Ваш телефон скоро перестанет быть вашим.
Начиная с 2027* года, тихое обновление от Google будет блокировать каждое Android-приложение, разработчик которого не зарегистрировался в Google, не подписал их контракт, не заплатил, не идентифицировал себя через государственное удостоверение личности.
Каждое приложение и каждое устройство, по всему миру, без возможности отказаться.
↓Что делает Google
В августе 2025 года, Google анонсировал новое требование: начиная с 2027 года, каждый разработчик Android-приложений будет должен зарегистрироваться в Google перед тем, как их ПО будет доступно для установки на любое устройство. Не только приложения из Play Store: все приложения. Это также имеет в виду приложения, которыми делятся среди друзей и которые распространяются через F-Droid, созданные любителями для личного использования. Независимые разработчики, церковные и общественные группы, или просто любители - все они больше не смогут разрабатывать и распространять свое программное обеспечение.
Для регистрации нужно:
- Заплатить комиссию Google
- Согласиться с условиями Google
- Пройти верификацию документом, удостоверяющим личность
- Доказать владение приватным ключом подписи
- Предоставить все текущие и будущие идентификаторы приложений
Если разработчики не соблюдают правила, их приложения будут заблокированы на каждом Android-устройстве по всему миру.
На кого это влияет
На Вас
Вы купили Android-смартфон, потому что Google рассказали вам, что это открытая операционная система. Вы могли устанавливать что хотите, и это было договоренностью.
Google изменяют эту договоренность, на железе, которым вы уже владеете. После того, как обновление установится, вы сможете запускать только те приложения, которые Google предварительно проверили. На вашем смартфоне: ваше имущество, за которые вы заплатили.
На независимых разработчиков
Первое приложение подростка, инструмент обеспечения приватности от волонтеров, или внутренние конфиденциальные бета-версии приложений компаний. Это не имеет значения. В 2027 году ничего из этого не может быть установлено без одобрения Google.
F-Droid, дом для тысяч бесплатных Android-приложений с открытым исходным кодом, назвал это экзистенциальной угрозой. Кори Доктороу называет это "Darth Android".
На правительства и гражданские общества
У Google есть задокументированный опыт удаления приложений по требованию авторитарных режимов. С этой программой ПО, на котором работают государственные институты вашей страны, будет полностью зависеть от воли одной неподотчётной иностранной компании.
EFF называет контроль доступа к приложениям "бесконечно расширяющимся" путем к цензуре интернета.
"Запасной люк" от Google - это ловушка
Google говорит, что продвинутые пользователи смогут устанавливать неподтвержденные приложения. Вот как это выглядит на самом деле:
- Откройте Системные Настройки, найдите Настройки Разработчика
- Нажмите на номер сборки семь раз, чтобы включить Режим Разработчика
- Пропустите устрашающие предупреждения
- Введите PIN-код
- Перезагрузите устройство
- Подождите 24 часа
- Вернитесь и пропустите еще больше устрашающих предупреждений
- Выберите: "разрешить временно" (7 дней) или "разрешить бессрочно"
- Подтвердите еще раз, что вы осознаете все "риски"
9 шагов. Обязательный 24-часовой период ожидания. Для установки приложения на устройство, которым Вы владеете
Хуже: этот процесс происходит полностью через сервисы Google Play, а не Android. Google могут изменять, затягивать или полностью убить его в любое время, без обновления системы и согласия.
Это - больше, чем Android
Если Google задним числом начнет ограничивать миллиарды устройств, которые были проданы как свободные платформы, каждый производитель оборудования будет наблюдать за этим.
Установленный принцип: производитель вашего устройства может решать, какие приложения вам разрешено запускать, после того как вы купили устройство. В сфере разработки ПО это называется "rug pull"; но по крайней мере вы всегда могли устанавливать конкурирующие приложения. В сфере железа, это fait accompli который лишает вас выбора и делает вас бессильными перед желаниями единственного неподотчетного и осужденного монополиста, контролирующего доступ к приложениям.
Открытость Android никогда не была просто особенностью. Это было обещание, которое отличало его от iPhone. Миллионы людей выбрали Android именно по этой причине. Теперь Google отзывает это обещание...
Ars Technica: "Зависть Google к Apple угрожает разрушением наследия открытости Android."
Но подождите, разве это не...
"...о безопасности?"
Основание безопасности - это просто попытка скрыть правду. Google Play Protect уже сканирует вирусы независимо от разработчика. Требование паспорта не делает код безопаснее. Это делает разработчиков идентифицируемыми и контролируемыми. Авторы вирусов тоже могут зарегистрироваться. Инди разработчики или диссиденты - часто не могут. EFF говорит прямо - контроль доступа по личности это инструмент контроля, а не безопасности.
"...все еще доступен sideloading если вы продвинутый пользователь?"
Девять шагов, 24-часовое ожидание, закопанное в настройках разработчика, предоставленное через проприетарный сервис, который Google может отключить когда они хотят. Это не sideloading. Это механизм сдерживания, построенный для того, чтобы убедиться что никто не может пройти его. И когда он работает через сервисы Google Play, а не операционную систему, Google может незаметно затянуть или выключить это.
"...проблема только если у вас есть что скрывать?"
Информаторы, журналисты и активисты в авторитарных правительствах будут первыми жертвами. Люди, оказавшиеся в ситуациях домашнего насилия будут следующими. Все эти группы имеют законные причины использовать или распространять программное обеспечение без отправки их правовой идентичности в базу данных Google. Анонимные вклады в проекты с открытым исходным кодом это традиция, которая старше чем сама Google. Эта политика больше не работает в Android.
"...то же самое, что делает Apple?"
Apple была "ограниченным садом" с первого дня. Люди выбирали Android потому что он отличается. "Apple делает то же самое" - это гонка к низу и слабый аргумент tu quoque. И под давлением регуляций (EU Digital Markets Act), даже Apple заставили открыться. Google двигается в противоположном направлении - попытка еще больше укрепить свой статус контролирующего.
"...только $25 и немного документов?"
Может быть, если вы разработчик из США с кредитной картой и водительским удостоверением. Попробуйте побыть студентом из Африки или диссидентом из Мьянмы, или волонтером обслуживающим приложение для охраны здоровья населения. Цена не только финансовая; вы сдаете свой государственный ID и доказательство ваших ключей подписи в компанию, которая регулярно следует государственным требованиям удалять приложения и раскрывать их разработчиков.
Дадим отпор
Все
- Установите F-Droid на каждое Android-устройство, которым вы владеете. Альт-сторы могут выжить только если ими пользуются.
- Свяжитесь с вашими регулирующими органами. Регуляторы по всему миру действительно обеспокоены о монополистах и их силой централизации в технологическом секторе, и хотят услышать от отдельных лиц, на кого это влияет и кто об этим беспокоится
- Распространите эту страницу. Оставляйте ссылки на keepandroidopen.org везде.
- Давайте отпор их поддержке. Народ "ну, вообще-то" собрался в большом количестве. Не дайте им определять ход событий.
- Подпишите петицию на change.org и присоединяйтесь к более чем 100,000 подписавшим, голоса которых стали услышанными.
- Прочитайте и распространите наше публичное письмо
- Расскажите Google что вы думаете об этом через их собственный опрос по верификации разработчиков (если от этого будет смысл)
Разработчики
Не регистрируйтесь. Не присоединяйтесь к этой программе регистрацией в Android Developer Console и соглашением с их безотзывными условиями. Не подтверждайте свою личность.
План Google работает только если разработчики следуют ему. Не делайте так.
- Отговорите других разработчиков от регистрации.
- Добавьте библиотеку FreeDroidWarn, чтобы предупредить пользователей вашего приложения.
- Владеете веб-сайтом? Добавьте баннер с обратным отсчетом
Сотрудники Google
Если вы знаете что-нибудь о технической реализации или внутренней логике, свяжитесь с нами через tips@keepandroidopen.org не с рабочего компьютера и не с Gmail-аккаунта. Конфиденциальность гарантирована.
Все они против…
71 организаций из 23 стран подписали публичное письмо
FUTO futo.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
FACiL facil.qc.ca
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
GitHub Store github-store.org
CryptPad cryptpad.org
iodé iode.tech
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
FOSDEM fosdem.org
Brave brave.com
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
OpenMedia openmedia.org
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
April april.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
Techlore techlore.tech
Proton AG proton.me
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
Cryptee crypt.ee
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
F-Droid f-droid.org
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation Что они говорят
Технологическая пресса
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
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
"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 rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
Редакции и аналитика
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"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
"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
"Developers from sanctioned countries or those without Google Play access cannot verify themselves. This creates systemic discrimination against developers based on birthplace rather than conduct."
agnostic-apollo (Termux developer), GitHub
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"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
"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
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"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
"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
"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
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"Google isn't certifying apps, they're certifying developers. This implies that the company can somehow predict whether a developer will do something malicious in the future."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"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
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"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
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"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
Организации и открытые обращения
"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
"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
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"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
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"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
"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
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"Google 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
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"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
"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
"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
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"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
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"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
"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
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"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
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
Контент-мейкеры
"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google keeps getting in as much trouble as Apple when Google is half evil and Apple is full evil. So there are probably people inside Google saying, 'Why not just go full evil?'"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"F-Droid is basically saying that the new Google developer registration process will likely kill the open-source app store entirely."
The Linux Experiment – YouTube
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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 removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
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
"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
"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 is doing to Android what Microsoft once tried to do to the web. Embrace, extend, extinguish. Just wrapped in a shinier open-source package."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Google 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 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
"This means you can't sideload an app from an unofficial source. But it could also be used to lock the ecosystem so we're forced to install only Google apps on approved Google OS versions."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"This 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
"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
"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 decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Follow the money. Google makes money when apps are downloaded from its store. Google has completely forgotten about its earlier company motto: Don't be evil."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"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
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."
Switched to Linux – YouTube
"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
Разработчики и сообщество
"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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, 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
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"Google's own Play Store had over 600 million malware downloads. They keep talking about 'security' but their own store is crawling with fake apps and straight up malware while actual useful stuff gets buried or rejected."
Historical-Employ129 (324 upvotes), Reddit
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"I hate this so much. More and more I get the feeling I have no control over the devices I own. My fear is that Windows will eventually follow. For security reasons of course. It's the path we're on now."
cheesyvoetjes, Reddit
"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
"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
"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
"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
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"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
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, 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
"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
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, 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
"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
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, 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
"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
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, 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
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"It is a disgrace how Google has managed this situation. The promised 'advanced flow' hasn't appeared in any Android 16 or 17 betas. Google is quietly proceeding with the original lockdown."
fermigier, Hacker News
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, 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
"Whatever Google is doing kind of scares me. We have a big DIY community of diabetics in Germany running tools like AndroidAPS that cannot ever be distributed through official channels."
pimeys (Type 1 diabetic, DIY medical software), Lobsters
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, 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
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), 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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"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
"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
"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
"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
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, 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
"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
"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
"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
Голоса из петиции
"Google is long overdue to be broken up like AT&T was and this blatantly anti consumer decision to lock down Android proves this. "
Kris, change.org
"Im hating Google for this, i hope they not do this to Android system "
Pepino, change.org
"APK or go away "
Joshua, change.org
"This seems important not to let Google be the all powerful mega corp "
Adrian, change.org
"Google is making this change for control not for security. these changes will give Google sole control over who can create apps for their platform and by extension it means they have complete control over what apps are allowed. In short this is censorship. "
Drake, change.org
"Android has always stood out because it respects the user’s right to choose. Imposing limits on sideloading or labeling people as “unapproved developers” turns that freedom into a cage. I don’t want someone else dictating how I use my own device. Restricting these choices doesn’t make anyone safer—it just centralizes power and stifles creativity. Android’s strength comes from openness, flexibility, and experimentation. Losing that feels less like protection and more like control. Users, not corporations, should decide how they interact with their devices. "
Ada, change.org
"Google is kidding themselves if they think we'll just groan and give in; freedom of use and a low barrier of entry to development is one of the greatest things that sets Android apart from iPhones. I'm not interested in using a daily device like a phone if I can't do it my way. If I'm forced to use a device with these policies in place I'm rooting it. "
Ahmed, change.org
"If you, as an Android user are happy using Android but dont understand what this is about, go out and buy an iPhone. Then you'll understand. "
ROBERT, change.org
"This is censorship at its core. Stop trying to destroy the open internet under the guise of safety. "
Dominic, change.org
"If android truly blocks what are some of my favorite apps from developers I trust, I will no longer be using "smart" phones without root. It'll be graphine or flip phones, I promise you. "
R, change.org
"As a user who has used the Android operating system for several years, this seems quite unfair to app developers who rely on third-party distribution channels, supposedly to "unify" the system and make it "more secure." But it simply eliminates the way third parties who aren't in the Apple App Store can distribute apps; this applies to emulators I can use on Android and apps that aren't available in the App Store. Besides eliminating the freedom they boasted about Apple, they want to implement this business model, which affects app developers' privacy (and it's clear that UK laws are having a significant impact). "
juan pablo, change.org
"https://keepandroidopen.org/ "
Shrewd, change.org
"Android is Linux. Linux is free! "
Arthur, change.org
"The ability to download apps directly from developers is one of the main differentials of Android from IOS. Limiting this will severely impact the market share of Android by removing basically any reason anyone would want to use Android over IOS. "
gabriel, change.org
"The only reason I use android is for the freedoms that it brought, allowing for FOSS apps is literally they only thing that separates you from apple!! "
Joseph, change.org
"This is very anti trust and google is doubling down in the form of 'safety and security'. Do not let this happen! "
JASON, change.org
"I started using an Android device because of the freedom to use the software I wanted to use. If Google goes forward with these restrictions, I wont have any reason to use Android devices anymore. "
Luis, change.org
"Continue to keep our rights to open-source applications a reality for all Android users on every device and keep the option for everyone to create & install the apps they choose. Allow us to make the choice for ourselves and respect the integrity and freedom of the developers & users that love the Android. "
Mitch, change.org
"Pure authoritarian control tendency barely even trying to disguise itself as caring for the consumers security. "
Jared, change.org
"Google isn't trying to protect us from malware with these policies; it's simply trying to control the platform it owns to profit from its platform and the data it collects. "
Tiburcio, change.org
"The possibility of one of the only features that could jumpstart and maintain rising developers ambitions and the Android community; being able to install any files into their systems getting smothered is a nightmare for anyone who has been sticking to Android themselves due to its customization (I will protect my self-made Miku UI with my life). Going against the reasons of Android's strengths WILL be a bad idea and would force the people to find lower alternatives, whether they are better or not can't be gauged when this move destroys the baseline of a free and modifiable OS. Please listen to the community that is yelling to not aim at poor Bugdroid's shins... "
Ken, change.org
"KEEP ANDROID OPEN "
Dennis, change.org
"I understand that piracy is bad and illegal, which is one of the main reasons why android is doing this, but android has always been about customization. having the whole operating system locked down like this is taking away a huge part of why people buy androids, and this takes away our control of our own devices. "
Judah, change.org
"Android does not need to be the same as iphones are: locked and proprietary. "
Dustin, change.org
"Android users need freedom. How many apps outside the app store help users who may have personal problems to have fun and distract themselves amidst so many problems? That's why freedom is important. "
Kaue, change.org
"Google, this is NOT acceptable. You are NOT the gatekeepers of development. You ARE BEING EVIL. "
David, change.org
"Google’s recent changes that block or restrict APK distribution risk cutting off access for millions of users and harming independent developers who rely on alternative distribution channels. For many communities, sideloading and APK backups are essential for app availability, testing, and preserving older versions that still work for people and devices. We ask Google to reconsider any policy or technical change that would outright prevent APK sharing, and to work with developers and users to find safer, less disruptive solutions that protect security and choice!!!!!! "
Kabyt, change.org
"Google shouldn’t have the power to take away choice from users and developers "
Job, change.org
"If this is Android's future then it's time for Linux phones! My device my rules. "
Juan Antonio, change.org
"Android has always stood for user choice. The freedom to install apps from outside an official store is a core part of what made the platform different and appealing in the first place. Removing options like sideloading moves Android away from its original philosophy. I develop apps for personal use, and I have no interest in becoming an “approved developer” just to run my own software. Not everyone has the time or desire to navigate additional gatekeeping just to maintain control over their own devices. Limiting these freedoms sets a concerning precedent. It shifts the platform toward tighter control, reduced openness, and potential monopolization. Android began as an open operating system — moving away from that foundation risks turning it into a closed ecosystem that mirrors the very model it once differentiated itself from. Restricting user choice under the banner of “protection” doesn’t benefit everyone. Many users value autonomy, flexibility, and control over their own hardware. Removing those options feels less like protection and more like limitation. "
Dennis, change.org
"If Google goes through with this, I will stop using Google products and services. This isn't about "safety". It NEVER is. Developer verification is yet another attempt at censoring and controlling everything. "
Elizabeth, 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
"Android has always been defined as the more open platform. What gets people to move away from Apple is to get away from the closed ecosystem from having direct control over their own devices. This runs contrary to Androids original mission statement and what the platform stands for. This is not what I want for my device nor my family wishes for this either. "
Logan, change.org
"Unnaceptable betrayal of platform standards "
Lukas, 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
"Android has always been the free alternative to iOS’s restrictions. Without the freedom we’ve come to understand, what’s the draw to this OS? I’ve had some interest in small app development, but if this goes through it will kill that interest dead. "
Katylyn, change.org
"Boa noticia "
Kleberson, change.org
"Apoio à liberdade "
Kayo Junior, change.org
"Android gives users choice and that is literally the reason why I use Android. For people in places like Iran, China, Russia, and others who want to use apps that can get them unbias news media, but cannot install western news media apps from the Google Play Store how do you think they get their apps. If Google really cared about the security of their users they would actually fix stock Android's issues with permissions management and lack of zero trust architecture. Instead of fighting the symptoms (third part apps) Google should be finding the cure which is fixing the first lines of user's defense browers and OS. Google isn't coming for third party browser extentions, but they are coming for our apps. This makes no sense. It is clearly a ploy to give Google more Apple like control of OUR devices and wants to stop users who do not want to go as far as installing a more secure Android ROM (*cough* *cough* install GrapheneOS *cough*), but who still want a DeGoogled phone. "
Jannet, change.org
"The idea that you don't get to decide what software runs on your computer is so toxic and terrible. I don't want google to have the ability to limit what I can do with my devices, nor do I want them to censor developers that don't meet their requirements. It's my device, I want to decide who I trust to write my software. "
Bruce, change.org
"After this decision I will just go with iPhone, this was the only reason I was using Android, just making it worse for the consumer, this is not about security but locking down people's choice of store, which in my opinion should be illegal give that we bought our phones and we should be able to do with them as we please "
Colin, change.org
"This is a grave mistake and disaster and a true display of tyrannical behavior meant to push away the rights of others under the usual suspect aka the old bs saying "to protect the children" or "to keep you safe" its all a lie and this is just another way for the 4th amendment in my country to lose even more of its value and harm other countries that dont gave as many rights as americans do. First it was collusion and social media tracking, then it was ads and personalizations, then came along biometric security such as face scan or fingerprints arent protected by 4th amendment like passwords are, then we had AI invasiveness and the loss of ownership and shifting to subscriptions and now here we are not knly can we not own digital things now we are to lose our last items the physical things we own now under control as well no longer owned but basically licensed to us as long as we arent deemed dissidants. I only can hope that if you dont change that maybe we have alternatives and keep the will to fight back. "
Avery, change.org
"I truly care about the direction Android might take. The freedom to install apps outside the official store has always been part of its essence — enabling innovation, access, and choice for millions of people. Limiting this is not just a technical change, it is a change in philosophy. Technology should empower the user, not restrict them. I hope the future of Android remains open, free, and in the hands of those who matter most: us. "
Marcelo, change.org
"If I want to be restricted in where I get my apps from, which ones to install and my phone to look each year the same, I buy a device with an apple on it (never did). It should be your choice which apps you want to install and where to obtain them from - not the device vendors or OS manufacturers. Keep android open! "
Andreas, change.org
"One of the main reasons for using android is the freedom, this gets rid of that. So I may as well use ubuntu touch at this point. "
Yurii, change.org
"As a user, Stop it. Android is cool for openness: you close it, we'll leave "
Nicolò, change.org
"Esse monopólio é injusto! "
Gabriel, change.org
"Open source apps is what makes Android the best over ios "
Billy, change.org
"The level of control Google is attempting to exert over developers and users is unreal. If I download an app from a source that isn't the play store, I shouldn't need Google's approval. I will seek alternate operating systems from the Android and iOS duopoly if this goes through. "
Alice, change.org
"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
"It's simple. No one else should have the right or the power to control any aspect of your life, not even when it comes to software and information sharing. Of course, security is important, but so are privacy and freedom. What they're trying to do is nothing more than a political ploy, a quest for surveillance and control. "
Gonzalo, 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
"It's Android's openness that has allowed its development and evolution to this day. To close it would break the promise of an open system and deprive users of great freedom! "
Stark, change.org
"I do not condone google to control everything "
Leticia, change.org
"My whole reason to use Android is because it's open. At this point, you're just making a shittier version of IOS by locking down Android... "
Zakaria, change.org
"Purchasing objects means ownership. If ownership is only given to the haves, the have-nots become slaves. Google, if you are doing this of your own free will, shame on you. Governments of the world: attack evildoers directly, don't punish the populace with slavery. For one sin, all Man suffers. But we don't have to live in that slavery to sinfulness! Return hate with love! "
Jame, change.org
"I refuse to be locked into only the play store. I need to be able to use f-droid and or install my own apk files as I will. It's my comptuer! "
Tom, change.org
"In a time when a few big companies are controlling everything, having access to open source alternatives is more important than ever. We don't need more restrictions and less access. Right now you can come up with a great idea, create said idea, then share it with other android users. The only barriers are your own willingness to learn. But google is trying to destroy what makes android great! Don't let it happen. Sign the petition, make noise on social media, boycott if it comes to it. Don't let the people at the top continue taking away and restricting things we love and need. It can feel like they're untouchable. But they rely on us for that power and control. If enough people resist they will revert the planned changes. Because in the end we're the consumer and all they care about is "the numbers go up". They need us for that. "
Anthony, change.org
"Android has always been a symbol of freedom, a system that allowed us to use our devices our own way, without chains or limitations imposed by corporations. Now Google wants to take that away from Android users, to control every detail as if we weren’t capable of deciding what’s best for ourselves. I don’t agree, and I will never agree, with this absurd, authoritarian, and completely insane decision. They are killing the very essence of Android, the open spirit that made millions of people choose this platform. We, users and developers, have always stood for the power of choice. If Google thinks it can simply impose restrictions and hide behind a false narrative of security, it’s deeply mistaken. Android wasn’t born to be a digital prison. It was born to be free. And if Google keeps going down this path, make no mistake: the community will not stay silent. Freedom will always find a way to fight back. "
Ronaldo, change.org
"Freedom and anonymity in app development are extremely important. This petition and comment is a declaration that we will not bow to great power and will continue to protect our rights. I hope Google doesn't end up like Apple. "
伊藤, 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
"Google, this accomplish two things: 1/ This will limit privacy respecting apps to those of us who run degoogled OSs. 2/ More people will flash degoogled OSs onto their phones. Do you really want less data coming in to monetize? Your call. "
Scott, change.org
"Stop your control of people devices. "
Sally, change.org
"One of the few remaining features that Android provides over it's completion is a relatively open ecosystem for app development. Having to sign all apps through Google kills any motivation to have fun and develop apps for yourself and friends. Let's be honest, Android is not the best mobile operations stream. Openness was it's advantage. With that soon to be gone, there will be very little holding people back from switching over to Apple. "
Terence, change.org
"This is an absolutely ridiculous move on their part. Nothing but censorship and control these past several months. They'll all burn for it. "
Jeffrey, change.org
"We own the phones so we should be able to do whatever we want with them. Waiting a short period is not the way to do it. This feels like control and blocks. We are not kids. Please let us actually have control of our phones. "
nicholas, change.org
"After dithering for ages, I finally did what I've always wanted to do, I installed a de-googled android it's, E/Os. Its great! If google persist in this, I'm sure more non technical users will too! I also wrote to my mp & to the UK monopoly commission. Search E/Os murena see if you can too! "
ed, change.org
"Top muito bom "
Paulo, change.org
"Might as well be an iPhone at this point. The whole point of Android was customization, and this kills that. Do better Google. "
William, change.org
"Android should remain open my device my choice hands off Google.Especially in today’s climate I do not want apps or delvelopers identities forward to authoritarian governments I’m looking at you United States. "
Henry, change.org
"We already can't chose our OS and can't choosing the app is discussing. "
Alihan, change.org
"As an open source coder, I cannot continue to work on mobile platforms with this change. It closes the door on an individuals right to free expression with the hardware platforms we already own. "
William, change.org
"Google. Seriously. Stop. You're becoming the definition of the "don't be evil" slogan that you've buried. You're making Android even worse than iOS "
Karkan, 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
"When I purchased my Android product, it was with the understanding that I could use it how I pleased. This doesn't make anything better, they are doing this in a bid to control what their consumers are able to access. It is predatory and they must be held accountable. "
Phillip, 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
"Monopole kosten,vdas tragen dann wir alle. "
Richard, 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
"I want my freedom to install any app I want on MY DEVICE!!! "
Aswin, 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
"Google, side loading is one of the few things that made android unique. Bring it back. "
Grayson, 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
"The push toward a mandatory, centralized developer verification program for Android represents a significant departure from the open-source values that originally defined the platform. By requiring independent developers to pay fees, surrender private signing keys, and provide government identification just to share an app—even outside the Play Store—these policies create a massive barrier to entry that threatens to stifle innovation and privacy. This shift doesn't just add friction; it risks dismantling alternative ecosystems like F-Droid and Aurora Store, which have long provided a vital refuge for those seeking software free from big-tech oversight. If we allow the door to close on sideloading and force every developer behind a paywall, we are effectively trading a diverse, free ecosystem for a "walled garden" that prioritizes corporate control over user agency and digital rights. It is essential that the community stands together to keep Android an open platform where developers can create and users can choose without needing a centralized permission slip. "
Andrew, change.org
"I WANT MY RIGHTS I BOUGHT THE SMARTPHONE! you can add like a warning but dont block. We want older versions of software. #ourtechourrights So many old games i used to play all gone! So many outfit7 games, old minecraft versions, shopkins, angry birds they are at risk even cut the rope "
Edu, change.org
"Android was promised and sold as an open platform. As many others, I decided to get Android devices considering that that promise was a serious lifetime commitment from Google. All Google has to do now is honor their own word and keep Android open. "
Leo, change.org
"I grew up on Android devices, and I find it saddening that Google is making this decision. It’s clearly not for the security reasons they claim; it's about control. "
Gabriel, change.org
"This is absurd. To remove one of the main things that drew people to android over iPhone is laughably moronic. Especially when some of the best apps recommend by people come from outside the play store. Pull it together! "
Logan, change.org
"As a developer, a main appeal of Android has been that I can write my own software for it. I've shared some of my more polished and completed apps with others, although my primary motivation has been to "scratch an itch". Although F-Droid doesn't track download or usage stats, I can tell from comments in my github issues that the majority of the users of my apps have found and installed it from F-Droid. Likewise, most of the software I've installed on my own device comes from F-droid. I like the focus F-Droid apps have on privacy and find the quality to be much higher on average than on the Google play store. I strongly recommend that F-droid, other 3rd party stores, and the ability to install an .apk file from any other source is retained. Users deserve the freedom to use their device as they see fit, and should be respected enough to decide that for themselves. Google has already shown itself to be a poor gatekeeper when it comes to deciding what is allowed in the Play Store. High quality and immensely useful apps have been removed for being incompatible with increasingly restrictive policies (such as Termux), while low quality clones of existing apps, ad spam, scams, and outright malware, continues to be allowed. I will not use, recommend, nor develop for an ecosystem where Google has the only say in what I'm allowed to do with it. "
Matthew, change.org
"가장 큰 강점을 내다버리는 행위이다. 인증을 핑계로 얼마나 많은 컨텐츠들이 접근 불가능해질지 생각하면 크게 걱정이다. "
CH, change.org
"What software I choose to create or install on my computing devices, no matter whether they fit in a pocket, is my choice alone. Google, Microsoft, Apple, et al. have zero business trying to arbitrate how I use the hardware that I own. Android is quickly becoming the very thing it swore to destroy--an opaque, locked-down, walled garden where the very concept of ownership is drawn into question--and I am already taking steps to distance myself from it should the worst come to pass. "
James, change.org
"I'm getting so sick of governments/ corporations thinking they can just take away our right to privacy online under the guise of "security", and the more they're able to get away with it, the more we'll see it happening. I'm not a developer and I barely use 3rd party apps, but that doesn't mean I won't fight for our ability to use our phones as we see fit "
Danielle, change.org
"then why get an android at this point? "
Kyarie, change.org
"One of the only reasons I use Android today is because of the openness of the operating system. Without it there is no reason why I would pick an Android phone over an iPhone. Most of the apps I use are not found on the playstore because I like to tinker a lot. I also like to make small applications for myself, my co-workers, and friends. Requiring a fee would completely shut down my ability to create niche apps that I already wouldn't be profiting on. "
LANDON, change.org
"this change would remove the main reason i even purchase these phones, stop it google "
andrew, change.org
"I want to own my android and not be censored. "
Analisse, change.org
"Google was created OPEN to everyone, and should stay open source, and not be locked down or limited to creators and developers! "
Robbie, 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
"The change to requiring app verification through a wireless, centralized service, instead of a feature of the OS, is a change that is inconvenient at best, and threatens the portable device market as it currently stands at worst. By making this change, Google is further revoking the customization and autonomy (or what is left of it on most carrier phones) that not only drives many users to get Android in the first place, but is a reminder of what makes computers so wonderful, in my opinion; the ability for every one to customize, and hack their own device to be perfectly their own. This wonderful thing is a basic function of any "free" computing platform that should not be revoked, but increasingly, it has. Please, Google, do not take this direction, and shut off the venue of customization that allows people to use their devices the way they want to, and has lit the torch for many future software developers and computer scientists. "
Zacario, change.org
"The reason why i use android is because of the freedom but if Google lockdown android then there no point on staying and not switching to other ecosystem "
Joel, change.org
"Google is going to ruin what they built and turn into Apple. "
Abnormal Software, change.org