-load. Why take away something that is core to many users experience and has only limited security problems? We all know this isn't about security, it's about control. It's my phone, let me do what I want with it. (And don't even get me started about Android's rollback "protection" >:( ) "
Spencer, change.org
"The entire reason I use Android so much and deal with Google's bull is the fact that I can run my own code along with others. Get rid of that, and you get rid of the point of still using Android. "
Aaron, change.org
"I want Android to remain an open operating system and platform. "
Eric, change.org
"Once i switched to f-droid & duckduckgo google could destroy my android experianced the way it's suposed to be, keep our galaxies's free and simple. "
Kelab, change.org
"Stop Google censorship "
André, change.org
"We have the right to have a place to escape the clutches of big corporations. "
Miguel, change.org
"Lets keep android open or change to linux phone. Together we can. "
Sin, change.org
"I think it goes without saying that I'll never use a legit android OS ever again if this goes through, literally the only reason Android is better then IOS is BECAUSE of the flexibility and freedom. Just like censoring on the internet makes a country no better then China, Android will be no better then IOS. I'll just go to a third party or install a custom firmware if this shows no signs of slowing down. "
Jesse, change.org
"I first switched over to a Samsung phone because of Android being a open OS. I love being able to make small apps for myself as a developer, and as a user I like that I can find small dev groups on places like GitHub making really cool and useful apps that you would never be able to find on the play store. "
Connor, change.org
"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
"Google shouldn’t have the power to take away choice from users and developers "
Job, change.org
"Just another horrible move from Big Tech companies to further control the rate of which Technology can advance. The only thing I enjoyed about Android - it being very open source and developer friendly - but now that it is being threatened, maybe I should start rallying towards buying ACTUAL Open-Sourced Tech instead of prioritizing capital gain instead of Technical Advancements. "
Aaron, change.org
"Android is the only system the you can do anything with. by closing it. there will be no privacy in the internet. "
jack, change.org
"The sooner this is allowed the sooner our country is gone for good. State control over personal devices will have gone too far. "
April, 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 will effectively remove the android edge over apple. Modifying my phone is the main reason I choose not just android but GOOGLE PIXEL phone and accessories. Literally a huge market mistake. Signed by android consumer and advocate... "
Michael, 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
"if this goes ahead I will simply refuse to use Android and move to a linux 'phone. "
Graham, change.org
"Android without open means NOTHING "
Lang, change.org
"This is a blatantly security washing a monopoly move to undermine the open internet and free access that grew Google to what it is today. If Google wants to be Apple it should produce Apple level products and services without being a leach. "
E, change.org
"As an Android user, I'm really worried about the new requirement for mandatory developer registration that’s supposed to start in September 2026. The openness of Android has always been what sets it apart and offers real benefits to developers, hobbyists, and users. Features like sideloading and direct app sharing are vital for innovation, privacy, and community-driven software. I hope Google reconsiders this policy and makes sure there’s a simple, low-effort way for users to opt out if they want to install unverified apps. "
Vyacheslav, change.org
"I think it's bad because there will be no freedom or be able to test out your own apps you want to make like projects "
Angel, change.org
"Keep android free and open or a lot of people will revolt. Developers and users alike. Don't be horrible. Keep it open. "
Gregory, change.org
"I have a bunch of applications that are not on the Google Play Store that I would lose access to if this feature were to be removed. Security Concerns are not a reason to screw over your customers, and just like you and me, we're all people too. People have the right for freedom, and you're revoking that freedom from the devices that we bought and paid for with our own money. This is extremely monopolistic and anti-competitive. There is now essentially no competition between iOS and Android Devices if this feature gets removed. You are doing a disservice to the entire existence of Android by removing this feature. This hurts more than it helps. "
C., change.org
"The biggest edge Android has had is choice, control, and openness, which is sorely lacking in competitors like with Apple's operating systems. This is the exact opposite of what consumers, developers, and contributors to AOSP want. This is a gross overstep. "
Jordan, change.org
"Google needs to stop monopolizing Android access "
Allen, change.org
"Removing side-loading is anti-user. I'm all for increasing security, and having various strange steps helps with that. You could even have a 1 minute subtitled video that has to play before you can confirm for the first time on a device that you want to side-load apps. But this change shows a lack of interest in users that inspires developers to not care about the Android ecosystem. If Google intends to significantly decrease the scope of Android, that signals that the maintenance costs are too high for Google, and thus, the company intends to let it rot and eventually die, much like many other Google things "
James, change.org
"Anyone who wants to write an Android app should be fully allowed, and should never be forced to pay for your own program through fees. "
Keiran, change.org
"As consumers, we are entitled to the full functionality of the technology we purchase. This includes the freedom to choose how we use our devices and what software to run on them. Google claims their efforts to lock down Android are for security purposes, but their true motivations are based in a incessant need for control and financial gain. Malware concerns have never justified sideloading restrictions on computers, regardless of OS - so why would they suddenly apply to their pocket-sized counterparts? Smartphones serve as the primary drivers enabling both our personal and professional lives, online and offline. Big tech’s desire to rob the people’s agency and ownership over such vital technology through needless restrictions and invasive surveillance for an extra dime clearly shows their lack of integrity and respect for the consumer. Removing the freedom of choice from Android means creating a landscape where all mobile technology will never truly serve their users as all tools should. Coming from someone who has used both Android and iOS devices, I have learned how indispensable the freedom provided by Android really is, even for an average user. Google’s willingness to restrict their users, destroying Android’s greatest strength and its legacy is extremely disappointing. I do not want to live in a world where all technology becomes a series of “walled gardens” as Apple has notoriously made their own phones. We deserve to own our technology, not be owned by our technology. "
Jurrien, change.org
"Hasn't Google monopolized enough? Let us have a right to our data, identity security, and development. "
Taylor, change.org
"Your going to lose customers to apple to make a quick buck. A lot of android users are android users because you can use the phone how you please. Stop being dumb. "
Christopher, change.org
"Keep android open source, resist surveillance and ID verification. Consider switching to Grapheneos "
Andrew, change.org
"I use a de-googled phone and F-Droid is my store. This will destroy F-Droid. If I pay for a device I should be able to load what every I like on that device. Google is using it's monopoly powers to force us into a box. I'm a great believer in privacy and freedom and I see it day by day gradually eroded. "
Peter, change.org
"We should keep Android open. "
Habsir, change.org
"If Android no longer allows me to install what I want, how I want, there is no reason for me to not use Apple products. Your company is already going down the wrong path in so many ways with not properly supporting third-party open source Android variants; do not let this be the final nail in your OS's coffin. "
Peter, change.org
"Isn't the point of Android to be open and allow choice to install what the user wants? Why should I pay for a phone that won't allow me to actually have control over what I own? May as well buy an iPhone. "
Kolya, change.org
"SKYNET HAS INITIATED WWIII :( "
Daniel Alberto, change.org
"STOP GOOGLE!!!!!!!!!!!! "
max, change.org
"They literally block sideloading with this and always using "security" as an excuse, they never will accept all dev, and also who give they the right to get ID of dev. Put in you place, you are a company in a democratic country, we give you power The solution for this is stop using google services, give they a prove of power, they depend of us because we give them money, stop using google service, and fight against this injustice Google is evil, and right now they are shown they craws "
Juan, change.org
"Do not fix something that is not broken. "
Pavel, change.org
"Giving consumers a choice in their software increases competition and ultimately benefits the consumer in the products they use. Giving choice to developers on how to reach the consumer is beneficial from single developers to large companies as it gives them options to be shown in the spotlight or reach a niche group that would appreciate their product. By giving power to a single organization to determine who the winners and losers are you set that company up to always choose their products over a competitor even if their products are inferior to the competitors. "
John, 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
"who thought it was even a good idea "
Joel, change.org
"Free open Android is the reason we use it. Spread the word people. "
Gregory, 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
"I, as an Android user for 17 years, believe in, and chose Android for, device openness and the freedom of choice. To choose my device, the services I use, from where I download my applications, and to choose FOSS apps that don't require developer registration or sacrificing personal privacy by accepting trackers and/or unnecessary permissions being tied to my app usage. Choice and freedom is what built Android and differentiated it from other platforms, like iOS, Windows Mobile, and other early smartphone operating systems. The trend of destroying user choice through the inability to unlock bootloader and easily root devices, the effective and increasing destruction of the custom ROM community and options, and now the elimination of third party app stores that offer incredible FOSS apps with greater focus on user privacy is one more step Google and Android are taking towards an undesirable ecosystem for many of us who still choose Android for its few remaining, and quickly disappearing, advantages. The argument that Google is requiring developer registration and restricting the ability of alternative app stores, like F-Droid, to continue to thrive as legitimate and worthwhile options is anti-consumer and isn't to protect users. Rather, it's to give users and consumers less control over their devices and data and, in my opinion, that is unacceptable. "
Roger, change.org
"If I recall IOS got sued and lost for trying to lock down options, And imagine if you had to pay a fee and show your ID just to make a windows or Linux application? No because that is stupid. and It is utterly foolish. And this isn't about security as android already has ways of locking down insecure apps already. Also this act harms open source projects and also puts developers at risk as sharing government ID's has already proven to be very insecure and would give bad actors ways of hurting people because they don't like what the person makes. "
Bradley, change.org
"Keep Android Open Google! Make it stand out to users and developers above the iPhone! "
Jason, change.org
"who's afraid of free open source software? "
F., change.org
"I use many open source apps, and I do not want to lose any of them! "
Jayden, 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
"Censorship and authoritarian regime in the guise of security is asinine and should be illegal. Monopoly is illegal. Google is digging its own grave. "
Billy, change.org
"I find it frankly baffling how Google is trying to erase one of the selling points of their products because of their need to control Android even further. "
Theo, change.org
"When we buy a phone, we’re buying the right to use it as we see fit. For years, the core promise of Android was that it was an "open" platform, a space where users had the freedom to choose their software and developers had the freedom to innovate without a middleman. The move to mandate central registration for APK files and developer verification fundamentally breaks that promise. I believe in a future where technology serves the person who bought it. Let's call on Google to honor the original vision of Android as an open computing platform. Let’s keep Android open for the creators, for the consumers, and for the sake of a free and diverse digital future. "
Jessie, change.org
"Imagine not being able to install programs on your computer that don't go though Microsoft or Apple first. That is where this will go next if this type of practice is made normal/succeeded. "
Kyle, change.org
"The war on freedom is beginning. Let's keep fighting back. "
Rafael, change.org
"This is the only reason I've bought android phones all my life, if this passes then I'll either install custom software to avoid it or I'll find an alternative device and stop supporting android at all. If i'm not free to do what I want with my phone, then I don't own it and I don't want it. "
brandon, change.org
"Android should not become a locked down plarform. Especially since its built upon a lot of open source technologies. It should be the open mobile platform. Not just another walled garden. If it does that, it will just be an inexpensive version of iOS. "
José Javier, change.org
"I will dtop uding Android if this is beeing implemented "
Cederick, change.org
"The openness of Android is perhaps one of the greatest features of Android. While many people do not sideload apps, many others do for a variety of reasons. Having the ability to use your own devices as you want want to, is crucial for many people around the world. We have seen many times in the past, that "security" measures like this one do very little to increase security, but restrict users heavily. "
Eric, change.org
"The openness of Android is the *only* reason many of us care. We understand Google is trying desperately to make as much money as possible, but locking down the developer ecosystem will result in the exact opposite effect. Short term thinking for short term gain. "
Avery, change.org
"There is absolutely no reason for this. Google is once again using its money and influence to bully and suppress independent developers and choke out options for user, all while further its goal to insert itself in every aspect of the digital life. I enjoy having choice. I do not require every aspect of my life to be "verified". And the endless fees heaped on every small independent, be they developer or user, need to stop. "
Cat, change.org
"I switched to Android for my freedom to install apps. Now that the threat of app verification is looming over us, If this goes through, Android will no longer have a place in my life. Continue to allow (free and fair) APK installs! "
Sebastian, change.org
"Keep Android from being like Apple controlling every aspect of what can be installed or not, that's why i don't own iPhones never will. If android is going in the same direction ill get a flip phone I don't need big brother telling me what i can do or can't on my phone, i worked hard to pay for! in the name of safety always same bullshit excuse when they want to violate people's rights... "
melvyn, change.org
"The only reason I prefer Android over iOS is the freedom of sideloading apps. If you remove this feature, lots of users (including me) will no longer have a reason to use Android instead of iOS. Also, isn't Google Play Protect enough to protect users from malware? Besides, sideloading is disabled by default unless you manually enable it in settings. You can add warnings and scan APKs, but please don't block them entirely. "
IPVG, change.org
"There is no valid reason to do this except greed and control. If someone installs malicious software on their own device thats their issue. "
Jonathan, change.org
"Why are these changes a necessity? What scary changes are happening in the technological realm that's causing Google to take these ecosystem changing moves? It appears as if you're ignoring a large section of your fan base. I hope freedom wins, but I think with the ever quickening development of A. I. that this measure may be the new necessity with mobile technology try to keep had actors at bay. "
Gene, change.org
"Android giving users choice has been the staple point of android OS. Removing choices like sideloading apps is not the move. I develop apps for myself, I do not want to be "an approved developer" I don't have time nor care for that. This action also is the beginning of censorship, and monopolization of android OS. Android started as an open operating system, you have simply turned it into a reskinned Apple OS. Your choice to go anti-consumer is going to hurt. You are not "protecting" anyone "
Seth, change.org
"The ability to install APKs are a core feature in Android's open nature. It also helps developers to freely test and debug their apps. Installing APKs should be completely free and allowed. Thanks to everyone who made me see this project. Do you want me to draw this as a support material? Thanks. "
Emir, change.org
"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
"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
"KEEP ANDROID OPEN "
Dennis, change.org
"It's a no to big brother and feeling myself fold up when I look at my phone "
William, change.org
"Please reconsider "
Calvin, change.org
"Me and many of my peers have been android users for over a decade, mainly due to the open nature and freedom to use my device as I wish without friction. Revoking this freedom by forcing developers into this program will harm developer privacy and freedom of speech, accessibility of development, user control over their devices, and preservation of older apps. It's not as easy as move to another OS, as the only other option is iOS and alternatives don't have as many applications needed for general day to day life. This is an overreach of power feigning "caring about user safety" to restrict user and developer freedoms "
Natasha, change.org
"Take away the freedom of Android, and you'll lose the majority of your userbase. Seems like a smart move! "
Evan, change.org
"Like me and other out there we like to use apks to download apps for free and we should have the freedom to download whatever we want on to our android phones they are our phones and we can download what we want on them and to see Google taking away apks and the freedom of download apps is bad and Google are also taking away features from the recovery screen and we should be free to install whatever software we want on Androids like custom OSs and good wants to make it harder for developers to share their apps and projects and Google wants control over our devices and they want to control of what we can and cannot download we need to stop Google from doing this and spread the word "
Fynch tc, change.org
"We choose Android because it's open and free. "
Flora, change.org
"If I can't install FOSS apps then I will switch to Apple and delete my google account. "
Eli, change.org
"This is despicable behavior on Googles part. I own my device, therefore I get to decide what I want to install to it. Period. End of story. Some corporate suite halfway across the country shouldn't be allowed to decide what I can install on my device. We need to stand up to this kind of abuse of power. "
Devin, change.org
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