Your phone is about to stop being yours.

81 days until lockdown

Starting September 2026, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.

Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out.

What Google is doing

In August 2025, Google announced a new requirement: starting September 2026, every Android app developer must register centrally with Google before their software can be installed on any device. Not just Play Store apps: all apps. This includes apps shared between friends, distributed through F-Droid, built by hobbyists for personal use. Independent developers, church and community groups, and hobbyists alike will all be frozen out of being able to develop and distribute their software.

Registration requires:

If a developer does not comply, their apps get silently blocked on every Android device worldwide.

Who this hurts

You

You bought an Android phone because Google told you it was open. You could install what you wanted, and that was the deal.

Google is now rewriting that deal, retroactively, on hardware you already own. After the update lands, you can only run software that Google has pre-approved. On your phone: your property, that you paid for.

Independent developers

A teenager's first app, a volunteer's privacy tool, or a company's confidential internal beta. It doesn't matter. After September 2026, none of these can be installed without Google's blessing.

F-Droid, home to thousands of free and open-source Android apps, has called this an "existential" threat. Cory Doctorow calls it "Darth Android".

Governments & civil society

Google has a documented track record of complying when authoritarian regimes demand app removals. With this program, the software that runs your country's institutions will exist at the pleasure of a single unaccountable foreign corporation.

The EFF calls app gatekeeping "an ever-expanding pathway to internet censorship."

Google's "escape hatch" is a trap door

Google says "power users" can "still install" unverified apps. Here's what that actually looks like:

  1. Delve into System Settings, find About Phone
  2. Tap the build number seven times to enable Developer Mode
  3. Dismiss scare screens about coercion
  4. Enter your PIN
  5. Restart the device
  6. Wait 24 hours
  7. Come back, dismiss more scare screens
  8. Pick "allow temporarily" (7 days) or "allow indefinitely"
  9. Confirm, again, that you understand "the risks"

Nine steps. A mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period. For installing software on a device you own.

Worse: this flow runs entirely through Google Play Services, not the Android OS. Google can change it, tighten it, or kill it at any time, with no OS update required and no consent needed. And as of today, it hasn't shipped in any beta, preview, or canary build. It exists only as a blog post and some mockups.

This is bigger than Android

If Google can retroactively lock down billions of devices that were sold as open platforms, every hardware manufacturer on the planet is watching.

The principle being established: the company that made your device gets to decide, after you've bought it, what software you're allowed to run. In software, this is called a "rug pull"; but at least you could always install competing software. In hardware, it is a fait accompli that strips you of your agency and renders you powerless to the whims of a single unaccountable gatekeeper and convicted monopolist.

Android's openness was never just a feature. It was the promise that distinguished it from iPhone. Millions chose Android for exactly that reason. Google is now revoking that promise unilaterally, on devices already in people's pockets, because they've decided they have enough market dominance and regulatory capture to get away with it.

Ars Technica: "Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy."

But wait, isn't this...

"...just about security?"

The security rationale is a smokescreen. Google Play Protect already scans for malware independent of developer identity. Requiring a government ID doesn't make code safer. It makes developers identifiable and controllable. Malware authors can register. Indie developers and dissidents often can't. The EFF is blunt: identity-based gatekeeping is a censorship tool, not a security one.

"...still sideloading if you use the advanced flow?"

Nine steps, 24-hour wait, buried in Developer Options, delivered through a proprietary service that Google can revoke whenever they want. That's not sideloading. That's a deterrence mechanism built to ensure almost nobody completes it. And since it runs through Play Services rather than the OS, Google can tighten or kill it silently.

"...only a problem if you have something to hide?"

Whistleblowers, journalists, and activists under authoritarian governments will be the first victims. People in domestic abuse situations are next. All these groups have legitimate reasons to distribute or use software without putting their legal identity in a Google database. Anonymous open-source contribution is a tradition older than Google itself. This policy ends it on Android.

"...the same thing Apple does?"

Apple has been a walled garden from day one. People chose Android because it was different. "Apple does it too" is a race to the bottom and a weak tu quoque argument. And under regulatory pressure (the EU's Digital Markets Act), even Apple is being forced to open up. Google is moving in the opposite direction: attempting to further entrench its gatekeeping status.

"...just $25 and some paperwork?"

Maybe, if you're a developer in the US with a credit card and a driver's license. Try being a student in sub-Saharan Africa, or a dissident in Myanmar, or a volunteer maintaining a community health app. The cost isn't only financial: you're surrendering government ID and evidence of your signing keys to a company that routinely complies with government demands to remove apps and expose developers.

Fight back

Everyone

  • Install F-Droid on every Android device you own. Alternative stores only survive if people actually use them.
  • Contact your regulators. Regulators worldwide are genuinely concerned about monopolies and the centralization of power in the tech sector, and want to hear directly from individuals who are affected and concerned.
  • Share this page. Link to keepandroidopen.org everywhere.
  • Push back on astroturfers. The "well, actually..." crowd is out in force. Don't let them set the narrative.
  • Sign the change.org petition and join the over 100,000 signatories who have made their voices heard.
  • Read and share our open letter
  • Tell Google what you think of this through their own developer verification survey (for all the good that will do).

Developers

Do not sign up. Don't join the program by signing up for the Android Developer Console and agreeing to their irrevocable Terms and Conditions. Don't verify your identity. Don't play ball.

Google's plan only works if developers comply. Don't.

Google employees

If you know something about the program's technical implementation or internal rationale, contact [email protected] from a non-work machine and a non-Gmail account. Strict confidence guaranteed.

All those opposed…

71 organizations from 23 countries have signed the open letter

Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co Brave brave.com The Guardian Project guardianproject.info /e/ Foundation e.foundation Rocky Linux rockylinux.org The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu GrapheneOS Foundation grapheneos.org XMPP Standards Foundation xmpp.org The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org Osservatorio Nessuno OdV osservatorionessuno.org GNOME Foundation gnome.org Molly molly.im The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk OpenMedia openmedia.org iodé iode.tech Techlore techlore.tech F-Droid f-droid.org ARTICLE 19 article19.org The Calyx Institute calyx.org FACiL facil.qc.ca European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org IzzyOnDroid izzyondroid.org The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de April april.org Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch Obtainium obtainium.imranr.dev Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org Open Web Advocacy open-web-advocacy.org Fedimedia fedimedia.it The OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) osmfoundation.org La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net Ghostery ghostery.com Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com Fastmail fastmail.com The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org Privacy Guides privacyguides.org CryptPad cryptpad.org FUTO futo.org FULU Foundation fulu.org MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org Italian Linux Society ils.org VideoLAN videolan.org The App Fair Project appfair.org LineageOS lineageos.org Cryptee crypt.ee The Tor Project torproject.org Nextcloud nextcloud.com Proton AG proton.me Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au KDE e.V. kde.org GitHub Store github-store.org Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw AdGuard adguard.com Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org Aurora Store auroraoss.com JMP.chat jmp.chat GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org Data Rights datarights.ngo Tuta Mail tuta.com Codeberg e.V. codeberg.org microG microg.org OW2 ow2.org FOSDEM fosdem.org Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com

Read the full open letter and thank the signatories →

What they're saying

Tech press

"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"

How-To Geek

"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"

The Verge

"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"

TechRepublic

"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"

Techdirt

"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"

Android Headlines

"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"

9to5Google

"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"

The Register

"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"

XDA Developers

"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"

Bleeping Computer

"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"

How-To Geek

"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"

TechCrunch

"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"

The Register

"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"

Internet Freedom Foundation (India)

"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"

Tom's Guide

"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"

How-To Geek

"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"

heise online

"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"

How-To Geek

"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"

Tuta Blog

"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"

Android Headlines

"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"

The New Stack

"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"

The Register

"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"

Open Source For U

"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"

How-To Geek

"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"

MakeUseOf

"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"

Android Headlines

"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."

I-Programmer

"Keep Android Open"

Linux Magazine

"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"

TechSpot

"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"

Techzine EU

"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"

Tom's Guide

"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"

Infosecurity Magazine

"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"

Cybernews

"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."

Android Police

"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"

Gizmochina

"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."

Hackaday

"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"

Benzinga

"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"

How-To Geek

"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"

Slashdot

"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"

Ars Technica

"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"

InfoWorld

"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

"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"

Ars Technica

"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"

It's FOSS News

"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"

Datamation

"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"

SlashGear

Editorials & analysis

Organizations & open letters

"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

"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 Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."

F-Droid

"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 is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."

Osservatorio Nessuno

"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

"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

"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."

AdGuard

"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."

ACLU

"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."

Tuta

"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

"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."

Nextcloud

"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."

European Pirate Party

"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."

AdGuard

"Developers who build privacy-first browsers, encrypted messaging apps, VPNs, Tor-based software or tools for journalists and activists would be required to upload government ID to Google. These developers are unlikely to trust Google and might stop developing for Android."

Brave

"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."

F-Droid

"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."

Tuta

"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

"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

"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"

Tech-ish Kenya

"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."

AdGuard

"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 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

"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."

European Parliament

"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

"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

"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."

Tuta

"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."

F-Droid Open Letter

"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."

F-Droid

"There are governments who might very much like to know the names of the developers of those applications so that they can go after them."

Electronic Frontier Foundation

"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."

Nextcloud

YouTubers & creators

"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."

fireborn – Blog

"Follow the money. Google makes money when apps are downloaded from its store. Google has completely forgotten about its earlier company motto: Don't be evil."

Tuta Blog – Blog

"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."

Tuta Blog – Blog

"Google is doing to Android what Microsoft once tried to do to the web. Embrace, extend, extinguish. Just wrapped in a shinier open-source package."

ChiefGyk3D – YouTube

"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."

ChiefGyk3D – YouTube

"Google is setting a requirement that only they can fulfill, forcing developers to go through Google and killing off thousands of apps. Countless users stranded."

Techlore – YouTube

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"Android has become what they set out to destroy."

Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube

"That's not openness. That is control."

ChiefGyk3D – YouTube

"F-Droid is basically saying that the new Google developer registration process will likely kill the open-source app store entirely."

The Linux Experiment – YouTube

"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."

Louis Rossmann – YouTube

"Google 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

"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."

fireborn – Blog

"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 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

"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

"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 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

"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

"This is an iPhone now. I didn't want to buy an iPhone. I use Android because it gives me freedom. If you are not going to give me freedom with my computer, then why would I buy your stuff anymore?"

Louis Rossmann – YouTube

Developers & community

"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."

gumby271, 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's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."

Zak, Hacker News

"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

"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."

hbn, 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

"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

"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

"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."

lynxy, Tildes

"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."

Apocryphon, 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

"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."

koala, Lobsters

"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."

BenjaminRi, Lobsters

"Anyone else thinking this looks like a precursor to banning Signal and similar? 1) Put Google in control of what you can install. 2) Get Google to block it."

harry8, Hacker News

"If the likes of Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and others have their way, you will not own your computer; those companies will effectively own your computers."

RUs1729, Slashdot

"This 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

"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."

WaffleMonster, Slashdot

"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

"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."

MrZander, Hacker News

"The fundamental problem is that we are relying on the good graces of Google to keep Android open, despite the fact that it often runs contrary to their goals as a $4T for-profit behemoth. The 'don't be evil' days are very far behind us."

paxys, Hacker News

"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."

masterofn001, Lemmy

"I hate this so much. More and more I get the feeling I have no control over the devices I own. My fear is that Windows will eventually follow. For security reasons of course. It's the path we're on now."

cheesyvoetjes, Reddit

"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."

Zak, Lemmy

"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."

tejtm, Hacker News

"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."

survirtual, Hacker News

"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."

TheTearMiser, Lemmy

"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."

vala, Lemmy

"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."

BenjaminRi, Lobsters

"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

"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."

Max-P, 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

"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

"Don't beg. Don't get in a position that freedoms depend on the whims of a corporation or willingness of a government to regulate them. Build."

jzb, Lobsters

"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."

layfellow, Hacker News

"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."

flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News

"There's an entire genre of scamming where the scammers spend months building rapport with their victims before cashing out. One day is nothing."

free_bip (on the 24-hour wait defeating scammers), Hacker News

"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."

girvo, 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 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

"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

"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."

nibbleyou (developer in India), 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

"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

"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

"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."

Tiraon, Tildes

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."

anordal, Lobsters

"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."

hn92726819, 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

"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

"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."

afferi300rina, Hacker News

"I buy a device with my own money, which I supposedly then own, but then I need to ask some corporation permission to use it."

askonomm, Hacker News

"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."

gcupc, Lobsters

"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

Voices from the petition

"The whole reason Android is popular is because it's open source. This undermines both user freedom and the open spirit that originally defined Android. Making this change under the guise of security amounts to manipulation, lying, deceiving your customers, and taking away their rights to use their device in their way. By doing this you are killing what make android great, the fact that everyone can make an app and load it on his phone. Google should not be able to say what apps we can and can’t download on a device we purchased. This change would remove the main reason I even purchase these phones, stop it google. As a developer I want to be able to use and test my own apps. Having a monopoly over the eccosystem is going to hurt developers and create move forced overreaching and breaching of constitutional rights. You are not protecting anyone from forcing them to use the googleplaystore, in fact all the spyware and malware I ever came in contact with was from Google Play itself. Calling it "sideloading" is just villianizing what a normal download is, removing basic freedoms to use my device as I so choose is a far overreaching tactic that shouldn't be even an option let alone seriously implimented. If this does happen, I won't be using andriod, And will also stop using any other google services. I can't support a company that is anti-consumer. Dealing with the amount of bloat and spyware that comes preinstalled on these phones is bad enough, pushing user to have to deal with these orwellian nightmares is completely unethical. Where did your company statement of" don't be evil" go? "

Kaleb, change.org

"I have been using Android since the HTC G1, and I've never been so disappointed with the whole thing as I am now. I recognise that Google is doing it's best to keep malware and malicious software out of its app store, but for people who are capable of installing F-Droid, NeoStore or one of the other alternative stores, this is a disaster. Many applications I use are only available here, and with this plan from Google, I'll be unable to access tools, applications and services I use on a daily basis. "

Jon, change.org

"Inaceitável "

Daniel, change.org

"if there is no evolution there must be revolution "

Joshua, change.org

"You will not remove the free choice we have enjoyed for decades, with open source android phones or we shall remove Google Android from our use altogether, and simply get different phones to use. "

C, change.org

"I've always bought Android phones because I always liked the freedom of being able to download anything without having to be limited by the phone itself, like Apple. But now that Android is going to become Android 2.0, I'll throw away my Android phone and just buy an Apple if it's going to be the same. 👎 Android is all wrong. "

Mauricio, change.org

"This is censorship at its core. Stop trying to destroy the open internet under the guise of safety. "

Dominic, change.org

"Google, allow us to actually own our devices! "

cornelius, change.org

"1 federal lawsuit wasn't enough? This only scratches the surface of the game they keep playing. Why after all that's happened, being convicted of monopoly must Google feel the need to lockdown the one shot we have at staying private on mobile? Even if they do want to collect more data it will cost them some of their userbase. The terms of the update alone are outrageous. Fees & gov't ID? Let's sue 'em again! 😂 "

Zach, change.org

"If Google "Walled gardens" Android, I will never buy a phone with their OS ever again. That's literally the only reason people buy Android, is because it is open not locked down like Apple. F.A.F.O. how much money you'll really lose Google. "

Brandon, change.org

"Android has always been free and I get that money and safety is a massive push at the moment especially with the UK ID laws and much more but there has to be another way and if not to scrap this entirely. Everyone knows that android is open and thats alot of the reason people stick to Android and leave Apple and IOS behind. Androids openess has been a key part to my tech Journey and even my brand. Myself and many others would lose neishe apps that make their lives and even businesses possible and effective. KEEP ANDROID FREE. "

Grayson, change.org

"As I'm planning on purchasing a new device soon, this announcement is making me reconsider choosing android at all. If it is moving towards controlling user freedoms, Android becomes less compelling, as that has been the major draw for me. "

Taryn, change.org

"This will cause the only mainstream alternative to be apple. even worse. fight to keep android a safe privacy alternative! if they still go through with it just use Graphene. "

Charlie, change.org

"I have an iPhone currently but hate it because I don’t have the ability to load any application I want. So when this goes into effect I will have zero reason to get another phone with android as it will just be a iPhone knockoff. "

Bill, 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

"We as a free people in the USA should never let anybody dictate what we can put into our phones or lives. If we let that happen then when is the next person going to come to take more of our rights, it's a dangerous path to take and it shouldn't happen. If you want that to happen, go to China and live there. "

Loren, change.org

"If google makes this change i will find any alternative OS and switch to that. "

Ron, change.org

"I bought my phone to do what I wanted with what I paid for. Let me do what I want on something i own. Let me suffer the consequences of my actions. Your not my parent and let me be an adult. "

kea, change.org

"The whole point of android was user choice. Remove that and you remove all incentive good luck with sales. "

Jason, change.org

"Why would anyone use an Android period outside of being able to install applications not “approved” by some walled-garden. Side loading is a dumb term "

Stephen, change.org

"I am in a restricted area (which happens to be the area cited in the petition). Presumably I don't need to explain what this means to me anymore. "

Wings, change.org

"Android is open source, period. On top of that, I'm buying the device. I own my phone, and that means I should be allowed to do whatever the hell they want with it! If I want to click on links from sketchy sites and download things that are not directly from the Google Play Store, I should be able to. Google claims this is to protect their users, but it's nothing more than censorship and crushing competition from a private, anonymous, and often better competitors making free and open source apps on platforms like F-Droid or Obtanium. It's like saying that you aren't allowed to hang a picture you bought from your friend in your own house that your bought, unless your friend pays Google $25 and gives them their ID, but you can hang as many pictures in your house as you like if you buy them directly from Google. Doesn't that sound absurd? "

Thomas, 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

"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

"Our phone, our rights. Open source is freedom. We will not comply, we will turn to alternatives. "

Foghorne, change.org

"googleme dokunma "

Adım, change.org

"The war on freedom is beginning. Let's keep fighting back. "

Rafael, change.org

"This new directive from GOOGLE is clearly an anti-consumer practice so the users would have even less control of their devices, so they can prevent people from installing better and free alternatives, all being done under the false intention of "making android more secure", as if the play store isn't riddled with malware or scams "

Olivia, change.org

"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

"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

"Android providing more freedom than any other OS has been it's drawing point for ages. The fact that that is being taken away for the sake of a corporation's whims is absolutely disgusting, and I would see no reason to continue supporting it. The fact that google believes it has absolute authority to filter content is frankly abhorrent, and it would provide no difference between android and any other OS. "

Guadalupe, change.org

"This won't stop until we put an end to monopolies! "

daniel, change.org

"Ridiculous. Android always has been open source, and by restricting access to downloading APK files, you're removing the freedom that comes with android. You say it's for safety but if that was the case, you would be removing a bunch of terrible apps on YOUR store filled to the brim with viruses and malware. We know this isn't about protection, it's about control and monopolyzing the phone industry. This decision clearly shows how little you understand your own customers, nor actually care about them "

Aiden, 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

"Google and all of the human tech industry companies are trying to squeeze the freedom and very life from all of the people globally. Enough is enough. "

Justin, change.org

"Prohibition is not the way to safety and health. Good UX is enough to allow power user to own their devices. Don't listen to excuses from big corporations that play the victims, while they treat their users like disposables, in order to maximize their profits. Android must stay open. "

Lorenzo, change.org

"I've been using Apk Apps since I was 6. 6! I'm 18 now. If you do this, your removing something that's a Part of My Life and also maybe some people too. This Is what makes Android Unique, This Is the Gift and the Power of Android! If you take It away, you're also taking away the freedom people believed this system to have, this freedom allows users to truly own their devices! And your only just taking It away like nothing, like this system hasn't existed since the launch of Android! Like Seth mentioned, Android started as an open operating system, you have simply turned It Into a reskinned Apple OS. You're better then this. The stop button Is right there, Just click It... ❤️‍🩹 "

Jonah, change.org

"Removing side-loading is anti-user. I'm all for increasing security, and having various strange steps helps with that. You could even have a 1 minute subtitled video that has to play before you can confirm for the first time on a device that you want to side-load apps. But this change shows a lack of interest in users that inspires developers to not care about the Android ecosystem. If Google intends to significantly decrease the scope of Android, that signals that the maintenance costs are too high for Google, and thus, the company intends to let it rot and eventually die, much like many other Google things "

James, change.org

"We have arrived at the point of no return surrounding our digital freedom in the face of tech's constant struggle for authoritarian control. We will simply not accept this from companies that have abused their power and control over us for decades while they claim it's to protect us, for our own good. You will NEVER regain what's been taken from you, the only option is to stop them before they succeed! "

Brandon, change.org

"Android is not iOS, is monopoly becoming Android to iOS "

RallenPR, change.org

"The Only reason I have an Android cell phone is because I can install Linux to it Take away my ability to use My cell the way I want then there is no longer any reason for me to own any cell phone This type of Dictatorship and greed for money and it power needs to stop I install LineageOS to my cell to stop the constant nag from Google to push this button pop ups. And to try to curb all the spyware I use No social apps, "I hate social spyware" My cell phone is a "Phone" Google has proven to me my dislike for all things Google was correct I will be looking online for a True Open Source Hardware / Software cell phone cost last time I checked was approx $2,000.00 USD "

chris, change.org

"Show us a reason to use Android over iOS. It is this bit of freedom that makes us choose Android. Without it, we might as well save up for Apple products, which are solid, but less choice. It is the choice that makes Android worth looking at. "

J, change.org

"I've ALWAYS been an Android user and I've always been proud of it because of his openness, his liberty and many possibilities. That's Android. I don't want to see him fall and become an IOS version 2. It would be his death. I've never been interested by Apple, getting an Iphone never crossed my mind. If Android changes, I will have to think about seriously. "

Killian, change.org

"This undermines user choice, Again. This will hurt countless small businesses and massively increase the barrier to entry for new bootstrapped developer startups. We don't need more gatekeeping. "

Thomas, change.org

"Top muito bom "

Paulo, change.org

"Bro this is the only thing keeping android over iOS don't take it "

Alejandro, change.org

"Freedom has not been free. I had to change my name to even talk here without feeling like I am spied on. Let the people be free and happiness shall come, that is all I want to add. "

Fawks, change.org

"Some people live hard lifes, APKs gave us freedom and versatility with our smartphones, that one of the greatest things that made me buy and use android "

João Gabriel, change.org

"I use apk's for work don't ban apk "

Binyomin, change.org

"We need liberty, the end of the APKs is a extremely bad decision to be honest. "

Anonymous, change.org

"Save APK files!! We need emulators to test it out. And I’ve never use android before, I feel like using it for the future. Please save them!! "

Deryl, change.org

"This will be the death of android and Google is holding the gun. My entire attraction to android was the freedom. Now that this will potentially cease to exist, I have no problem finding another source of freedom. Google thinks they're being smart, but they are only killing themselves slowly. Android users everywhere must make sure google pays dearly for the abomination they are creating. "

Kevin, 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

"Android should be free; it was supposed to be the hero of free or open-source applications. "

Alan, change.org

"If I wanted my phone to be a prisoner in a fascist dictatorship I'd have an iPhone. I've been thinking about degoogling my life, maybe now is the time to do it. "

Karl, change.org

"It's like Google looked at the Microsoft debacle (hello! Linux!) that's currently going on and said wait..hold my beer... Not as easy to change from Google Android like Windows to Linux but it can be done! Already have proton emails so the ball is rolling! If this goes thru I will definitely find alternatives. And instead of using a mix of Google Play store apps and gmail and FOSS as of now, I'll just stick to FOSS and stick with proton email as the primary and go the way of degoogled or possibly apple. Or even go with a cheap flip phone and just forget about using any apps at all! see your already helping me curb the addiction you created by these smart phones and with the physical media resurgence this could kind of go with the whole theme so to speak. Thanks for the ideas Google! I've gotten into the habit of changing and finding alternatives in the last ten plus years to everything. This would not be any different. Know your place and keep your promises Google. Or to quote a couple of your slogans. "Don't be evil" and "Do the right thing" "

Marvin, change.org

"As a developer, a main appeal of Android has been that I can write my own software for it. I've shared some of my more polished and completed apps with others, although my primary motivation has been to "scratch an itch". Although F-Droid doesn't track download or usage stats, I can tell from comments in my github issues that the majority of the users of my apps have found and installed it from F-Droid. Likewise, most of the software I've installed on my own device comes from F-droid. I like the focus F-Droid apps have on privacy and find the quality to be much higher on average than on the Google play store. I strongly recommend that F-droid, other 3rd party stores, and the ability to install an .apk file from any other source is retained. Users deserve the freedom to use their device as they see fit, and should be respected enough to decide that for themselves. Google has already shown itself to be a poor gatekeeper when it comes to deciding what is allowed in the Play Store. High quality and immensely useful apps have been removed for being incompatible with increasingly restrictive policies (such as Termux), while low quality clones of existing apps, ad spam, scams, and outright malware, continues to be allowed. I will not use, recommend, nor develop for an ecosystem where Google has the only say in what I'm allowed to do with it. "

Matthew, change.org

"Google detente. "

Angel Gabriel, change.org

"The freedom on Android is the best and that is exactly why we choose android. Please do not close off our experience on this platform. "

yer, change.org

"This is clearly a descision taken by Sundar Pichai for the financial profit of Google, it has literally nothing to do with security or safety of the users like Google claims, if it were so, there were many other ways to do this. I think people like me will just switch to iPhone at this point, as Google has decided to just kill Android's only major advantage. Such a shame. Android used to be a symbol of freedom and openness. "

Aurelian, change.org

"We want to use the devices we bought with our very own money, however we want without corporations force feeding us whatever they want like Google "

Magnolia, change.org

"Does google not understand that the reaso ehy I refused to use iphones is that I cannot use my prefered apps on it. If google loses that, google loses me as well. "

bruno, change.org

"Side loading is one of the biggest reasons I used an Android device. I’ll be using an IPhone for the foreseeable future. "

Joey, change.org

"It is very important that Android remain an open platform. I bought into Android for customization, freedom to mess with things about the operating system, and generally to not have an iPhone. Instead, this lock-down is threatening all of that. Do not proceed with the lock-down, Google. "

Ezra, change.org

"hell yea stop google "

Lewis, change.org

"WHAT GOOGLE IS DOING WITH ANDROID IS A BIG SCAM AND WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN. LET'S ADVANCE THIS PETITION MORE AND MORE UNTIL THEY GIVE UP ON THIS IDEA. SHARE THIS PETITION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND DONATE MONEY SO THAT MORE AND MORE ANDROID USERS SPEAK UP ABOUT THIS CASE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING!!!!! "

Matheus, change.org

"We have the right to have a place to escape the clutches of big corporations. "

Miguel, 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

"While, I'm not an average user of an Android device, I completely understand the need for programs to be open source and to have the freedom to do whatever you would like with the device that's been bought by you. So to see Google attempt to censor a beloved part of Android for many users? I find myself quite outraged! It's not exactly protection if everyone's data is at risk of being leaked next week, and it would be all thanks to these planned restrictions! "

Marielle, change.org

"The main reason I've used Android over the years was the freedom to use it how I want including installing apps that are not on the app store. If this change goes through, I will start exploring options to move away from Android. "

Daniel, change.org

"I rely on open source software on all my devices, including my phone. F#ck google and their authoritarian-friendly, privacy destroying policies. I'm scared of the future of software. I don't wanna have to give my government ID just to use a f#cking "

Tyler, change.org

"Don't tread on us Google! "

Trevor, change.org

"I use Android because I believe in its policy on freedom of software. If Google is able to take that away, it puts immense power in the hands of 2 giant companies (Apple and Google) as the sole arbiters of what software billions of people are and aren't allowed to use. That scares me, and it should scare you too. "

Nate, change.org

"The whole reason I have used Android over iOS is because of the increased freedom to control the device I OWN. My phone is mine and I should be able to use it as I see fit. Companies like Google need to be forced to stop this anti comsumer behavior. "

Mark, change.org

"As a regular user and a small developer, I find this measure deeply concerning. When I choose to buy an Android phone, it is with the expectation of having control over how I use it, not to face restrictions or censorship. Tools like Knox and Play Integrity are already frustrating enough, and now it seems that even downloading applications from F-Droid or other nice Stores should be checked ?! This undermines both user freedom and the open spirit that originally defined Android. We have ( well we have to take it back) the right to create, modify, and use apps—and to communicate online—without being forced to give up anonymity. It is up to users to educate themselves about potential risks, not for GAFAM to decide on our behalf. "

naknak, change.org

"Now we cant even test our own projects on android without licking the boots of microslop "

William, change.org

"Removing the only reason to use Android... "

John, change.org

"I chose Android over Apple because of its openness and flexibility. I want to be the one who controls my device, not some central decision making body. "

Liana, change.org

"Interesting how F-droid has been successfully been managing their own repo for years while simultaneously maintaining user and developer privacy, yet Google suddenly decides user safety is such an important thing that they have to sacrifice developer privacy on Android and conveniently have what apps users are allowed to install regulated by them and only them. If this was something they were doing on their store it would be disruptive, but developers who don't want to fork over pictures of their government ID, and 25 dollars apparently, could distribute their apps elsewhere. The privacy implications of forcing every developer, regardless of the distribution platform they use, to validate their government ID through a centralized source is far beyond the pale of Google's responsibilities and a major violation of privacy. The fact that they're even able to make a move like this should be treated as a travesty. It's not pro consumer either. As it stands today, users may choose to install apps from other appstores, including ones focused on open source software and privacy. Should Google's policy go into effect, they get to determine what apps we're allowed to install on the phones we bought and paid for. This alongside the sweeping age verification we've been seeing everywhere feels less focused on actual safety as opposed to surveillance. If I wanted a walled garden, I'd have gotten an apple phone. If this crap keeps up, I'm gonna have to search for a Linux phone whether they're ready for mass adoption or not. "

Pyre, change.org

"Authoritarians, I know you want the whole pie, but if you aspire for it we will make sure you lose the majority you already hold. "

Josh, change.org

"As a consumer, i have The right to install applications freely without pressure or retaliation,since ona has The right to choose the applications one needs or uses. Furthermore,Android was designed for free use without restriction and with open source code for allá programmer,developers,and users of The device.This restriction would be illogical and would destroy The esence of Android.I oppose the removal of F-Droid and other third party applications. CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT BE FORCED INTO CHANGES THEY NEITHER WANT NOT SUPOORT;BESIDES BEING PROHIBITED,IT IS ILLEGAL TO DECIDE FOR THE USER.ANDROID IS FANTASTIC BECAUSE EVERY USER CAN PERONALIZE THEIR DEVICE.SOMEONE MIGHT HAVE A SPECIFIC BRAND IN MIND,BUT THEIR DEVICE WILL REFLECT THAT PERSONALIZATION,UNLIKE ¡OS, NO TO BLOCKING THIRD PARTY APPS "

Juan Manuel, change.org

"Yeah let's remove the one thing keeping people on Android 🤨 "

Bobby, change.org

"Our phones, our choice!!! "

Robert, change.org

"Google is long overdue to be broken up like AT&T was and this blatantly anti consumer decision to lock down Android proves this. "

Kris, change.org

"I'm repulsed by enshittification and the tightening grip of corporate oligarchs who bring nothing of worth to the table and therefore can only increase shareholder value by continuing to worsen their products "

Nicholas, change.org

"dear android, you are doing what you did to unlimited photo storage and making it limited. i have been eyeing the linux cell phone ecosystem for awhile and hope that is my option if you decide to limit and cripple the ecosystem you helped build. i have been degoogling my services like photos, drive, gmail, and calendar. if you change for the worse, i will change for the better "

michael, 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

"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

"I think that there should be access to install whatever you want on YOUR device, and use it how you want to. "

Jamison, change.org

"A company like Google should not be allowed should not be allowed to do something like this. As a regular user I find what they are trying to do deeply concerning. When I choose to buy an Android phone, it's with the expectation of having control over how I use it, not to face restrictions or censorship, this is not even going over the massive privacy risks and data theft, this is an open source operating system and freedom should be key, I do not like how all of these companies and governments are trying to push age verification for everything, and I would hope for the decency of being given privacy "

Ronnie, change.org

"Keep Android Open "

Timothy, change.org

"Keep Android Open. We are not letting you form a monopoly, Google. It's OUR devices. If you continue with this, you'll remove one of the only reasons most people are not with Apple: freedom. So think about it. "

Bruno Leonel, change.org

"Free open Android is the reason we use it. Spread the word people. "

Gregory, change.org

"As an android guru who runs a blog on getting the best out of android who often recommends and personally use many side loaded apps since a lot of the best apps are on places like f droid and sinilar places but not on google. Ultimately its sad to see android and apple be these walled gardens "

L, change.org

"the whole point of android is it's not apple, atp I'll just put linux on my phone "

a, change.org

"Hello, I have been using Android my whole life and I had always disliked IOS due to its highly locked down operating system and hearing that android (Google) wants to lock down android from 3rd party creators really hurts because not everyone can afford to publish an app onto the Google play store. also due to the fact android is the biggest OS worldwide many devices such as "Meta Quest" use android and they're store for applications would get shut down and cause many problems if they (Google) goes through with this plan. Especially as somebody who is soon to make and upload applications for Android this can be very limiting. Keep Android Open. Don't turn it into IOS. "

sqidwerd, change.org

"HOW NEXT GENS GONNA INSTALL MINECRAFT?! "

Kyouko, 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

"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

"As someone who regularly uses apk files on my phone to help fight loneliness and to prevent myself from taking my own life, DO NOT TAKE AWAY OUR FILES!! "

Eric, change.org

All references, editorials, press coverage, and videos →

Take Action Full resource list, regulator contacts, links for every country, and how to fight back Open Letter Read the open letter signed by organizations opposing developer verification

You bought your phone.
You should decide what runs on it.

That shouldn't require a 9-step process, a 24-hour wait, and Google's ongoing permission.

Share this page. Don't sign up. Don't let them close Android.