Din mobiltelefon stopper snart med at være din.
I 2027* vil en usynlig opdatering, som installeres af Google uden dit samtykke, blokere enhver Android-app hvis udvikler ikke har registreret sig hos Google, underskrevet deres kontrakt, betalt et gebyr og fremvist statslig identifikation.
Enhver app og enhver enhed, verdensomspændende, uden nogen mulighed for omgåelse.
↓Hvad Google har gang i
I august 2025 annoncerede Google et nyt krav: fra 2027 skal alle Android-appudviklere registrere sig centralt hos Google før deres software kan installeres på nogen som helst enhed. Ikke bare apps hentet fra Play Store: alle apps. Dette inkluderer apps delt mellem venner, distribueret gennem F-Droid eller bygget af entusiaster til personligt brug. Uafhængige udviklere, kirker og almennyttige foreninger, hobbybrugere og deslige vil alle blive udelukket fra at udvikle og distribuere deres software.
Registrering kræver:
- Betaling af et gebyr til Google
- Accept af Googles vilkår og betingelser
- Overgivelse af din statsligt udstedte identifikation
- Bevis for ejerskab af din private kryptografiske signaturnøgle
- Oplistning af alle nuværende og alle fremtidige applikations-identifikationsstrenge
Hvis en udvikler ikke indordner sig bliver deres apps uden varsel blokeret på enhver Android-enhed på verdensplan.
Hvem det går ud over
Dig
Du har købt en Android-telefon fordi Google sagde den var åben. Du kunne installere hvad du ville og det var en del af aftalen.
Google omskriver nu aftalen, med tilbagevirkende kraft, gældende for hardware du allerede ejer. Efter opdateringen kan du kun køre software som Google på forhånd har godkendt. På din mobiltelefon: din ejendom, som du har betalt for.
Uafhængige udviklere
En teenagers første app, en frivilligs privatlivsværktøj eller et firmas fortrolige interne betaversion. Brugen er underordnet. I 2027 kan ingen af disse installeres uden Googles velsignelse.
F-Droid, som er hjem for tusinder af fri og open source Android-apps, har kaldt dette en "eksistentiel" trussel. Cory Doctorow kalder det "Darth Android".
Regeringer & civilsamfund
Google har fremvist en historik hvor de indordner sig når autoritære regimer forlanger apps fjernet. Med denne opførsel, er softwaren der driver dit lands institutioner kun tilgængelig fordi det passer en enkelt uansvarlig udenlandsk virksomhed.
Foreningen EFF kalder dette ønske om at være portvagt for apps en "evigt ekspanderende glidebane mod internetcensur."
Googles "nødluge" er en faldlem
Google siger at "avancerede brugere" stadig "vil kunne installere" uverificerede apps gennem et "avanceret flow". Nedenfor er illustreret hvordan dette rent faktisk vil foregå:
- Grav ned i System-indstillinger og find Om telefonen
- Tryk byggenummeret syv gange for at slå udviklertilstand til
- Bekræft skræmmedialoger omkring faren ved at gøre dette under pres
- Indtast din PIN-kode
- Gentart enheden
- Vent 24 timer
- Vend tilbage, bekræft flere skræmmedialoger
- Vælg mellem "tillad midlertidigt" (7 dage) eller "tillad ubegrænset"
- Bekræft, igen, at du forstår "risiciene"
Ni trin. En obligatorisk 24-timers venteperiode. For at installere software på en enhed du ejer.
Og værre endnu: dette flow foregår udelukkende gennem Google Play Services, ikke som en del af selve Androids operativsystem. Google kan ændre det, stramme det eller slå det fra til enhver tid, uden at det kræver en operativsystemopdatering og uden samtykke.
Dette er større end Android
Hvis Google får lov til retroaktivt at låse milliarder af enheder der oprindeligt blev solgt som åbne platforme, så vil enhver hardwarefabrikant på planeten kigge interesseret med.
Princippet der stadfæstes: virksomheden som producerede din enhed må bestemme, efter du har købt den, hvilken software du må køre på den. Indenfor software kaldes dette "at trække tæppet"; men her kan du i det mindste installere konkurrerende software. Med hardware, er det en endegyldig handling som fratager dig din råderet og gør dig magtesløs overfor en enkelt uansvarlig portvagt og dømt monopolist.
Androids åbenhed var aldrig bare en feature. Det var løftet som adskilte det fra iPhone. Millioner valgte Android af præcis den grund. Google trækker nu fuldstændigt ensidigt i land på det løfte, for enheder som allerede er i folks lommer, bare fordi de mener de har nok markedsdominans og indflydelse hos lovgivere til at de kan slippe af sted med det.
Ars Technica: "Googles misundelse mod Apple truer med at afmontere Androids åbne arv."
Men vent lige, er dette ikke...
"...bare et spørgsmål om sikkerhed?"
Sikkerhedsrationalet er et røgslør. Google Play Protect skanner allerede for malware uafhængigt af udviklerens identitiet. Krav om statslig identifikation gør ikke kode mere sikker. Det gør udviklere identificerbare og kontrollerbare. Udviklere af malware kan også registrere sig. Uafhængige udviklere og dissidenter kan ofte ikke. Foreningen EFF lægger ikke fingre imellem: en sådan identitetsbaseret portvagt for apps er et censurværktøj ikke en sikkerhedsanordning.
"...stadig sideloading hvis du bruger det avancerede flow?"
Ni trin, 24-timers ventetid, gemt i Udviklingsindstillinger, distribueret gennem en proprietær service som Google kan trække tilbage når det passer dem. Det er ikke sideloading. Det er en afskrækkelsesmekanisme bygget til at sikre at nærmest ingen gennemfører det. Og da det kører gennem Play Services, ikke som en del af operativsystemet, kan Google stramme eller fjerne det uden varsel.
"...kun et problem hvis du har noget at skjule?"
Whistleblowere, journalister og aktivister i autoritære regeringer vil være de første ofre. Mennesker i voldelige forhold er de næste. Disse grupper har legitime grunde til at distribuere og anvende software uden at deres identitet skal lagres i en Google-database. Anonyme bidrag til open source er en tradition som strækker sig længere tilbage end Google. Denne ændring slutter dette for Android.
"...det samme som Apple gør?"
Apple har været lukket fra dag et. Folk har valgt Android fordi det var anderledes. "Apple gør det samme" er et ræs mod bunden og et svagt også du argument. Og under lovgivningspres (EUs Digital Markets Act), tvinges selv Apple til at lukke op. Google bevæger sig i den modsatte retning: forsøger at forskanse sin portvagtstatus yderligere.
"...bare et lille gebyr og noget papirarbejde?"
Måske, hvis du er en udvikler i USA med et kreditkort og et kørekort. Forestil dig at være studerende i det sydlige Afrika, en dissident i Myanmar eller en frivillig som vedligeholder en sundhedsapp for et lokalfællesskab. Omkostningen er ikke kun økonomisk: du overgiver statslig identifikation og beviser for dine kryptografiske nøgler til en virksomhed som rutinemæssigt efterkommer regeringers krav om at blokere apps og identificere udviklere.
Kæmp imod
Alle
- Installer F-Droid på alle Android-enheder du ejer. Alternative app-kilder overlever kun hvis de faktisk er i brug.
- Kontakt dine lovgivere. Lovgivere verden over er oprigtigt bekymret for monopoler og centralisering af magt i teknologi-sektoren og vil gerne høre fra borgere som er påvirkede og bekymrede.
- Del denne side. Link til keepandroidopen.org over alt.
- Sig Google-medløbere imod. Der er mange folk der anfægter argumenterne der fremføres her. Lad dem ikke sætte diskursen.
- Deltag i underskriftsindsamlingen på change.org og støt op om de over 100.000 der allerede har gjort deres stemme gældende.
- Læs og del vores åbne brev
- Fortæl Google hvad du synes om dette gennem deres eget spørgeskema vedrørende udviklerverifikation (i et lille håb om at det kan ændre noget).
Udviklere
Undlad at registrere dig. Lad være med at tilslutte dig programmet ved at registrere dig på Android Developer Console og acceptere deres ufortrydelige betingelser og vilkår. Lad være med at bekræfte din identitet. Spil ikke med på deres spil.
Googles plan vil kun fungere hvis udviklere deltager. Lad være med det.
- Overbevis andre udviklere og organisationer om ikke at registrere sig.
- Tilføj FreeDroidWarn-biblioteket til dine apps for at advare dine brugere.
- Har du en hjemmeside? Tilføj nedtællingsbanneret.
Google-ansatte
Hvis du ved noget om de tekniske detaljer eller interne rationaler for programmet, så kontakt tips@keepandroidopen.org fra en ikke-arbejdscomputer og en ikke-Gmailkonto. Streng fortrolighed er garanteret.
Alle der er imod…
71 organisationer fra 23 lande har underskrevet det åbne brev
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
F-Droid f-droid.org
iodé iode.tech
OpenMedia openmedia.org
FACiL facil.qc.ca
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
Brave brave.com
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
GitHub Store github-store.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
Proton AG proton.me
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
CryptPad cryptpad.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
Techlore techlore.tech
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Italian Linux Society ils.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
FUTO futo.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
April april.org Hvad de siger
Teknologimedier
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"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 is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"'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 Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"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
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
Klummeskrivere & analyser
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"The proposed Android Developer Verification program isn't a security update; it's a kill switch for the open ecosystem."
Hillary Keverenge, Tech-ish Kenya
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"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
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"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
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"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
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday
"Google's 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
"The $25 isn't the real cost. The chilling effect is. Submitting government ID to Google is a non-starter for pseudonymous contributors and privacy researchers."
Arafat Alim, DEV Community
"Google has announced 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
"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
"There is also the very real possibility that Google will leak your identity with the result that any apps with political implications could result in persecution and worse."
I-Programmer
"Google 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
"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
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google has 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
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"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
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"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
Organisationer & åbne breve
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"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
"If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today."
F-Droid
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"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
"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
"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
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"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
"For developers building tools specifically designed to protect user privacy, being forced to surrender their own personal data as a precondition for distribution is deeply contradictory."
AdGuard
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"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
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"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
"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
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"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
"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
"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
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
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
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
YouTubere & indholdsskabere
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"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
"That's not openness. That is control."
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 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
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"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
"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
"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 keeps getting in as much trouble as Apple when Google is half evil and Apple is full evil. So there are probably people inside Google saying, 'Why not just go full evil?'"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"The 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
"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
"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 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 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
"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
"F-Droid is basically saying that the new Google developer registration process will likely kill the open-source app store entirely."
The Linux Experiment – YouTube
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"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
"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
"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
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
Udviklere & fællesskaber
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"Making it harder makes it harder to treat ourselves. Software like AndroidAPS is unique. It's hard to find or very expensive and inferior in the proprietary market."
pimeys (diabetic user on life-critical medical software), Lobsters
"If I go down this path, I will stop all development on Android. I implore all other developers to resist this. This will completely lock down the platform forever, there will be no going back."
BatteryMountain, Hacker News
"I 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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"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
"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
"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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"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's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"After 15 years of professional development on Android I too am now thinking about switching my focus to something different. And it sucks."
MrDresden, Hacker News
"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
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), 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
"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
"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
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, 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
"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
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), 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
"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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"We need to start treating phones differently. We're entering a world where we can't choose what we run on them. Their primary purpose is to gather data on us and serve us advertising, they're engineered for addiction, yet engaging in the world is immensely difficult without one."
specproc, Hacker News
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"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
"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
"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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"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
"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
"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
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, 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
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"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
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"Years ago, I wondered how Google would try to get away with locking down Android and shutting the cage door after capturing such a large dependent user base. Now I see how they are trying to get away with it."
chaznabin, Reddit
"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
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"Any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you, and won't give you a key, they're not doing it for your benefit."
vord (quoting Cory Doctorow), Tildes
"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
"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
"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
Stemmer fra underskriftsindsamlingen
"Changes like this severely limit fledgeling development. While you promise easy ways to register for free, any barrier can be enough to stop someone from making their first app. Additionally, anonymous publishing should be available for applications that may go against the will of those in power. This change limits freedom as well as killing the developer community. "
Jack, change.org
"Bribed their way outta the consequences for being an evil monopoly. Corporations behave kinda like sociopaths, but sociopaths atleast pretend not to be evil. When Google removed their motto "Don't be evil", they went from evil, to cartoonishly evil. When 300 million people realize 3 people have half of the money, half of the money in 'merica wont be eneough to save them. "
Jason, change.org
"FOSS shall not die and we the users shall be free to install what ever software we want "
Erik, change.org
"Google can't do whatever it wants with Android. I paid for Android precisely for the freedom. If I wanted to stay in a closed system, I would have bought an iPhone. '-' "
Sandro, change.org
"Using Android has always meant having the freedom to customize your experience to your hearts content, this would be the end of an era. This would also be the end of many small app developers that can't or won't conform to the what one might say 'invasive' requirements to publish an app. You can say goodbye to FOSS and side loading which is a huge part of Android customization. "
sebastian, change.org
"The war on freedom is beginning. Let's keep fighting back. "
Rafael, change.org
"Authoritarians, I know you want the whole pie, but if you aspire for it we will make sure you lose the majority you already hold. "
Josh, change.org
"Stop destroying our freedom! "
Alberto, change.org
"Keep android free. "
Jansen, change.org
"I have always preferred Android phones over Apple phones, just for the freedom that Android gave to download applications without having to limit and control you all the time, but now Android wants to become an APPLE 2.0, if that happens I will throw away my Android phone and directly buy an iPhone, if it is going to have restrictions too, all bad Android 👎 "
Mauricio, change.org
"Please, allow for users to make exceptions or some other control, keep Android flexible. "
Boris, change.org
"We choose Android because it's open and free. "
Flora, change.org
"As an android user myself. I want to help make a change by signing this petition. We cannot let Google take away user freedom as the whole reason android got popular in the first place is because it is open-source. People should not be told what to do and what not to do on their device and it should be up to the user. "
Anonymous, change.org
"Google, this is NOT acceptable. You are NOT the gatekeepers of development. You ARE BEING EVIL. "
David, change.org
"I like Android because it feels like a computer. I can administrate my own files, download niche little hobby projects made freely by others off of GitHub. I don't want it to become a walled corporate garden like iOS. If it does, well, might as well switch to the higher-quality walled garden, huh? No point in using a droid anymore. "
Maxima, change.org
"I do not trust the judgment of one company to decide what every person on Android is allowed to use on their phones. This is a censorship tactic, and will silence and punish small-time app developers who do not have the time or money to plead their case for the right to host their apps. "
Anna, 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
"Yeah let's remove the one thing keeping people on Android 🤨 "
Bobby, change.org
"You will not remove the free choice we have enjoyed for decades, with open source android phones or we shall remove Google Android from our use altogether, and simply get different phones to use. "
C, change.org
"Please dont let die the FOSS community and github hobby projects. "
Nondibianno Ambar, change.org
"I feel that Android needs to remain open, as it is the only other OS apart from desktop based OSes which allow for sideloading. It is up to the user to decide what they choose to install, not by Google to verify the developer of the said app the user wants to install. "
Zain, change.org
"Don't tread on us Google! "
Trevor, change.org
"User: I do! Developer: I do! Google: I don't! They have no real business doing this - maybe if there was an alternative, but there isn't! This is the continuation of the meltdown they've been having about adblockers. "
Nona, change.org
"The reason people have Android is not only because it's cheap ,but because of the freedom The OS has... taking away this freedom ,is like taking away someone's heart "
Ayrton, change.org
"I sideload and digitally mod a lot of my devices, and while I was just about to consider switching to Android because of this (and Apple's limit in storage), this sort of removal of freedom, even small and masked as 'the right thing' for security, just isn't right. There's already trust issues within Apple's app store, and the 'free' stuff doesn't support developers properly, so why copy paste the same issues that made people want to switch in the first place? How else will people get apps that properly support their device that aren't locked in some way or just won't? How else will people try and test prototypes of apps? How else will people... get this... have fun with the device they bought with money to have and physically own? And yet a company wants the money to steal more water and ruin immune systems of the future. This is totally 'the right thing'. "
Laura, change.org
"I have been an android user ever since I got my first smartphone over a decade ago. The only reason I still rock an android phone is the ability to customize my phone to my liking and being able to install whatever I want on the machine that I purchased with my money. Taking away the only feature that separates android from iOS is a terrible decision. This will definitely make a good chunk of your fanbase move over to iOS, including myself. "
Luis, change.org
""Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Benjamin Franklin "
ethical, change.org
"I've always installed software from whatever source I chose. I don't think locking things down on Android any more than they already are helps anyone. It just adds fuel to suspicions we already have about Google vision due the Android ecosystem. "
Jason, change.org
"Limiting APK file issue is not a good idea. It is basically like apple os and will greatly hurt my projects... "
Josias, 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
"Android has always been about freedom on mobile, unlike iOS, and must remain so permanently. Developer identity verification on Android will not stop fraud and other malicious activities by fraudsters and scammers. They can use the browser, calls, or SMS to continue their malicious activities with impunity. This intrusive developer verification method will push both users and developers to use dangerous workarounds to run their preferred APKs outside the Play Store on Android. Furthermore, it will expose each APK developer's identity to data leaks, facilitate identity theft, and endanger everyone's privacy not to mention that it restricts the freedom of expression of developers. "
Samuel, change.org
"I've used side loading a number of times in the past to load 3rd party developed apps. Not supporting this will make me seriously reconsider other phones and OS "
Richard, change.org
"I use sideloaded android apps all the time! They are very useful to have. Android removing this feature will be detrimental to me and many other android users. "
Ian, change.org
"Please don't close off the Android ecosystem. I'm an Android user because it gives me the freedom to install apps while taking responsibility for my installations. That's what differentiates it from iPhone and the reason I chose it. "
Víctor, change.org
"Google is going to ruin what they built and turn into Apple. "
Abnormal Software, change.org
"Its my phone im doing as i please with it "
Brayden, change.org
"this discourage even people that want to start at programming "
Elton, change.org
"We ned open source application PLEASE "
french, change.org
"The entire reason I chose an android over an apple phone was the control over my device I got. Taking that away is a mistake! "
Gin, change.org
"I use apk's for work don't ban apk "
Binyomin, change.org
"Do not fix something that is not broken. "
Pavel, change.org
"As an android user who picked android because of the principles and mission laid out by the AOSP, this is in direct violation of what the project was set out to do. Please do not do this, this hurts all consumers whether they realize it or not. "
Matthew, change.org
"ts bullshit fr fr ive been tinkering with Android for a long long long time now and its part of the reason im even into tech so much. the sheer amount of freedom Android allows is truly amazing and so help me god if they take it away "
silly, change.org
"As an Android user for years, I'm honestly outraged by what they're trying to do. This isn't protection, it's control, it's obvious. "
Ryan, change.org
"The act of restricting a user's choice of how or where they get their applications is against the concept of a free market and is a monopolization of how applications are distributed. Forcing developers into the play store is against everyone's freedom of choice. Point blank and center. There is no logic that suggests such a change is good or necessary. The play store can be a place for an average user to download their apps. But the user should have every right to be able to install software on their device which they purchased outside from other sources if they want. There is no good reason for a hardware vendor, OEM, or software company should have the right to limit you on what you can or cannot do with your device. Nor should they have the right to limit developers either. This is an attack on one of the culprit reasons on what made Android great in the first place. Especially compared to the competition (eg. Apple). Such a restriction would lead Android's package and software installation into a direct monopoly with nearly full control of how applications are distributed, rather than letting user's sourcing them from other places if they prefer. When I buy a desktop computer, I fully expect to be able to install my own OS on it, install my own software, and get the installer from their website, or maybe use a command promot/terminal to install it from a package manager. That is freedom of choice. I fully expect the same from any device I purchase for personal use and that is my right because it is a product I paid for. These companies are consistently abusing software and their terms of agreement to essentially change the terms of sale after you bought it. Which is a different issue in itself, yet can tie directly make into these restrictions and practices. It's highly predictable behavior. And frankly no consumer benefits from such change. It'll be argued "for the sake of security and system integrity", yet these companies do not have the spine and integrity to mention the real reasons behind it. Never mind even with such restriction, the Google Play Store is littered with predatory and malicious applications that float around 24/7, yet they intend on restricting apps on the outside that a lot of legitimate developers who put a lot of work into a free and open software platforms they use to give users alternative options of often what is even better software then what is on the Play Store. This is absolutely undoubtedly a severely anti-consumer practice that does not protect you, but monopolizes the delivery of software and restricts access to users and developers. This should never be supported on an "open platform". Such a change fundamentally would turn Android into a predatory, monopolistic and proprietary anti-consumer software. No different from iOS. "
Steve, change.org
"Genuinely fr "
Hanifinio, change.org
"As a hobbyist and tinkerer I rely on sideloaded apps to manage my smart devices, maintain privacy and access key items on other devices. Many of these services that I have set up would be unavailable if this goes forward. What's more there is no foreseeable reason why one shouldn't be able to modify, edit and change their own devices as they see fit. Every other computer works in this manner and Android has been no different. Maintaining this freedom is a must going forward and has one of the primary draws to the ecosystem. Google's choice to stop sideloading is not fooling anyone, it's a method of control and siloing. I left Apple because of this, don't think I won't leave Android too. "
Matthew, change.org
"Stop trying to censor & limit everyone! You can't just monoplize everything! "
Caulen, change.org
"Developer verification can improve security, but requiring centralized registration for all apps on certified devices risks creating new barriers to competition and innovation. Security shouldn’t come at the cost of openness and choice. "
Caleb, change.org
"The point of using Android over iOS is it's openness. Google is destroying one of the core tenets of the operating system under the guise of "protecting users." In reality, this is the same monopoly tactics they've already been legally convicted of. Remember: It's not "side-loading." It's "installing apps." Don't let Google trick you into thinking it's weird by foisting different language on you. "
Wesley, change.org
"My phone, my apps Let me do what I want or else an iPhone will be my phone "
Aaron, change.org
"Isn't the whole purpose of Android yo be open source? Where's that going to Google? Get your s**t together "
Jarred, change.org
"Dear Google. You have paid games. Players are trying to get the modded apk. You slap them with an "unsafe" warning. Not all modded apks can be unsafe, some are. If you want free robux, steal some. Sincerely, Yaoi Ulshade "
Yaoi, change.org
"Hopefully this movement is successful for the custom developmental purposes and devotion from the developers themselves. "
Jerrod, change.org
"Android was born as an open-source solution, more free and democratic for users. I believe that if they maintained their stance of freedom, this would continue to strengthen the OS as a good alternative to other closed-source software. "
Felipe, change.org
"Being able to install "unverified" apps from third party app repositories has allowed me to discover ad-free software that fits my needs perfectly that aren't available on the Google Play store. Removing support for "unverified" apps would destroy all ability for me to use the phone I purchased how I see fit. "
Nella, change.org
"Yeah i like the big man having control over the phone i bought. Thats the only reason i went to Android. Never again. Hope Android is dying for it "
Tobias, change.org
"This new directive from GOOGLE is clearly an anti-consumer practice so the users would have even less control of their devices, so they can prevent people from installing better and free alternatives, all being done under the false intention of "making android more secure", as if the play store isn't riddled with malware or scams "
Olivia, change.org
"the whole point of android is that it is open. i want to OWN and have actual control over my device. google's decision takes that out. It's cruel and straightup dystopian how it is forcing users to just comply; thus having you not actually "own" the device. we want to freely choose what we have on our own devices, and it's quite blatant the "protection from risks" is only a smokescreen to censor and ... ruin android's biggest redeeming quality. this is a horrible choice "
r.w., change.org
"Apple is one of the lamest companies in the world. You have no control on an iPhone. That's always been one of the selling points about Android is that you have basically total control over your device. There's literally no reason to change being able to download independent and open source apps from trusted developers. There are higher chances of getting a sketchy app through the play store. Don't break what isn't broken and then say you fixed something. We already lost our SD card slots. If you see this and you haven't signed the petition, please sign it. Also for more info, go here: https://keepandroidopen.org/ "
Dakota, change.org
"The whole reason I've stuck with android so long is because of how many choices I had compared to other options. Now they are trying to get rid of them and for what? The only thing they gain by doing this is their customers ire and I don't want to sit and let something so predatory just get passed like this. "
Logan, change.org
"If I wanted my phone to be a prisoner in a fascist dictatorship I'd have an iPhone. I've been thinking about degoogling my life, maybe now is the time to do it. "
Karl, change.org
"APK ARE IMPORTANT,IT'S SOME GAMES THAT ARE NOT ON PLAYSTORE "
Paulo, change.org
"Google is shooting itself in the foot; this will only influence more people to migrate to iOS. "
Kaue, change.org
"Way to get people Ungoogling "
Martin Moe, change.org
"As a regular user of Android, I've always loved the freedom that Android gave me when it came to downloading apps and APKs. I've never had an issue with Android up until now. This policy is going to be restricting and a violation of the digital rights of both consumers and the creators. This does not protect anybody in the equation, and if this policy goes through then I will not use Android services anymore. Google, please hear our voices and do not go through with this. You will lose many supporters if you do. "
Simon, change.org
"1 federal lawsuit wasn't enough? Why after all that's happened, being convicted for monopoly must Google feel the need to throw "
Zach, change.org
"Android was always meant to be versatile and open for users and developers alike. It was always about freedom of choice when it came to creating and usage of applications and Android was a big part of that vision... Otherwise, everyone would've just purchased and use Apple iPhones instead---there wouldn't BE an incentive to be on Android. Google... get your act together! "
Ray, change.org
"Freedom to download and install whatever you want is one of the main reasons people choose AndroidOS over apple products. With how Apple has made steps towards more sustainable hardware, it is getting less and less justifiable to continue using google products. "
Antonio, change.org
"A big part of the software that we use currently exists thanks to the open code and developers that share solutions in terms of others can learn and build on them. to demand to the developers to identify or establish a payment to distribute the software, even though there is no a lucrative goal create unnecessary boundaries for independent, educative and experimental projects. Android turned into an innovative plataform due to its openness. Establish a limit to that openness threat the developers ecosystem that made it possible. "
Santos, change.org
"I own the hardware and will choose the software to suit my needs. not the needs of big tech. "
stuart, change.org
"Sideloading is what keeps Android as a different thing compared to iOS. Taking that away is like making it the same. Worst, decision, ever. "
Marcos Eloy, change.org
"This petition is important because as an open source developer and long-time Android enthusiast, the freedom of installing software on a device I own is mandatory. Android is fun and customizable, let's ensure that both developers and users can continue to enjoy their devices without restrictions. "
Benjamin, change.org
"I choose android for freedom of customisation. I know the risks, I'm not silly. People will jailbreak this but I want Google to understand that it's users are intelligent "
Michael, 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 spirit of open source is one of the basis of the Internet.Please do not reverse the course of history. "
Roberto, change.org
"This is another blasphemous attempt from Google to assert itself as a complete monopoly and their reasoning to protect users is just a mask for generating massive revenue. Being "open" coupled with the "freedom of choice" are the underlying factors for why Android dominates the market share. Crushing both these fundamental reasons to be a dictator is pure insanity. Developers shouldn't comply and users should stop buying Google infected Android devices. Thankfully, there's other options so no need to convert to iPhone. "
James, change.org
"User Freedom is the Android standard, what the user chooses to do with his Android device is done under his own accountability. This is an attempt to monopolize and monetize the users "choice" by removing all avenues aside from google's approved path. Sideloading is not a risk that google is trying to protect their users from, it is a risk to their revenue that would come from selling you a tool made of easily copyable code, since all purchases made from apps installed through "normal means" give 30% of that revenue to google. What google wants is money, and they get money by placing their own guiding rails on your attention. they give you a free app that sustains itself with either some "full version purchase/subscription" or google's own ad platform. Their ads are another form of revenue to google, as well as app developers, though they have the downside of attempting to guide your attention away from what you're doing at the time and stimulate you into spending on whatever is being sponsored to be shown to you. There are thousands of apps on the play store, there are thousands more on other sources, and the very ones on the play store are subject to a policy of "update your app within x years or it will be removed from the play store;" this is a death sentence to any developer that simply wants to create a tool to help others by having to constantly update, then having to have some way to make it sustainable by some form of monetization since it's going to have an upkeep. It's either this, or being "doomed to obscurity outside the play store." In every step of the ladder of usage, google wants to have more money, search for an app, sponsored results first, then actual search query response, start downloading an app, the layout changes to show multiple carousels of sponsored apps "tailored to you," open an app, ads, wherever they can be, chosen by years of usage tracking and market control research, making money to google because companies will pay to have their names spread to gather attention, pay for services, subscriptions, and tools, giving 30% of it to google. A company like google measures its success by how much money they make, while the creators of tools, services, and games read through their mail, appreciating good reviews and crying about bad ones because passion is what led them to create. Take GitHub for example, a site comprised entirely to sharing code, entire project libraries free and open-source for anyone to use. Take StackExchange, multiple forums where questions and answers between experts of hundreds of subjects ranging from pure mathematics to writing to Dungeons & Dragons. Take Anna's Archive, a long-standing attempt to preserve literature media and providing methods to acces, preserve, and add to over 63 million books and 95 million papers, all for free. The average person is not me, but the average person includes large numbers of people younger than me that will accept whatever comes to their hands at the end of the day, it includes large numbers of people older than me that will be glad of an oversimplified process that won't take from their time. We need to be lucid enough to not waste time, the old will have too little time to care how they're being led, and the young will be raised into being led and believe it's natural. We need to show that our time is a value to each of us, and be strong enough to not sell our time to the well-oiled machine made to line a distant someone's pockets. "
Carlos, change.org
"I use software that is not in the google play store. I want the freedom to use my phones. tablets, and other devices how I want them. "
Doug, change.org
"is the monopoly finally going to end? "
Rafael, change.org
"The main reason I ditched ios was that I felt the restrictions of what kinds of apps apple felt benevolent to allow me to download was choking my experience. I'm very disappointed to see that android is just going to evolve into a cheap offbrand iPhone. ( °︵°) "
Gino, change.org
"As a long time user of Android who has refused to move on to other mobile devices, and as a developer who builds personal apps for testing, I find the idea of removing sideloading to be more harmful for the android community than it is helpful. I do not want to be "an approved developer" by giving up my personal information and being forced to pay a fee. Android literally started as an open-source operating system, and now it's literally just Apple OS but Google edition. Plus the worry of malware being spread elsewhere is contradictory. Apps on the Google Play Store are NOTORIOUS for containing spyware, malware, and even pornographic ads. I once installed a Genesis emulator on the Google Play Store and the first thing I saw was an ad of a bunch of nude girls, and the ad literally had the Google Ads logo button on it, so I know that wasn't from them but y'all. When I installed a Genesis emulator outside of Google Play, there was not a single ad, and for the other apps I got that did have ads, thet didn't have freaking PORN ads. Going anti-consumer isn't protecting anyone Google, it's just making things worse but in your favor. Please Google, make the choice that would keep your userbase and community instead of one that would destroy it. If you are going to continue with this anti-consumer decision, I might as well switch to Apple because at least they take the time to double-check if their apps have malware and spyware. Don't make me switch. "
Elijah, change.org
"One of the things that makes Android special is the freedom it gives developers and users, I hope it doesn't go away. "
Chris, 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
"Keep Android Open Google! Make it stand out to users and developers above the iPhone! "
Jason, change.org
"This restriction simply ruins the entire premise that the android community has based itself on. It deprives users of the basic freedom that they rightfully deserve to have, since they acquired and rightfully paid for their device(s). It's another step into censorship and a monopoly under the premise of "security". The Google Play Store itself is a perpetrator of insecurity and restricting the developer base won't make it any better. If this is pushed foward, I will cease to use any android system that uses Google Play Services. "
Maria, change.org
"Google should calm down "
Pablo, change.org
"As a developer who has long relied on Android’s open ecosystem, I am writing to express my strong opposition to Google’s new policy requiring all developers to register centrally with Google—even to distribute apps outside the Play Store. I understand the need for security, but Android already has robust, built-in safeguards that don't require this level of control. This new mandate forces every developer to submit to Google’s terms, pay a fee, and provide a government ID simply to offer apps through my own website or a third-party store. This fundamentally breaks what made Android "Android." My concerns are straightforward: Barriers to Entry: This creates friction for independent developers, open-source projects, and small teams who cannot absorb these compliance costs. Privacy & Surveillance: It creates a global database of every developer, tracking those who actively choose to avoid Google’s ecosystem. Arbitrary Power: It gives Google unilateral power to disable any app, from any developer, for any reason, across the entire Android ecosystem. Anti-Competitive: It allows Google to surveil competitive threats and market trends outside its own store, using that data to undermine rivals. The existing measures—sandboxing, user warnings, and Google Play Protect—have served us well for seventeen years. No evidence has been presented that these are insufficient. I urge Google to rescind this policy immediately. Turning Android into a centrally controlled platform where one corporation acts as the gatekeeper for all software is a threat to innovation, digital sovereignty, and the open principles that built this ecosystem. I ask Google to work with us, not against us, to find solutions that respect both security and freedom. "
Reese, change.org
"I like android. I don't want it to be like ios 🤮 "
Luke, change.org
"I want Android to remain an open operating system and platform. "
Eric, change.org
"Google is essentially throwing away the mantle with this "anti consumer" strategy. Their just giving the masses a big--no, HUGE reason to largely rebel and replace their software with something less restrictive. You don't think it will happen, but it will... "
Xavier, change.org
"One of the big reasons I've always loved Android over iOS is that I was given more freedom to do stuff like this with my own device. Taking this away from the Android community leaves not much reason to even stick around on Android IMHO. Just another tech corporation taking away more features "for your benefit". "
Sawyer, change.org
"What made Android unique was that you could download and side-load apps. It's what made Android different from iOS, and it's why I preferred Android. This isn't "protecting" anyone, and Google is almost always on the side of profit over consumers. "
Tyler, change.org
"As a user STOP! What made me choose Android over iOS is the openness of it. By doing this you are killing what make android great, the fact that everyone can make an app and load it on his phone. You don't have iOS fan base. We will go elsewhere. "
marie-france, change.org
"I am genuinely angry about what Google is trying to do by limiting APK usage. This is not some tiny background tweak. This cuts straight into the reason many of us chose Android in the first place. Android meant freedom. It meant I could install what I wanted. It meant developers could share their work without kneeling before a single approval system. It meant that when I bought my phone, it was actually mine. We keep hearing that this is about “security.” And yes, security matters. Nobody wants malware. But there is a real difference between protecting users and controlling them. Give people warnings. Give them tools. Educate them. Do not take away their ability to choose. I am an adult, fully willing and capable of deciding what I install on my own device. When APK usage is restricted, everything narrows. Developers get pushed into one official channel. One review process. One company deciding what is acceptable and what is not. That kind of centralized control should make all of us uncomfortable. It changes the balance of power, and it does it under the soft language of safety and convenience. This is about ownership. If I cannot freely install apps, do I truly own my device? Or am I just using it within boundaries that can shift whenever it best suits a corporation? I hardly think it is extreme to say that when I pay for hardware, I should have complete control over what runs on it. That is not radical. That is basic digital autonomy. And I am not okay with watching that autonomy slowly disappear without saying something. "
Brooke, change.org
""do no evil," my eye! this maga-adjacent, corpo-fascist overreach must be opposed, halted buried under copious amounts of binding democratic rules of fundanental software development freedoms & rights. no to paying tolls to genocide enabling skuoogle. no to overt subjugation of independent sw developers. if skruoogle had a consciencec... oh, but skruoogle has no conscience - it's not human. "
whiskey, change.org
"Freedom of application installation on my own device is paramount to democratic computer access. "
John, change.org
"We chose Android because it is OUR device that we have control of. Soon it will be fully controlled by Google. "
Montana, change.org
"Without Youtube Revanced on my android phone in september 2026 i have to use official youtube and i hate it when google wants to make more money and everything and will have to kill the apk files ive enjoyed for a long time, even lucky patcher app owners will have to use their money on their favorite app to waste money and so much more...and by the news of the google update it makes me upset and angry about it. Im standing up to prove who i am and will be using youtube revanced app instead of official youtube app for people like me, i will never give up and will protest with other android users who are against google for our glory. #FreeAndroid #JusticeForAndroid #MakeGoogleGoneForever "
Leland, change.org
"Pure authoritarian control tendency barely even trying to disguise itself as caring for the consumers security. "
Jared, change.org