你的手機即將不再屬於你。
從 2027 年*起,Google 將在未經使用者同意的情況下,悄悄推送一項更新,封鎖所有未向 Google 登記、未簽署合約、未繳費,且未提交政府核發身分證明的 Android 應用程式。
全球每一台裝置、每一個應用程式,無一例外,沒有退出選項。
↓Google 正在做什麼
2025 年 8 月,Google 宣布了一項新要求:從 2027 年起,所有 Android 應用程式開發者都必須向 Google 進行集中註冊,其軟體才能安裝在任何裝置上。這不僅限於 Play 商店的應用程式,而是所有應用程式。這包括朋友間共享的應用程式、透過 F-Droid 發行的應用程式,以及業餘愛好者為個人使用而開發的應用程式。獨立開發者、教會及社群團體,乃至業餘愛好者,都將被排除在開發與發行軟體的行列之外。
註冊需要:
- 向 Google 繳費
- 同意 Google 的服務條款
- 提交政府核發的身分證件
- 提供簽署私鑰的證明
- 列出目前及未來所有的應用程式識別碼
若開發者不配合,其應用程式將在全球每一台 Android 裝置上被悄悄封鎖。
受害的是哪些人
你
你購買 Android 手機,是因為 Google 告訴你它是開放的。你可以自由安裝想要的東西,這是當初的承諾。
Google 現在要追溯性地改寫這個承諾,對象是你已經擁有的硬體。更新推送後,你只能執行 Google 預先核准的軟體——在你自己花錢買的自己的手機上。
獨立開發者
青少年的第一個應用程式、志工開發的隱私工具、公司內部的機密測試版——全都一樣。到了 2027 年,這些應用若未獲 Google 批准,一概無法安裝。
F-Droid 匯集了數千款免費且開源的 Android 應用程式,將此稱為 「存亡」威脅。Cory Doctorow 則稱其為 「Darth Android」。
Google 的「逃生門」其實是陷阱
Google 表示「進階使用者」仍可 「安裝」 未驗證的應用程式。實際步驟如下……
- 進入系統設定,找到開發人員選項
- 連續點選版本號碼七次以啟用開發者模式
- 略過關於「是否遭脅迫」的恐嚇畫面
- 輸入 PIN 碼
- 重新啟動裝置
- 等待 24 小時
- 返回後,再次忽略警告畫面
- 選擇「暫時允許」(7 天)或「永久允許」
- 再次確認你了解「相關風險」
九個步驟。強制等待 24 小時。只為了在你自己的裝置上安裝軟體。
更糟的是:這整個流程完全依賴 Google Play 服務,而非 Android 作業系統本身。Google 可以隨時修改、收緊,甚至廢除這個流程,無需作業系統更新,也無需徵得你的同意。
這不只是 Android 的問題
如果 Google 能對數十億台以「開放平台」之名銷售的裝置追溯性封鎖,全球每一家硬體製造商都在盯著這一幕。
此舉確立的原則是:製造你裝置的公司,有權在你購買之後,決定你能執行哪些軟體。 在軟體界,這叫做「抽地毯」(rug pull),但至少你還能改用其他競爭軟體;在硬體上,這卻是個既成事實,徹底剝奪你的自主權,讓你只能任由一個無須對任何人負責、且已被判定為壟斷者的單一守門人擺布。
Android 的開放性從來不只是一項功能,它是使其有別於 iPhone 的承諾。數百萬人正是基於這個理由選擇了 Android。如今 Google 卻單方面撤銷這項承諾,而且是針對已經在使用者口袋裡的裝置這麼做,只因為他們認定自己已經擁有足夠的市場主導地位和監管影響力,可以為所欲為。
Ars Technica:「Google 眼紅 Apple,恐將摧毀 Android 的開放傳統。」
但等等,這不是……
「……只是為了安全?」
安全理由不過是煙幕彈。Google Play Protect 本就能獨立於開發者身分之外掃描惡意軟體。要求提交政府身分證件並不能讓程式碼更安全,只會讓開發者更容易被識別、被掌控。惡意軟體作者照樣能註冊;獨立開發者與異議人士卻往往做不到。EFF 直言:以身分為基礎的把關機制是審查工具,不是安全工具。
「……使用進階流程的話仍可側載?」
九個步驟、24 小時等待、深埋在開發人員選項之中,透過 Google 隨時可以撤銷的專有服務來執行——這不叫側載,這是刻意設計成幾乎沒人能走完的嚇阻機制。而且這個流程跑在 Play 服務上、而非 Android 系統本身,Google 隨時可以無聲無息地收緊,甚至直接廢掉。
「……只有做了虧心事才需要擔心?」
吹哨人、記者以及在威權政府統治下的倡議者,將會是第一批受害者。接下來則是處於家庭暴力環境中的人們。這些群體都有正當理由使用或散布軟體,而不必將自己的法定身分放進 Google 的資料庫。匿名貢獻開源專案是比 Google 本身更古老的傳統。這項政策將在 Android 上終結這項傳統。
「……跟 Apple 做的一樣?」
Apple 從第一天起就是一座圍牆花園。人們選擇 Android,正是因為它與 Apple 不同。「Apple 也這麼做」是一種向下競爭的說法,也是薄弱的「你也一樣」(tu quoque)論證。在監管壓力之下(歐盟的《數位市場法》),連 Apple 都被迫逐步開放。而 Google 卻反其道而行:試圖進一步鞏固其守門人的地位。
「……只是 25 美元和一些文件而已?」
對於一個身在美國、持有信用卡和駕照的開發者來說,或許如此。但對於撒哈拉以南非洲的學生、緬甸的異議人士,或一個維護社區健康應用程式的志工來說,又如何呢?而且代價不只是金錢:你還得把政府核發的身分證件、以及簽署金鑰的相關證據,交給一家經常配合政府要求下架應用程式、揭露開發者身分的公司。
反擊
所有人
- 安裝 F-Droid 在你所有的 Android 裝置上。替代商店要能存活,前提是有人真正在使用它們。
- 聯絡你的監管機構。世界各地的監管機構都非常關注科技業的壟斷與權力集中問題,他們希望直接聽到受影響民眾的真實心聲。
- 分享這個頁面。在各處連結至 keepandroidopen.org。
- 對抗網軍。滿口「其實吧……」的那群人已傾巢而出,別讓他們主導風向。
- 在 change.org 上簽署請願書,加入逾 10 萬名連署者的行列,一起發聲。
- 閱讀並分享我們的公開信
- 直接告訴 Google 你的想法,填寫他們的開發者驗證問卷 (雖然不曉得有多少用處就是了)。
開發者
請勿註冊。不要註冊 Android Developer Console,不要同意其不可撤銷的服務條款。不要驗證身分。不要配合。
Google 的計畫只有在開發者配合的情況下才能奏效。請拒絕配合。
- 說服其他開發者和組織不要參與。
- 在你的應用程式中加入 FreeDroidWarn 函式庫 以警告使用者。
- 有網站嗎?加入倒數計時橫幅。
Google 員工
如果你了解這項計畫的技術實作或內部考量,請從非工作用的裝置、以非 Gmail 帳號聯絡 tips@keepandroidopen.org。我們保證嚴格保密。
所有反對者……
來自 23 個國家的 71 個組織已連署 公開信
GitHub Store github-store.org
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
OpenMedia openmedia.org
F-Droid f-droid.org
Brave brave.com
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Proton AG proton.me
April april.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Cryptee crypt.ee
FUTO futo.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
iodé iode.tech
CryptPad cryptpad.org
FACiL facil.qc.ca
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
Techlore techlore.tech
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org 各方怎麼說
科技媒體
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"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 Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"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 ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
社論與分析
"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
"This policy represents a dramatic departure from Android's decades-old tradition of openness, in which developers could build and share apps freely without first submitting to a centralized authority."
Biometric Update
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"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 has announced that they are altering the deal. And telling us that we should pray that they don't alter it further. Block this policy change now before they wrap their cold metal hands around our necks."
Jesse Wilson, PublicObject.com
"There is also the very real possibility that Google will leak your identity with the result that any apps with political implications could result in persecution and worse."
I-Programmer
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"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
"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
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Destroying F-Droid isn't some 'oops.' It's the mission. It's Google finally cutting the last remaining escape route and locking every single user inside their store."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
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
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"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
"Google has announced what can only be described as a death blow to the open ecosystem that made Android. Under the guise of 'security,' Google is implementing draconian developer verification requirements."
AndroidSage
"Google's 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
"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
"The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours. Google decides which apps are allowed to be loaded on Android and which are not."
Tuta Blog
"Google'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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Google is turning sideloading from a right into a permission slip, and the open-source community has until September to convince it otherwise."
Reclaim The Net
"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
"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
組織與公開信
"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
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"This extends Google's gatekeeping authority beyond its own marketplace into distribution channels where it has no legitimate operational role."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"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
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"A centralized global registration system for Android will inevitably chill this work. Those communities are likely to drop out of developing for Android altogether."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"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
"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
"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
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"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
"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
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"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
"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
"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
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"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
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
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
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
YouTuber 與創作者
"I'm not using the word 'phone.' I'm using the word 'computer.' This has over 8 GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage. It's a computer. And I'm also not going to be using words like 'sideload.' When you download an exe file onto your Windows computer, you've installed an application. You haven't 'sideloaded' something."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"The 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
"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 is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"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
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."
Techlore – YouTube
"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 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
"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
"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 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 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
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google keeps getting in as much trouble as Apple when Google is half evil and Apple is full evil. So there are probably people inside Google saying, 'Why not just go full evil?'"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"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
"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
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
開發者與社群
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"If I go down this path, I will stop all development on Android. I implore all other developers to resist this. This will completely lock down the platform forever, there will be no going back."
BatteryMountain, Hacker News
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"Google has no right to be my parent. As long as I can't reject paternalism, I don't believe for a second this is done with the well-being of scam victims as the main priority."
gspr, Lobsters
"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
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, 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
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, 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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"After 15 years of professional development on Android I too am now thinking about switching my focus to something different. And it sucks."
MrDresden, Hacker News
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"Software gatekeeping is a threat to human rights. Just recently an app to track ICE was banned from the iOS app store even though this should clearly be protected first amendment speech."
gthing, Reddit
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"Antitrust action is badly needed. It is ridiculous that I need permission from my device manufacturer to install software on hardware I own."
jim201, Hacker News
"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
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"Can't come at a worse time. People are just learning to make things through vibe coding, and they're gonna want to put their own apps on their phones. And now Google says no."
Serinus, Lemmy
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, 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
"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
"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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"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
"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
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, 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
"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
"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
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, 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
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, 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 wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, 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
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), 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
"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
"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
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, 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
來自請願書的聲音
"Seriously, this can harm game devs/ports (legally) plus every APK is checked if this decision is accepted. "
Leonardo, change.org
"I don't sideload, I only download form sources I trust and that are not the Google PlayStore. If you want to verify apps, verify them on your app store, not others! "
Lukas, change.org
"I have been antagonistic towards the Google play store and its selection of poor-quality apps. By taking away the ease of sideloading apps, I might as well have bought a brick with some precious metals in it. None of us do not have to take Google's mandate. "
Nathan, change.org
"This would kill a big company steam games from haveing app. "
Timothy, change.org
"If this is implemented I will be abandoning the Google sphere and moving my data over to Apple. I have already signed up for an Apple ID and I am good to go if/when this happens. I will drop android and all associated subscriptions and spend my money at Apple. Goodbye Google. It was a good run 2009 to 2026. "
Scott, change.org
"I originally chose android so I can learn and make things with apk packages, modify my phone and practice security and privacy. Also to break away from the apple cult. If google goes through with it, that'll betray myself and so many others who feel the same. "
Christopher, change.org
"I choose to use Android as it gives me the ability to freely use my mobile phone the way I intend to. I would like to continue developing apps as a hobby without needing to be an "approved developer" and sharing my government issued identity with Google. "
Christian, change.org
"Removing the ability to side load apps is taking away owners right to their own devices. As one of the best phones I've owned this is disheartening. I might as well buy an iPhone "
Kamau, change.org
"Privacy is a human right (just like the man who developed Telegram). It's a necessity too. Android is the ultimate choice because if I recall, 85% of all mobile phone sales worldwide are Android. The ability to customize at will much like a person buying a Nissan Skyline GT-R 34 has as much right as they want to modify their vehicle to their specific needs like more HP! 2000 HP sounds sexy! The same can be said about people with Android phones. Sure, not all people are into customizing but if you buy, it's yours. No excuses from greedy corporate stooges. I love the beauty of side loading 3rd party apps because of the Freedom that it comes with. Android is the choice for hackers too! Linux based kernel under the hood. If Google released the Android platform, imagine how better it would be. It's like George Hotz (who hacked the 1st iPhone) once said "Open source is the best source! Everyone profits from it". " The people should not be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of their own people " - V from V for Vendetta. I don't remember who said "Give me liberty or give me death!". Developers should band together and be steadfast for there is strength in numbers. Even those who aren't developers! "
Juan, change.org
"Esse monopólio é injusto! "
Gabriel, change.org
"Don't do this, I will never spend more than 100$ on an android or any phone ever again. Google, get smart. "
Jamell, change.org
"The decision to limit APKs is simply stupid. "
Lyan Augusto, change.org
"Sideloading is the only thing that separates android from IOS in a meaningful way and to get rid of it destroys the whole point of using android. "
Jacob, change.org
"By doing this you are signaling to everyone that you believe you control enough of the market to do what you want in the interest of control, money, and shareholder value. We'll show you that you're wrong. "
Willard, change.org
"One of the reasons that people want to use Android is because of its freedom in installing apps. Locking it is like shooting your feet. "
John, change.org
"Google can not be allowed its voracious devouring of apps and data. Every move builds on its frightening monopoly, quashing any freedom and privacy. "
Kristi, change.org
"It starts with this. "
Jenna, change.org
"Literary the biggest reason why I choose android over apple. If android wants to copy apple this way then there's no reason to stay with android anymore. "
Kytt, change.org
"Because Google shouldn't force control on its users "
Jaden, change.org
"The only reason I own any Android devices is the ease with which I can load my own self-written programs. Creating friction in the form of forcing me to register or jump through hoops to run my programs will 100% cause me to abandon the platform, as easy, no-contract installation of software is literally the only feature of Android that I actually like (the OS is generally not very reliable, the usability is poor, and easy side loading is the only feature that differentiates the system from iOS.) It sure seems to me that with this plan, Google must really want to help Apple sell iPhones and iPads. If you remove the openness of Android, all Apple will need to do is release a cheaper phone and tablet than what Samsung has in order to destroy Android forever. Google overestimates the degree to which Android users are locked in to the platform; most Android users have it because Android phones are cheaper than iPhones. The rest of us are programmers who like our freedom, and this platform hostility will drive us away, which won't be good for the Google Play Store's selection of effort-free profits for Google. "
Casey, change.org
"This would create a closed system like the Apple iPhone. I have an Android phone specifically because it is an open system. As well described on: https://keepandroidopen.org/ "
Joseph, change.org
"Google wants to become IOS but with this petition we can have a chance for Google not to block apks and it has to work so we all have to vote "
Super, change.org
"Android does not need to be the same as iphones are: locked and proprietary. "
Dustin, change.org
"This would be removing a key benefit of android over apple. Having control over what is on your device should be a given to owning it as your personal property, and Google shouldn't have a say in what is and isn't allowed on your phone in any circumstance "
Ethan, change.org
"Now we cant even test our own projects on android without licking the boots of microslop "
William, change.org
"This is the main appeal of android to me. Having the freedom with my own device that I paid for instead of being limited. "
Joshua, change.org
"Keep Android Open Google! Make it stand out to users and developers above the iPhone! "
Jason, change.org
"Android, since it's existence, has always been about the user. Removing access to apps that millions of people use every day will shatter that foundation and make android indifferent to its competitors. "
Jack, change.org
"That cannot be allowed, it even attacks the freedom of all users who use Android, for years that has always been the case, therefore, making that change, It would result in a catastrophic situation for many users, including Google itself, with many losses in every sense. "
Javier, change.org
"APKs CANNOT be ripped away from us. "
Twily, change.org
"I have always used android because of the control I have over MY phone. Installing whatever apps I want from WHEREVER I want is one if the main reasons I prefer android! I will do everything I can to keep this from happening! "
Britanie, change.org
"We suffer from a dissociative disorder and one the only possible disability aid for it is not on the app store. If we lose access to this aid, our life is functionaly over. Either make it easier to put apps on the play store or knock it off. "
Isaiah, change.org
"I know this sounds crazy, but I just want to be able to use the device I paid for the way that I want to. "
Thomas, change.org
"Android was once the pinacle of freedom, not letting that stay in the past "
Juan, change.org
"This is, I believe a really dumb decision on Google's part. Personally one of the primary reasons I choose to use Android devices over IOS is because I loathe Apple's locked down environment ... Is Google now wanting to follow in Apple's coat tails with this policy ? I thought Google was about leadership and innovation, if it now wants to play second fiddle to Apple, I hope another OS comes to the forefront, I'm pretty sure one will. It may take a little while, but freedom will out in the end. And personally if Google thinks they can control what I choose to do with my own devices ... well I'm sorry Google, but THAT WILL NOT WORK FOR ME. As it is I already have to sideliad apps I want on my tablet because " they are not compatible with my device " at least according to the Play Store they are not... So tell me Google, if they are so incompatible, WHY DO THE FUNCTION PERFECTLY one I sideload them from a device that you deem to be "compatible " ?? And now you think you can stop me ? and stop me from writing my personal little apps to do other neat stuff that I like ??? I really THINK NOT and if I can no longer work on Android Devices, we'll I WILL FIND / CREATE A WORKABLE ALTERNATIVE. "
Paul, change.org
"Android livre já "
Alan, change.org
"Gghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh "
Pablo, change.org
"The only thing that set Android apart from Apple (and frankly made it objectively better than Apple) is the freedom of control you have over a device you actually own. Removing that ability makes Android no better than Apple, might as well say you don't really own that phone or tablet when you take away such freedoms. "
George, 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
"Android users have had the ability to use APKs for so long. It is a major thing that differentiates them from Apple, and something that has prevented me from switching over. Without the freedom of apks, there is nothing keeping me with Android or Google. "
Kayla, change.org
"My property. My rules. "
Steven, change.org
"The device that you bought that you own should not have any restrictions added after the purchase of what you can or cannot download onto said device. What (Google) is trying to do is going directly against that. "
Emilie, change.org
"Android has always been known as the more freedom option on the market. With this move by Google will shatter that belief and create distrust completely. Keep Android free and always will! "
Phuong, change.org
"Perhaps Google shares the same ideals as that damned communist country of China; they want to take away our freedom. "
Henrique Kelvin Alves da, change.org
"My phone, my apps Let me do what I want or else an iPhone will be my phone "
Aaron, change.org
"Keep android open to all developers. If this goes into effect I'm done with offial android. I don't care what devices I have to use moving forward but it will not be android devices. "
david, change.org
"As a normal user, I prefer the ability to sideload my own ADB devices, and to use F-Droid, and to keep my rights, and my freedom to the device. This centralization is a gross attempt to restrict rights and make the system as bad as iOS. This is an attempt to control, resist it people. "
Owen, change.org
"Google is trying to steal money from devs. Plain and simple. "
Caleb, change.org
"The freedom of apks is one of the best parts about android period. This will kill their identity, our freedom as consumers, and only give more control to the corporate super entity. "
Walace, change.org
"Bro this is the only thing keeping android over iOS don't take it "
Alejandro, change.org
"Android being "open" is what draws a lot of people to it from the others. This effectively makes it more closed. "
Glenn, change.org
"I am developer and i need work that, dont block my work "
Celso, change.org
"Removing the ability to side-load apps is an egregious deviation from what made Android better. Android should remain free and open, the experience should not be lobotomized into what ends up being just a "cheaper iPhone". "
Luke, change.org
"I love the freedom to use whatever program APK I wish and Appl........Google wants to take that away from us? Expect lawsuits in your future. BTW I HATE the play store, F-Droid ALL THE WAY "
David, 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
"Freedom to install apps not verified by Google is one the main reasons to choose android over IOS. And claims that it's for security is BS. There are plenty of malicious apps on the playstore anyways, and this is going to lead to people who don't necessarily know what they're doing doing things like rooting their device, unaware of the risks. Besides, why is it any of Google's business what apps I install on a device I purchased? "
Cliff, change.org
"Android will no longer be what it was initially pitched to be, a phone OS with the freedom to do virtually anything you wanted. After many years of owning android phones I have had to move to iPhone as I can no longer stand how google operates and what they are doing to restrict the android OS. "
Aiden, change.org
"With Google aiming to lockdown Android, what makes it any different than Apple? The only reason I and many others opt for Android is because it's openness! "
Christian, change.org
"I am a lifelong android user who uses 3rd party apps and would lose much of the functionality of how I use my phone if this update goes through. I would likely stop using the app store and use platforms like F-Droid even more. "
Emily, change.org
"This change has pushed me into rooting and using a custom ROM making my phone more "unsafe" to the eyes of Google and banking apps, Monopolizing the app market isn't an act of consumer protection under the guise of "security" it's just an attempt at maximizing profits and It being a stepping stone in censoship besides think of all the internal use apk's that companies use on their devices be It for management, interaction with company equipment, etc had to now get verified by a 3rd party like Google when the ones using that app is only company employees "
Alex, change.org
"Just because old fogeys keep sending their life's savings to "princes" in Africa or "tech support assistants" in southeast Asia, does not mean that Google deny us all the right to use our devices however we want. It's the governments' responsibility to spread awareness against scams and to shut down the scammers for good. This implementation is just yet another way for a megacorp to harvest user data, because apparently there's never enough data. "
Aabhas, change.org
"I want to have the option of what to download and how to download it because if I wanted something restricted I would use Apple "
Sergio, change.org
"I switched to Android to escape Apple's aggressively anti-consumer walled garden. My S20 Ultra (that I paid over $1600 for, after tax) is finally starting to show it's age, but now I have no incentive to get another android device for my next smartphone if you follow through with these changes. I've been a vocal supporter of Android for years, but if you don't scrap this change, I will boycott Alphabet products altogether and do my best to ensure as many others as possible are well-informed on why they should do the same. "
Jacob, change.org
"This COULD end piracy of some games, paid apps, viruses/spyware and modded apps/cheats. But as a Brazilian, I'm against this, because there is a lot of Open source apps on github and F-droid with really useful functionalities. "
Gianluigi, change.org
"I wanted android mainly for its ability to download things in third party app stores, unlike Apple, now that Google is going to be doing this, it makes Google look no better than Apple, Android, infamous for its open sourcability now getting locked down just like iOS. I really hope that this is refuted instead of pushed to Android. "
Joshua, change.org
"I have payed and continue to pay for an android device. The right to upload whatever app I please on my own device should be maintained. By extension, developers shouldn't have to give money, personal identifying information, and private sign in keys to google. Nor should developers be subjected to google's constant scrutinized spying and biases through : - Being forced to agree to google's terms and conditions. - Alongside extorting app identifiers for the entirety of an app's life span. Taking away and inhibiting both the ability to do what I want with my own device and the ability of developers to share their creations with others is wrong. What google is proposing is anti-consumer and against the values of freedom. "
Alexandria, change.org
"If this forced update happens. I definitely will be finding a new operating system for my phone or a new phone without Google. You can take that to the bank...!!! "
James, change.org
"I've been an user of Android based phones for a very long time. I am fully against the idea of this move Google is trying, as it is just another notch in the attempted censorship and surveillance of the internet as a whole. If this move is allowed to go through, I will find workarounds or work towards getting a third party phone deal where I don't have to deal with this. These big tech companies should not have the authority to force us to bend to them. We have the power to make them back down. Let our voice be heard. Boycott these companies and make them lose money. The moment their financial gains are threatened, they will surrender. "
Brandon, change.org
"We should be allowed to do what we want with the tools that we buy. "
kevin, change.org
"Google, don't be evil. "
Eric, change.org
"I support identity verification for those who wish to register, but do not support restricting consumers’ ability to install software that they want to. "
Roke, change.org
"Hope all Android devices keep free on apk sideload and Bootloader unlock "
Hanzhang, change.org
"This change would essentially make android comparable to iOS in the sense of the restricted amount of freedom we have over the operating system and how we want the operating system to function. This will also result in a constant battle between new "crackers" trying to find ways to spoof the signature system and Google patching the spoofs to keep the system restricted. This is not for security, this is corporate control over a dominating service they can milk for profit and add to their greed "
Simon, change.org
"Android's strength has always been its openness. Closing or limiting this system violates users' trust in the principles that led them (or rather, us) to choose Android as their (our) OS. That's why we urge you to keep Android open and not implement any developer or app registration system. Build bridges and educate your users to venture beyond them, rather than erect walls trying to isolate them. "
Edoardo, change.org
"Big tech is trying to collectively normalize mass surveillance requiring government ID's for everything and saying "it's for our safety". It is NOT about anyone's safety. "
Amélie, change.org
"People who choose Android over Apple do so because Android offers the freedom to install apps freely and develop apps as a hobby. I think that if they remove access to APKs, I'll switch to Apple, and I think most people will do the same. "
Alexis, change.org
"Drastically changing what I can do with MY devices years after the original purchase is peak anti-consumer behavior. This action should be illegal. Can you imagine if your car manufacturer said you can only use Shell gas to fill up years after you purchased it. Same energy here. Let's STOP THE GOOGLEOPOLY. "
Ayiana, change.org
"I have been using Android since Eclair, after using Windows Mobile 6 and iOS. I have been seriously considering iOS again lately, and this would absolutely convince me to jump ship. "
Jon, 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
"The restriction of an end-user's ability to control what they can and cannot do with their device that they legally own is inherently malicious and should be illegal. Google is pushing and overreaching in a way that is invasive and threatening to users' privacy and freedom. "
Weston, change.org
"For the freedom of an open and universal system for all! "
Zaphyru's, change.org
"Take that away and you've destroyed Android. Google's trustworthiness is depths of hell low, and now you want even more control. Disgusting. The last bastion for Android was it's open freedoms compared to Apple, explicitly the ability to install apps without the store without verification. Allowing me to build and install my own creations. You must envision everyone in the entire world as some consumer archetype that just has feeding tubes of corporate sludge go into the consumers digestive tract. You can't imagine anyone innovating for fun not profit, making art and exploring science without corporate approvals. Your world is disgusting and I hate it. "
Aiden, 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
"I love android. I love how open it is. I love being able to download any app I want. This policy change is dumb. "
Farren, change.org
"I was really shocked when I heard that such thing is happening. I mean, isn't the point of Android itself to be fully open, especially compared to competitors as iOS? What's so wrong with a person developing apps as their passion/hobby? I don't think it is necessary to have to upload a government ID to a corporation just to make your app be able to be usable. It also impacts me, because I use very many open source apps as alternatives, which fit my usage a lot better, and I like to support those projects, and one more point, many people switching from iOS to Android are looking for the freedom that is sideloading apps without any hurdles. This has to change, or chaos would ensue around the Android world, and especially FOSS communities. "
Arsen, change.org
"I used APK's to play tons of games I loved, like angry birds star wars and I don't wanna see it taken from me. It has always been easier then apple (I know because I sideload all the time) and doesn't help anyone. You're moving customers away. Do better. "
Jane, change.org
"Android should remain free; we are taking more and more steps towards an authoritarian global society and less individual freedom. FREEDOM is a non-negotiable right. "
Farid, change.org
"I'm tired of the world becoming largely more authoritarian and censorial in general. Forcing developers to tie their personal identification, pay a fee to Google, and requiring one to be a part of a poorly curated program of developers makes absolutely no sense at all. It is clear this is an attempt to further monopolize the app market by Google in order to extract more profits, while also making it easier to surveil and censor owners of Android devices. As an open source developer, and privacy enthusiast, these points allow such communities to not even flourish, but to simply exist. This locking down of the operating system, while providing no meaningful alternatives WILL kill such communities. I make a point to use as many open source applications on my phone as possible, because so many applications on the Play Store are primarily data collection mechanisms with the app's advertised use being secondary. This sucks. "
Shaun, change.org
"This isn't safety, it's simply control. This hasn't been an issue for years. "
James, change.org
"As a certified Android glazer I think age verification is stupid and Android should stay open forever "
Anony, change.org
"This feels like bait and switch. Android has been the open alternative to iOS and that's a primary reason why I've chosen to support Android over the years. We don't have a viable truly free alternative like on the desktop, but Android is the best we've got. "
Sol, change.org
"For longer than I can remember, I have cherished Android's openness, the ability to side-load APKs, access to F-Droid and related means of acquiring open-source and ad-free apps. But now, here we go again with another Big Tech bait-and-switch: Android's appeal has always been it's open nature; Google captures it, promising it will not violate the fundamental openness of Android's operating system; next thing we know, Google announces it will indeed violate everything Android developers, users, and community members hold dear. Google: We are all so tired of paying to have our freedoms restricted on top of being the objects of mass surveillance. We are sick of purchasing over $1000 devices, only to have our fundamental rights to our own bought property be curtailed and our privacy interests betrayed. We will not continue to fund this behavior. Google must make a public, righteous, and inviolable commitment to keep Android devices *at least as open as they are now*. If it does not, it will be Google that feels the pinch of being locked out. "
Brian, 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
"first off i bought this phone i should have the right to put what ever program i want on it, I'm already upset so many things are locked behind root access my wife is a programmer and she fiddles with android programs. this would mean she can't do this anymore. it makes it a lot harder for indie android programmers to get started "
Joshua, change.org
"IT'S ABSURD WHAT GOOGLE IS TRYING TO DO ON ANDROID, ANDROID USERS AND ANDROID DEVICES ABOUT LOCKING THE SYSTEM SO WE CAN'T INSTALL APPS DOWNLOADED FROM WEBSITES AND DOWNLOADED FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE. GOOGLE DOES NOT OWN OUR DEVICES AND WE HAVE THE FULL RIGHT TO DO WHAT WE WANT WITH OUR DEVICES BECAUSE WE PAY FOR THEM. "
Wagner, change.org
"Android used to be the go to mobile if you wanted quality and freedom from having to buy in to one type of tech (e.g. Apple). Now they're forcing developers and users to buy into their tracking. This just may well be the push I need to give up my mobile all together. Thanks Google! "
Jason, change.org
"There are games, apps, that are FREE, because the authors want it that way, no charge. WHY SHOULD GOOGLE WIN MONEY WITH THEM??? "
Ana, change.org
"Keep Android like it started, open and free for anyone! "
Edgar, change.org
"From a U.S. point of view it leaves us with only 2 wall gardens (Apple iOS and Google Android) as choices for smartphone operating systems with no other serious competition. I do not think this is a good thing for consumers. "
Mark, change.org
"Don't be Apple! "
Wenshan, change.org