Ваш тэлефон хутка перастане быць вашым.
Пачынаючы з верасня 2026, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, будзе блакіраваць кожную праграму Android распрацоўшчык якой не зарэгістрыраваўся ў Google, не падпісаў кантракт, не заплаціў Google і не прадставіў свае дакументы
Кожная праграма і прылада, па ўсяму свету, без магчымасці адмовіцца.
↓Што робіць Google
У жніўні 2025, Google анасаваў нвоае патрабаванне: пачынаючы з верасня 2026, кожны распрацоўшчык праграм Android павінен рэгістрыравацца ў Google перад тым, як ягоны софт зможа быць усталяваны. Не толькі праграмы Play Store: усе. Гэта ўключае праграмы, распаўсюджаныя паміж сябрамі, распаўсюджаныя з дапамогай F-Droid, створаныя для асобнага карыстання. Незалежныя распрацоўшчыкі, цэрквы, супольнасці і энтузіясты, верагодна, страцяць магчымасць распрацоўваць свае праграмы.
Рэгістрацыя патрабуе:
- Заплаціць унёсак Google
- Пагадзіцца на Умовы і Палітыкі Google
- Прадастаўленне дакументаў дзяржанага прыклада
- Прадстаўленне доказаў уладання прыватным ключом распрацоўшчыка
- Пералічэнне ўсіх дзейных і будучых ідэнтыфікатараў праграмы
А калі распрацоўшчык не пагадзіцца, іх праграма будзе сусветна ціха заблакіравана на кожнай прыладзе Android.
Каму гэта шкодзіць?
Вам
Вы купілі тэлефон на Android, бо Google казаў, што ён адкрыты. Вы павінны устанаўліваць што хаціце і такой была здзелка.
Google цяпер перапісвае яе на зябеспячэнні, што ўжо ў вас ёсць. Пасля прымянення абнаўлення, вы зможаце запускаць праграмы, якія зацвердзіў Google. На вашым тэлефоне: ваша маёмасць, за якую вы заплацілі
Незалежным распрацоўшчыкам
Першая праграма падлетка, інструмент для прыватнасці для актывіста ці унутраная бэта вялікай кампаніі. Гэта не мае значэння. Пасля верасня 2026, нічога з гэтага не зможа быць усталявана без дазволу Google.
F-Droid, дом для тысяч бясплатных і адкрытых праграм Android ужо назваў гэта "пагрозай выжывання". Коры Дактароў назваў гэта "Darth Android".
Урадам і цывілізаванай супольнасці
Google мае задакументаваныя выпадкі падчынення аўтарытарным рэжымам і выдалення праграм. Такім чынам, праграмы інстытутаў у вашай краіне будуць існаваць па дазволу адной некантралюемай замежнай карпарацыі.
EFF назваў такія меры "сцежкай да пашырэння інтэрнэт-цэнзуры."
Кампраміс Google - гэта пастка
Google кажа, што "вопытныя карыстальнікі" могуць "па-ранейшаму ўсталёўваць" неправераныя праграмы. Вось як гэта будзе выглядаць
- Паглыбіцеся ў налады сістэмы, знайдзіце параметры распрацоўшчыка
- Націсніце нумар зборкі сем разоў, каб уключыць рэжым распрацоўшчыка
- Адхільце палохаючыя экраны аб прымусовасці
- Увядзіце PIN-код
- Перазапусціце прыладу
- Пачакайце 24 гадзіны
- Вярніцеся, адключыце больш экранаў палохання
- Выберыце "дазволіць часова" (7 дзён) або "дазволіць на нявызначаны час"
- Яшчэ раз пацвердзіце, што вы разумееце "рызыкі"
Дзевяць крокаў. Абавязковы 24-гадзінны перыяд астуджэння. Для ўсталявання праграмнага забеспячэння на прыладу, якой вы валодаеце.
Што яшчэ горш: гэты паток цалкам праходзіць праз Сэрвісы Google Play, а не праз АС Android. Google можа змяніць яго, зрабіць больш жорсткім або спыніць яго ў любы час, без неабходнасці абнаўлення АС і згоды...
Гэта больш чым Android
Калі Google можа адным днём заблакіраваць мільярды прылад, што прадаваліся як свабодныя плафтормы, кожны вырабнік прылад возьме прыклад.
Задаецца прынцып: кампанія, якая зрабіла вашу прыладу, вырашае пасля таго, як вы яе набылі, якое праграмнае забеспячэнне вам дазволена запускаць. У праграмным забеспячэнні гэта называецца “выцягванне дывана”; але, па меншай меры, вы заўсёды можаце ўсталяваць канкуруючае праграмнае забеспячэнне. Што датычыцца апаратнага забеспячэння, гэта здзейснены факт, які пазбаўляе вас паўнамоцтваў і робіць вас бяссільнымі перад капрызамі аднаго непадсправаздачнага брамніка і асуджанага манапаліста.
Адкрытасць Android ніколі не была проста функцыяй. Гэта абяцанне, якое адрознівала яго ад iPhone. Мільёны выбралі Android менавіта па гэтай прычыне. Цяпер Google адклікае гэтае абяцанне ў аднабаковым парадку на прыладах, якія ўжо знаходзяцца ў кішэнях людзей, таму што яны вырашылі, што ў іх дастаткова дамінавання на рынку і нарматыўнага захопу, каб сысці з рук.
Ars Technica: *"Зайздросць Google Apple пагражае знічышць адкрытую спадчыну Android."
Пачакайце, а гэта ...
"...проста пра бяспеку?"
Абгрунтаванне бяспекі - дымавая заслона. Google Play Protect ужо шукае шкодныя праграмы незалежна ад асобы распрацоўшчыка. Патрабаванне дзяржаўнага пасведчання асобы не робіць код больш бяспечным. Гэта робіць распрацоўшчыкаў ідэнтыфікаванымі і кантраляванымі. Аўтары шкоднасных праграм могуць зарэгістравацца. Незалежныя распрацоўшчыкі і дысідэнты часта не могуць. EFF кажа: абмежаванне на аснове ідэнтыфікацыйных дадзеных з'яўляецца інструментам цэнзуры, а не інструментам бяспекі.
"...усё яшчэ загрузка пабочных праграм у экспертным рэжыме, хіба не?"
Дзевяць крокаў, 24-гадзіннае чаканне, схаваныя ў Параметрах распрацоўшчыка, дастаўленыя праз прапрыетарны сэрвіс, які Google можа адклікаць, калі захоча. Гэта не загрузка пабочных праграм. Гэта механізм стрымлівання, створаны для таго, каб амаль ніхто яго не завяршыў. І паколькі ён працуе праз Play Services, а не праз АС, Google можа зрабіць яго ціхім або забіць.
"...праблема для тых, хто нічога не хавае?"
Першымі ахвярамі стануць інфарматары, журналісты і актывісты пры аўтарытарных урадах. На наступным месцы людзі, якія трапілі ў сямейны гвалт. Усе гэтыя групы маюць законныя падставы распаўсюджваць або выкарыстоўваць праграмнае забеспячэнне без размяшчэння сваёй юрыдычнай асобы ў базе дадзеных Google. Ананімны ўклад з адкрытым зыходным кодам - гэта традыцыя, старэйшая за сам Google. Гэта палітыка спыняе гэта на Android.
"...не тое ж самае, што робіць Apple?"
Apple з першага дня была агароджаным садам. Людзі выбіралі Android, таму што ён быў іншым. “Apple таксама робіць гэта” - гэта гонка на дно і слабы аргумент tu quoque. І пад нарматыўным ціскам (Закон ЕС аб лічбавых рынках) нават Apple вымушана адкрыцца. Google рухаецца ў адваротным кірунку: спрабуе яшчэ больш умацаваць свой статус гейткіпера.
"...проста $25 і крыху працы з паперамі?"
Магчыма, калі вы распрацоўшчык у ЗША з крэдытнай карткай і вадзіцельскімі правамі. Паспрабуйце быць студэнтам у Афрыцы на поўдзень ад Сахары, або дысідэнтам у М'янме, або добраахвотнікам, які падтрымлівае праграму для аховы здароўя супольнасці. Кошт не толькі фінансавы: вы перадаеце дзяржаўнае пасведчанне асобы і доказы вашых ключоў подпісу кампаніі, якая рэгулярна выконвае патрабаванні ўрада выдаляць праграмы і раскрываць распрацоўшчыкаў.
Змагайцеся ў адказ
Усе
- Пачынайце карыстацца F-Droid на кожнай вашай Android прыладзе. Альтэрнатыўныя крамы выжывуць ,калі імі карыстацца.
- Звяжыцеся з мясцовымі рэгулятарамі. Рэгулятары па ўсяму свету хвалюцца з-за манаполій і цэнтралізацыі ўлады у руках тэхнічных кампаній і хацяць пачуць індывідуальныя выпадкі ад тых, каго гэта датычыцца.
- Падзяляйцеся гэтай старонкай. Пакідайце спасылку на keepandroidopen.org усюды.
- Змагайцеся з астратурфінгам. Выразы "Ну вось, ведаеце..." выдзяляюцца з патоку. Не дайце ім задаць наратыў.
- Падпішыце петыцыю на change.org and join the over 100,000 signatories who ...
- Чытайце і пашрайце наш адкрыты ліст
- Кажыце Google, што вы думаеце пра гэта з дапамогай іх Android developer verification requirements survey (хаця б штосьці карыснае).
Распрацоўчшыкі
Не рэгістрыруйцеся. Не далучайцеся да праграмы, прахадзя рэгістрацыю у Android Developer Console, пагаждаючыся на Умовы і Пагадненні. Не пацвярджайце сваю асобу. Не гуляйце ў іх гульню.
План Google спрацуе, калі распрацоўшчыкі пагадзяцца. Не рабіце гэтага.
- Кажыце іншым распрацоўшчыкам і арганізўацыям не рэгістрыравацца.
- Дадайце бібліятэку FreeDroidWarn у вашу праграму, каб папярэджваць карыстальнікаў.
- У вас ёсць сайт? Дадайце банер з таймерам.
Працаўнікі Google
If you know something about the program's technical implementation or internal rationale, contact tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work m...
Усе яны супраць…
69 арганізацый з 21 краін ужо падпісалі адкрыты ліст
Brave brave.com
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
FACILe facil.qc.ca
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
iodé iode.tech
CryptPad cryptpad.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
FULU Foundation fulu.org
Proton AG proton.me
FOSDEM fosdem.org
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
OpenMedia openmedia.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Data Rights datarights.ngo
FUTO futo.org
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
April april.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
GitHub Store github-store.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
Unified Push unifiedpush.org
F-Droid f-droid.org
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
Techlore techlore.tech
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org Вось што кажуць
Тэхнічныя выданні
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"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 app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
Рэдактарскія і аналітыкі
"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
"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
"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
"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
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
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
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Once there is no such thing as 'sideloading', there's virtually no difference between iOS and Android. I see no reason to buy Android over iOS at this point."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"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
"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
"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
"The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours. Google decides which apps are allowed to be loaded on Android and which are not."
Tuta Blog
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"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
"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
"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
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"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
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"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
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"The proposed Android Developer Verification program isn't a security update; it's a kill switch for the open ecosystem."
Hillary Keverenge, Tech-ish Kenya
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"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
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
Арганізацыі і адкрытыя лісты
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"A centralized global registration system for Android will inevitably chill this work. Those communities are likely to drop out of developing for Android altogether."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"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
"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
"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
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"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
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"This invasion of privacy of developers is not just an overreach of Google's authority over Android, but also jeopardizes developer safety."
Software Freedom Conservancy
"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
"If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today."
F-Droid
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
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
"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
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
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
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"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
"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
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"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
Ютуберы і стваральнікі кантэнту
"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
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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
"This has obvious problems for non-Google operating systems like iodeOS, LineageOS, or BraxOS. Google Android will 'check in' with Google to verify the identity of the app and to validate the operating system."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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
"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
"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
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – 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
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google is setting a requirement that only they can fulfill, forcing developers to go through Google and killing off thousands of apps. Countless users stranded."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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 decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
Распрацоўшчыкі і супольнасці
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"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
"If the likes of Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and others have their way, you will not own your computer; those companies will effectively own your computers."
RUs1729, Slashdot
"The 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, 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
"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
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, 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
"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
"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 wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, 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
"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
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, 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
"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
"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
"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
"You are essentially a child to them. The difference is society has decided not to step in to protect you from your abusive parents."
globular-toast, Hacker News
"Google 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
"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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"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
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"My Pixel 6 just broke, and after 15 years of using Android, I've finally been convinced to move to iOS. If I must live in a walled garden, I suppose I'll choose the one with nicer flowers."
yonato, Hacker News
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"We need to start treating phones differently. We're entering a world where we can't choose what we run on them. Their primary purpose is to gather data on us and serve us advertising, they're engineered for addiction, yet engaging in the world is immensely difficult without one."
specproc, Hacker News
"Software gatekeeping is a threat to human rights. Just recently an app to track ICE was banned from the iOS app store even though this should clearly be protected first amendment speech."
gthing, Reddit
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, 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
Галасы з петыцыі
"I hæv been a lifeloŋ Android user because it offers ðe ability to customize it ænd sideload æpps on it wiþ ease, ænd I'm not lettiŋ google take ðæt right away! Down wiþ Big Broðer! Down wiþ mæss censoršip! Down wiþ age verificašon! Down wiþ mæss surveillance! Down wiþ ðis Digital ID tyrrany! "
∞ANTHONY∞, change.org
"This seems important not to let Google be the all powerful mega corp "
Adrian, change.org
"It really seems like part of a conspiracy to turn the entire digital world into a tool for psychological and mass control. Let's raise our voices together against this immense idiocy, most likely promoted primarily by governments and not directly by Google. 👁️📐👌⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐❤️ "
Alessio, change.org
"One of the biggest things, if not the biggest thing, Android has had over Apple for the longest time is the freedom of the user to make the phone theirs through downloading third party apps, through developers making their own applications without being required to release it through an app store that requires a fee to put it on. My own personal experience has been that I could play one of my favorite games that's no longer on the app store. With these new restrictions and requirements Google is proposing in September, we would lose that freedom, and would become no better than Apple "
Morgan, change.org
"Google, this is NOT acceptable. You are NOT the gatekeepers of development. You ARE BEING EVIL. "
David, change.org
"Don't get rid of the reason I switched from apple in the first place, google. "
Reina, change.org
"The sooner this is allowed the sooner our country is gone for good. State control over personal devices will have gone too far. "
April, change.org
"This solution simply doesn't make sense. It's not our fault, or the fault of all developers, that people don't know what to do to verify or install an application that isn't malicious. In my opinion, this should come enabled normally on new smartphones, but with a developer option to disable it. You don't have to complicate everything and force us to use an adb command just to install an unverified application. That simply doesn't exist. I provided the solution. "
Saulo, change.org
"This is about Freedom! I want to be in control of what apps I install on my phone! And How I install them! I choose freedom! Do Not block or limit my freedom under the the guise of helping me according to your beliefs! "
Henry, change.org
"This level of control over a phone i own is unacceptable if i own it i should be allowed to put what ever i want on it whenever i want without googles permission "
Frank, change.org
"This restriction simply ruins the entire premise that the android community has based itself on. It deprives users of the basic freedom that they rightfully deserve to have, since they acquired and rightfully paid for their device(s). It's another step into censorship and a monopoly under the premise of "security". The Google Play Store itself is a perpetrator of insecurity and restricting the developer base won't make it any better. If this is pushed foward, I will cease to use any android system that uses Google Play Services. "
Maria, change.org
"Google is definitely overreaching in it's attempt to lock down users' ability to install apps via sideloading. There are many valid reasons for users to sideload apps, and many have already been stated, so I won't beat a dead horse. If people aren't smart enough to protect themselves from bricking their phones when they sideload a potentially harmful app, them they deserve what they get. It's not Google's place to be Guardian of the Galaxies (see what I did there?) or Pixels. "
Michael, change.org
"Not allowing users to install the applications of their choosing on their own device and forcing developers to verify themselves with Google, even if they exclusively want to make their applications available on alterntive app stores is outrageous and completely unacceptable. "
Brandon, change.org
"Google, don't be evil. "
Eric, change.org
"One of the reasons why many people including myself chose Android over iOS is its openness. Android used to treat people like it should - users, who know what they are doing if they decided to enable sideloading (AKA "install unknown apps") or go into developer settings. If the new restrictions will get put in place, Android will lose this benefit, and while some people will not even notice the difference, others will switch to iOS, a custom ROM, or might start a development effort on an entirely new mobile operating system. Google will end up losing a decent chunk of its userbase. In addition, if we look at iOS again, they were putting all of tgose "safeguards" (aka restrictions) for a long time, and people were jailbraking their iPhones. Now think about it, if the new restrictions were to be put on "sideloadong", some developers will stop publishing on Google Play, and those users who were using those no longer available apps (especially the inexperienced ones) will start looking for ways to "fix" the problem. This will give rise to shady repair services (especially in developing countries), who will promice to get those apps back onto the users phone (mainly via ADB, as that method will continue to work), but will also end up putting some malware (such as crypto miners) on user devices at the same time. So, with that in mind, would this "developer verification" change really make Android more secure? "
Lev, change.org
"Google get out of MY phone! "
Mauro, 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
"I always chose to use android because of its freedom to do whatever I want woth my smartphone. Now they want to become Apple. What is wrong with them? We can't let this happen. "
kelvin, change.org
"Bora solar esses miserentos "
GATO, change.org
"Android's open-source roots NEED to be worth fighting for. When Google released Android under the Apache License in 2007, it was a revolutionary move which allowed manufacturers, developers, and tinkerers worldwide to build on top of it freely. That openness is literally WHY Android became the dominant mobile OS, powering over 70% of the world's smartphones today. The ability to side-load APKs (install apps outside the Play Store) has been a cornerstone of that openness. It's what allows: • Independent developers to distribute apps without paying Google's 30% cut. • Users in regions where the Play Store is restricted to still access software. • Open-source app stores like F-Droid to thrive. • Researchers and security professionals to test and audit applications. • Enthusiast communities to keep older devices alive with custom ROMs which ALSO REDUCES GLOBAL E-WASTE. Compare this to iOS, where Apple has historically locked down side-loading entirely and ask yourself this important question, do we want Android to go down that same path? Restricting APK usage doesn't make users safer it just consolidates Google's control over what software you're allowed to run on hardware YOU purchased & own. The history of computing shows us that open platforms drive innovation, closed ones drive profits for gatekeepers. Android was built on the iconic Linux platform, a global community project. Let's not let that legacy be quietly dismantled in the name of "security". Android was built to be OPEN and its name says it all, ANDROID OPEN SOURCE PROJECT. "
Peter, change.org
"Android has always been about freedom and an open option for not only everyday users but developers and artists as well. If Google gets their way this will be a devastating blow to privacy, freedom, independence and how people live their lives. Do not let them get away with this! "
Jonathan, change.org
"Open source is people power "
Nathan, change.org
"Android users should really be given options for how to use their devices. It's unfair that they want to limit us after having given us so much freedom. While I understand it's to protect users, this measure affects independent developers, and even worse, forcing them to use Face ID exposes their faces to potential hacking and data leaks, since this is nothing new. I really hope this reaches more people and that they sign to try to show the community's discontent. "
León 999, change.org
"Bro this is the only thing keeping android over iOS don't take it "
Alejandro, 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
"Now we cant even test our own projects on android without licking the boots of microslop "
William, 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
"Choosing Android was choosing a degree of freedom and opportunity to use my device like it was device. The all the anti-competitive legislation, it is impossible to fathom how this move to wall-off the ecosystem and close the source could be suggested. This "update" would actually reduce the function and privacy opportunities of the device I OWN. This is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Upf_B9RLQ If Google continues course, I would choose Apple as the lesser of two evils, with more polished hardware. "
Sean, 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
"As a newer developer I was shocked when I heard the app I had been working on was not approved because all the hoops to jump through. Then they wanted a monthly payment. I was so deterred that I discontinued development on a project meant to help mental health. I became the one who needed it. I was depressed and discouraged. To this day I haven't touched the code base and I was team Google. I think I'm more disappointed in my blind faith than anything else. Hope we can turn this around. "
Beau, change.org
"Android is freedom. Plain and simple. Android let's us the users decide what we want to do with our devices. I have only ever used android because it is open and free. "
Drew, 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
"If this goes through I’m going to apple "
Matt, change.org
"I'm not even an Android app developer, but I've always wanted to be. Now, I'm not sure that I do. Making this change will mean that all apps will funnel through Google Play, which gives Google exclusive control and a censorship chokehold on the entire Android ecosystem. I shouldn't have to explain why that would not be good. The whole thing that made Android different from iOS is that it was OPEN. Now Google's just throwing that out of the window. At this point, I might just switch to iOS because Android has lost all of its character. "
Ethan, change.org
"You're forcing us to create an alternative. We live in an age of increasingly powerful AI, we will not let you control everything. "
Anthony, change.org
"This is crazy. Stop this madness. We pay for our devices and should have the right to install whatever software we like without verification. Keeping us safe with regulation is not the answer. Stop the madness and keep android open. "
Steven, change.org
"Gghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh "
Pablo, change.org
"If Android is closed off & no longer my phone as was the promise of Android, it will be the last Android anything I will purchase.. "
Michael, change.org
"if there is no evolution there must be revolution "
Joshua, change.org
"As an open-source developer and enthusiast, Google requiring ID Verification is not only unethical, but unsafe, anti-competitor, monopolistic, and is one of the major reasons why people like me switched to using MicroG instead of GApps. "
Garry, change.org
"The biggest edge Android has had is choice, control, and openness, which is sorely lacking in competitors like with Apple's operating systems. This is the exact opposite of what consumers, developers, and contributors to AOSP want. This is a gross overstep. "
Jordan, change.org
"Ces é paia mano "
Solalalule, change.org
"I'm a new Android game developer but unfortunately what Google did is unacceptable! We need to stop this stupid idea before it becomes a reality!! "
Guilherme, change.org
"This it’s important to all and Google shouldn’t be doing this our company overlords can’t take more from us we need to stand up "
James, change.org
"I've been using Android for 10+ years instead of iOS sorely because of how open it is. I can customize a lot of my phone for convenience, looks, accessibility; I can download programs from F-Droid or games from Itch.io. Removing that or making it significantly harder is a deal breaker for me. "
Lucas A, change.org
"One of the reasons why we chose Android was its freedom of doing what you want on your device. Now we have to stop this limitation of a recognized right. "
Francesco, change.org
"More sensorship, more control, just another step into taking away the little bits of freedom we have left in this country in the things we love doing the most. I say no thank you, go away. "
Brandon, change.org
"I can't wrap my head around the idea that Google gets to decide what I can or cannot install on my own phone. "
Luís, change.org
"APKs have brought really cool Android ports to game sites like GameJolt, and and I don't want to see that go away. Also, I heard licenses for these things can get pretty darn expensive, which isn't cool. "
Deirdre, change.org
"Goolag, you are destroying Android and becoming the new Apple. Soon, there will be no escape from your lifeless, locked-down, prison-sentence operating system. Anyone who wants to use real Android, with APKs, custom ROMs, actual Material design, will be locked out. Rooting will be impossible, and Android will be gone. No more cuddly bugdroids to open the lock. No more Graphene OS. No more Lineage OS. No more TWRP. Terabytes upon terabytes of open-source projects, all rendered obsolete. Keep Android open. Because nobody will buy your half-baked, Gemini-centered trash, and live in your dystopian agentic world. Your aiPhones will sit on shelves, never purchased. Sideloading bans will not protect anyone. They will only make the Android community collapse. If you are not from Goolag, listen carefully. Get a custom ROM now, and remove everything with the word “Google” from your devices. Use Startpage instead. Install NewPipe and bypass Goolag’s ad revenue. Sabotage Goolag in every way possible. But do it legally, friends! You don’t want to be caught by the FBI for criminally pirating paid software off of sites like Aptoide! "
squooshy, change.org
"Thie is absolutely ridiculous. Nothing but censorship and control everywhere these past several months. They'll all burn for it. "
Jeffrey, change.org
"We want a free and open Android, or we'll choose a better platform. Android without free and anonymous apk's installation capabilities it's not Android anymore "
Peoplewant, change.org
"If Android copies IOS and becomes locked down garbage than why would I ever use it again? Android is supposed to be the alternative, not a cheap knockoff. Locking down the installation of apps is ridiculous. "
John, change.org
"I value Android OS as the one alternative we have to the walled garden that is the Apple and its iPhone. Android phones have always been the phones of freedom--the phones you could do anything with, the phones you could customize and tailor to your exact needs. I depend daily on open source android projects run by dedicated volunteers. I'm not a programmer by any means, but even I've written a few small custom programs to run just on my own phone, something I could never do with iOS. To have all this taken away and to make Android as much of a prison as iOS would be a massive blow to consumer freedom, consumer privacy, and, by extension, our ability to communicate freely with those whom we love. "
Daniel, change.org
"I develop apps for personal use and use fdroid for open source and privacy focused apps. This will just be another step towards tyranny and control "
Jackson, 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
"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 use a lot of free and open source software on my android phone, especially from F-Droid, often because it uses more limited permissions than the Play Store equivalent and because I prefer to customise my phone. Now this freedom is going to be rendered unuseable?! Imposing fees on developers and requiring them to become authorised developers feels authoritarian and restrictive. Leave us the ability to side load apps please! "
Tom, change.org
"The biggest reason I love Android is because it's open. I have had ENOUGH of companies trying to decide what I can and can't do with the devices I purchased. If I spent money on it, it is MINE and I should be allowed to do whatever I want with it. Enough is enough. "
Callum, change.org
"We own the devices that we buy with our money. We should have the freedom to do with them as we like. This includes the installation of apps from any developer without some rediculous google verification. "
Edwin, change.org
"As a hobbyist and tinkerer I rely on sideloaded apps to manage my smart devices, maintain privacy and access key items on other devices. Many of these services that I have set up would be unavailable if this goes forward. What's more there is no foreseeable reason why one shouldn't be able to modify, edit and change their own devices as they see fit. Every other computer works in this manner and Android has been no different. Maintaining this freedom is a must going forward and has one of the primary draws to the ecosystem. Google's choice to stop sideloading is not fooling anyone, it's a method of control and siloing. I left Apple because of this, don't think I won't leave Android too. "
Matthew, change.org
"Wasn't the whole point of android the freedom to do anything you wanted because it wasn't a locked down system? "
snot, change.org
"I use android to *avoid* closed environments and allow for more freedom in what I can do. Don't remove freedom of choice, you damn cowards! "
Douglas, change.org
"What made Android unique was that you could download and side-load apps. It's what made Android different from iOS, and it's why I preferred Android. This isn't "protecting" anyone, and Google is almost always on the side of profit over consumers. "
Tyler, change.org
"Penuit butter "
Dylan, 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
"Google is communism, non-google app markets are liberty and freedom. Are you rooting for "One Nation Under God" or "One Store Under Google" "
Jamie, change.org
"Monopolies are bad for freedom, business, and innovation. Keep Android the phone os where you have the choice to protect your data. "
Thomas, change.org
"Android is not iOS, is monopoly becoming Android to iOS "
RallenPR, change.org
"Google is about to further close down Android, which isn't good at all. If anything, it's going to hurt everyone, and furthermore, what if others start to copy them and lock down their ecosystems in a similar manner? For example, what if Microsoft starts locking down Windows app dev like Google is locking down Android app dev, and starts restricting sideloading exes? "
Joshua, change.org
"Competition is important and necessary to make anything good. We should be allowed to choose the software we wanna use. I use Linux for my computer and gaming, as well as iPadOS for my tablet, Android for my phone, and WearOS on my smart watch. I've also been watching videos and been intrigued by GrapheneOS, as it's a lot like Linux and can run the Google Play store. I've been using Android since 2017, and never even knew you could sideload apps (I thought you could only use the Google Play store). But if MacOS, Windows, and Linux let you download whatever compatible apps you want from the web, then why do phones have app stores if we don't use them on a computer? This makes no sense to me at all. If we bought a device, then we should own the device, and should be able to do whatever we want with it, whether that's destroying the device, modding the device, installing new software on the device (or even a different skin of Android, if that means prolonging the lifespan of the device), or sideloading apps. All of this is for the consumer, not the company. I love Android, and would hate to see anything bad happen to it. "
Alley, change.org
"These proposed restrictions by Google are a threat to personal digital autonomy and to app development. "
Daniel, change.org
"Openness was supposedly Android's mission to difference itself from iOS and now they're gonna take it away? I don't want a closed system, you're just making a worse version of iOS and throwing away one of the biggest selling points of your OS, keep Android open. "
Ernesto, change.org
"Hopefully this movement is successful for the custom developmental purposes and devotion from the developers themselves. "
Jerrod, change.org
"This policy shift is concerning for developers. Android has always stood out because of its openness — the freedom to build and distribute apps without excessive barriers. Requiring mandatory verification and charging fees adds friction that especially impacts independent and small developers. I understand the intention may be to reduce piracy, malware, or improve security. However, raising entry barriers risks weakening the very ecosystem that made Android strong in the first place. Innovation depends on accessibility and low compliance costs. Also, Google Play Store has been historically ineffective regarding security issues on their own marketplace. Restrictive distribution policies can also create unintended consequences. When official channels become too restrictive or expensive, users may turn to unofficial modifications like rooting or other system-level workarounds. That does not improve security — it may actually increase fragmentation and vulnerability. Even Microsoft never needed to impose this level of control on Windows to remain competitive. Decisions like this could accelerate the growth of alternative Linux-based operating systems and, over time, undermine Android’s dominance in the global market. "
João, change.org
"I do not condone google to control everything "
Leticia, change.org
"This is despicable behavior on Googles part. I own my device, therefore I get to decide what I want to install to it. Period. End of story. Some corporate suite halfway across the country shouldn't be allowed to decide what I can install on my device. We need to stand up to this kind of abuse of power. "
Devin, change.org
"I bought the whole phone, i'll use the whole phone, whatever way I want. Openness of Android is the only reason I choose android, if I wanted a "Locked Down" phone, i'll just go with Apple at that point. Make these censorship at least optional to block, LET ME DECIDE, but dont force it onto blocking of APK installs all together FOR EVERYONE, let the user decide for themselves. I don't want Google to decide what I can or cannot do with the phone I BOUGHT. If I bought a phone, with the expectation and the capacity of doing X,Y,Z with it, don't take away the Z AFTER I BOUGHT IT. I'll just refuse to update my phone if it get's pushed that way. There's more malware on the ADS you promote, rather than anywhere else, im sure. "
Bryan, change.org
"Android had one advantage over iPhone, that you owned the product that you purchased via being able to download software of which you please. Ruining this feature will not only hurt consumer rights, but will drive many people away. "
Anthony, change.org
"this will only benefit google and authoritarian governments "
Antônio, change.org
"Allow Android users to install any APK. Don't require "Identity verification" to publish Apps. "
Eric, change.org
"One of the main reasons i bought a Android device was to sideload apps, but now with this update, it seems as if I should have got an Iphone instead. ��� "
Aarav, change.org
"Android has benefited greatly from being open. It is what sperated Android from iOS. If Android is going to just be iOS, might as well just buy into the Apple ecosystem which is much more robust than Android. "
Chris, change.org
"What sets Android apart from other OS' is its open source. This move will make Android just like every other OS. There will be no point in using Android. We'll all take out business to some other OS. "
Evo, change.org
"Im hating Google for this, i hope they not do this to Android system "
Pepino, change.org
"I'm not even a dev and I don't agree with this "
John, change.org
"Android became popular because it offered freedom and customization. Reducing APK access risks moving away from those values and limiting innovation within the ecosystem. We are asking Google to protect user choice, maintain transparency, and preserve the openness that defines Android. "
Assif, 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
"I choose android for freedom of customisation. I know the risks, I'm not silly. People will jailbreak this but I want Google to understand that it's users are intelligent "
Michael, change.org
"As an open source developer, keeping Android open is what Android was all about! Let's keep it open so we can differentiate from other platforms, and keep Android what we all got to love! "
Benjamin, change.org
"Android, if you are going to be just like Apple, I think many might as well just switch to Apple devices..... Please reconsider "
Kaleonahe, change.org
"Google can't just restrict our Freedom of Choice! Android is OPEN-SOURCE!! Can't Google even get their policies correct!? Also, what about the Developers and their information!? Wouldn't that be up for grabs if hackers managed to forcibly leak that sensitive information onto the whole web!? Google needs to be smart and NOT force this policy on all of us! We all need to rise up and downright revolt against such heinous and immoral acts of these companies in order to avoid a full on Dystopian Reality that numerous books and certain alternate scenarios feared! Fight this policy that Google is forcing on everyone! "
Raymond, change.org
"https://keepandroidopen.org/ "
Shrewd, change.org
"Hey Google. You are a silent cancer. You've engulfed everything in your path for decades: true innovation, billions of unsuspecting people's data, healthy competition, and choice. You've been sued, repeatedly fined, and ordered to break up your monopoly (you haven't), yet you keep metastasizing. I could cite historical, philosophical, religious, even SciFi metaphors of what you are, but "plague" is sufficient. For the love of humanity, if in fact there's anyone left at Plague HQ who still identifies as human, keep your metastatic tentacles off the Android Developer Platform. You've done enough harm already. Signed, The last cancer-free organ you have yet to destroy "
Andromeda, change.org
"Locking Android down is an evil decision and completely goes against the original design intention. If this happens, I will no longer use ANY google products and services and publicly boycott. "
Chris, change.org
"Google, let us keep being able to install whatever we want on our own devices. Otherwise there isn't really a reason to NOT get an iPhone because your platform isn't really open anymore. Don't alienate a large portion of your tech savvy customers and developers. Eliminating the possibility for people to write and distribute their own apps would harm the Android ecosystem. You would kill the pipeline for new developers to work their way up to creating the next big thing and your marketshare would suffer as a result. "
Sam, change.org
"Google is pushing for literally the antithesis of what android alaways promised to be and actually was. This is extremely concerning, it involves and affects ALL people, not just devs. If Google don't back down and the lock down actually happens, who knows how much would it take for them to also start deciding which apps you're ALLOWED to install on YOUR phone. This is the beginning of the path to total user control. WE HAVE TO ACT NOW. "
Raymundo Iván, change.org
"It's important to know and clarify that if this significant change is made, it will not only ruin the Android ecosystem, but it will also prevent independent or support projects from providing the necessary support.Google will cause it to fall to a low point where there will be nothing but things getting worse. "
Charly, change.org
"If I wanted a phone that decided what I can and can't do I would have bought an iPhone. "
Tom, 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