Ваш телефон скоро перестане бути вашим
Починаючи з вересня 2026, тихе оновлення, без згоди запущене Google, заблокує всі Android додатки чиї розробники не зареєструвалися в Google, і не підписали з ними контракт, і не сплатили їм за його...
Кожен додаток і кожен пристрій у світі, без можливості відмовитись
↓Що Google робить
В серпні 2025, Google оголосив нові вимоги: починаючи із вересня 2026, кожен розробник Android додатків має зареєструватись в централізованій системі Google, перед тим як їхнє програмне забезпечення зможе бути встановленим на будь-який пристрій. Не лише для Play Store додатків: для всіх додатків. Це включає додатки поширювані між друзями, розповсюджувані через F-Droid, створені ентузіастами для власного використання. Незалежні розробники, церковні і громадські організації, ентузіасти будуть позбавлені можливості розробляти і розповсюджувати свої програми.
Регістрація передбачає:
- Сплачення комісії Google
- Погодження із Умовами використання Google
- Надання державного посвідчення особи
- Забезпечення доказів про наявність у вас вашого приватного ключа підпису
- Перелік усіх поточних і майбутніх індентифікаторів додатків
Якщо розробник не буде дотримуватись цих вимог, його додатки будуть тихо заблоковані на кожному Android пристрої в світі
Кого це стосується
Вас
Ви придбали телефон на Android, бо Google запевняв, що ця платформа є відкритою. Ви могли встановлювати все, що забажаєте - ось у чому полягала суть.
Зараз Google переглядає умови цієї угоди, поширюючи їх на пристрої, яке ви вже маєте. Після оновлення ви зможете використовувати лише ті додатки, яке попередньо схвалила Google. На вашому телефоні - вашій власності, за яку ви заплатили.
Незалежні розробників
Перший додаток підлітка, інструмент для захисту приватності, створений волонтером, чи конфіденційна внутрішня бета-версія додатку компанії. Не має значення. Після вересня 2026 року жоден із них не можна буде встановити без дозволу Google.
F-Droid, доміка для тисячі вільних та відкритих додатків для Android, назвала це загрозою існування. Корі Докторов називає її "Дарт-Android".
Урядів та громадських організацій
Компанія Google має документально підтверджену практику виконання вимог авторитарних режимів щодо видалення додатків. У рамках цієї програми, програмне забезпечення, на якому працюють державні установи вашої країни, буде залежати від примх однієї-єдиної іноземної корпорації, яка не несе жодної відповідальності.
EFF називає контроль доступу до додатків «шляхом, що постійно розширюється до цензури в Інтернеті».
«Шлях до порятунку» від Google виявився пасткою
Google заявляє, що «досвідчені користувачі» можуть «як і раніше» встановлювати неперевірені програми. Ось як це насправді виглядає:
- Зайдіть у налаштування системи та знайдіть розділ «Параметри розробника»
- Натисніть на номер збірки сім разів, щоб увімкнути режим розробника
- Закрийте попереджувальні екрани про змушення
- Введіть свій PIN-код
- Перезапустіть пристрій
- Зачекайте 24 години
- Поверніться, закрийте інші попереджувальні екрани
- Виберіть «дозволити тимчасово» (7 днів) або «дозволити безстроково»
- Ще раз підтвердьте, що ви розумієте «ризики»
Дев'ять кроків. Обов'язковий 24-годинний період очікування. Для встановлення додатків на пристрій, який належить вам.
Гірше того: цей алгоритм повністю працює через Сервіси Google Play, а не через ОС Android. Google може його змінити, посилити або взагалі вимкнути в будь-який момент, без необхідності оновлення ОС та без будь-якої згоди. І на сьогоднішній день він не був реалізований у жодній бета-, попередній або тестовій версії. Він існує лише у вигляді публікації в блозі та кількох макетів.
Це більше, ніж просто Android
Якщо Google вдасться просто взяти і заблокувати мільярди пристроїв, які обіцяли бути відкритими, - це стане сигналом для кожного виробника обладнання у світі.
Встановлюється принцип: компанія-виробник вашого пристрою одноосібно вирішує вже після покупки, яке програмне забезпечення вам дозволено запускати. У індустрії це називають «вибиванням ґрунту з-під ніг» (rug pull); але там ви принаймні завжди могли встановити програмне забезпечення від конкурентів. У випадку з «залізом» - це fait accompli (доконаний факт), який позбавляє вас суб'єктності та робить безсилими перед примхами єдиного непідзвітного контролера доступу та визнаного монополіста.
Відкритість Android ніколи не була просто однією з функцій. Це була обіцянка, яка відрізняла його від iPhone. Саме з цієї причини мільйони людей обрали Android. Зараз Google в односторонньому порядку порушує цю обіцянку щодо пристроїв, які вже знаходяться у кишенях користувачів, оскільки компанія вирішила, що її домінування на ринку та вплив на регуляторні органи достатні, щоб уникнути відповідальності.
Ars Technica: «Заздрість Google до Apple загрожує зруйнувати традиції відкритості Android.»
Зачекайте, але це не...
«...просто про безпеку?»
Аргументи щодо безпеки - це лише прикриття. Google Play Protect і так перевіряє програми на наявність шкідливого ПЗ незалежно від особи розробника. Вимога надати паспорт не робить код безпечнішим. Це робить розробників ідентифікованими та контрольованими. Автори шкідливих додатків можуть зареєструватися. Незалежні розробники та незгодні часто не можуть. EFF висловлюється прямо: контроль на основі ідентифікації є інструментом цензури, а не безпеки.
«...все те ж встановлення зі сторонніх джерел, якщо йти складнішим шляхом?»
Дев'ять кроків, 24-годинне очікування, все це заховано глибоко в налаштуваннях для розробників і надається через пропрієтарний сервіс, який Google може відкликати будь-коли. Це не сайдлоадинг. Це механізм стримування, створений для того, щоб його майже ніхто не пройшов до кінця. А оскільки він працює через Сервіси Google Play, а не через сам Android, Google може посилити обмеження або просто «вбити» його без жодного шуму.
«...проблема лише для тих, кому є що приховувати?»
Першими жертвами стануть викривачі корупції, журналісти та активісти в країнах з авторитарними режимами. Наступними - люди, що опинилися в ситуаціях домашнього насильства. Усі ці групи мають законні підстави поширювати або використовувати додатки, не вносячи свої особисті дані до бази Google. Традиція анонімного внеску у відкритий код старіша за саму компанію Google. Ця політика ставить на ній хрест в екосистемі Android.
«...те саме, що робить Apple?»
Apple була «огородженим садом» з першого дня. Люди обирали Android саме за те, що він був іншим. Аргумент «Apple робить так само» - це шлях у нікуди та слабке виправдання за принципом tu quoque (сам такий). Більше того, під тиском регуляторів (зокрема Закону ЄС про цифрові ринки) навіть Apple змушена погоджуватися. Google же рухається у зворотному напрямку: намагається ще сильніше закріпити свій статус контролера доступу.
«...всього лише 25 доларів і трохи паперової тяганини?»
Можливо, якщо ви розробник у США з кредитною карткою та водійським посвідченням. Але спробуйте бути студентом у країнах Африки на південь від Сахари, дисидентом у М'янмі або волонтером, який підтримує додаток для місцевої громади. Ціна тут не лише фінансова: ви передаєте копію свого державного посвідчення особи та дані про ключі підпису компанії, яка регулярно виконує вимоги урядів щодо видалення додатків та деанонімізації розробників.
Дайте відсіч!
Усі люди
- Встановіть F-Droid на ваш кожен пристрій з Android. Альтернативні магазини додатків виживають лише тоді, коли люди ними користуються.
- Зверніться до своїх регуляторних органів. Регуляторні органи по всьому світу щиро стурбовані проблемою монополій та централізації влади у технологічному секторі і хочуть почути думку безпосередньо від тих, кого це стосується і хто переймається цією проблемою.
- Поділіться цією сторінкою. Поширюйте посилання на keepandroidopen.org усюди.
- Не піддавайтеся на провокації підставних агітаторів. Армія «ну-взагалі-то-експертів» уже тут як тут. Не дозволяйте їм диктувати тон дискусії.
- Підпишіть петицію на change.org і приєднайтеся до понад 100 000 людей, які вже висловили свою думку.
- Прочитайте та поширюйте наш маніфест
- Поділіться з Google своєю думкою, заповнивши їхню анкету для перевірки розробників (спробувати варто!).
Розробники
Не реєструйтеся. Не приєднуйтесь до програми, реєструючись у Консолі розробника Android (Android Developer Console) та погоджуючись з їхніми незворотніми Умовами використання. Не підтверджуйте свою особу. Не грайте за їхніми правилами.
План Google спрацює лише за умови, якщо розробники його дотримуватимуться. Не робіть цього.
- Переконайте інших розробників та організації не реєструватися.
- Додайте бібліотеку FreeDroidWarn до ваших додатків, щоб повідомити користувачів.
- У вас є сайт? Додайте банер із відліком.
Співробітники Google
Якщо вам відомо щось про технічну реалізацію програми або її внутрішню логіку, зверніться до [email protected] з не робочого комп'ютера та з не-Gmail-адреси. Гарантуємо сувору конфіденційність.
Усі, хто проти…
71 організацій із 23 країн підписали маніфест
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
Brave brave.com
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
Cryptee crypt.ee
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
CryptPad cryptpad.org
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
Proton AG proton.me
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
FACiL facil.qc.ca
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
F-Droid f-droid.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Techlore techlore.tech
OpenMedia openmedia.org
April april.org
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
iodé iode.tech
GitHub Store github-store.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
FUTO futo.org
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org Прочитати маніфест повністю та подякувати тим, хто його підписав →
Що кажуть інші
Технологічна преса
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"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's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"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
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"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 Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
Редакційні матеріали та аналізи
"Once there is no such thing as 'sideloading', there's virtually no difference between iOS and Android. I see no reason to buy Android over iOS at this point."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"This policy represents a dramatic departure from Android's decades-old tradition of openness, in which developers could build and share apps freely without first submitting to a centralized authority."
Biometric Update
"Google 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 wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Developers from sanctioned countries or those without Google Play access cannot verify themselves. This creates systemic discrimination against developers based on birthplace rather than conduct."
agnostic-apollo (Termux developer), GitHub
"Android 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
"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
"Innovation may be the biggest casualty in all of this. This new rule erodes your right to make informed decisions about your own devices."
MakeUseOf
"Google's story that this move is motivated by security is obviously bullshit. The idea that Google can improve Android's safety by certifying developers, rather than code, is obvious bullshit."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Android is 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
"The $25 isn't the real cost. The chilling effect is. Submitting government ID to Google is a non-starter for pseudonymous contributors and privacy researchers."
Arafat Alim, DEV Community
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"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
"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
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"Google has announced what can only be described as a death blow to the open ecosystem that made Android. Under the guise of 'security,' Google is implementing draconian developer verification requirements."
AndroidSage
"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
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"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
"Destroying F-Droid isn't some 'oops.' It's the mission. It's Google finally cutting the last remaining escape route and locking every single user inside their store."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google's attempts to make Android 'more secure' are, in fact, increasing the risk for Android users. The more friction you introduce in the name of security, the more likely users will attempt to bypass security completely."
Ken Buckler, Enterprise Management Associates
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
Організації та маніфести
"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
"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
"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
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"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 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
"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
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Google's abusive approach to the Android operating system has only gotten worse in recent years. Software freedom is sorely lacking in the 'computers in our pockets' we call cell phones."
Free Software Foundation
"A policy that forces every Android developer to hand their identity to Google, regardless of whether they use Google's services, makes Android a less-open and less-private platform."
Brave
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"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'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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
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
"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
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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
"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
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"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
Ютубери та творці контенту
"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
"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google is 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 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
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."
Techlore – YouTube
"This means you can't sideload an app from an unofficial source. But it could also be used to lock the ecosystem so we're forced to install only Google apps on approved Google OS versions."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"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
"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
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"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
"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
"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
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"I have really no more strong reason to not recommend you all get iPhones, because this just is pretty much an iPhone with a Google logo on it at this point."
Techlore – YouTube
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – 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
"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
"Google keeps getting in as much trouble as Apple when Google is half evil and Apple is full evil. So there are probably people inside Google saying, 'Why not just go full evil?'"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"Google 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
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
Розробники та спільнота
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"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
"This is a war on users that want to keep control of their phones and when it's done, you will not be able to escape the enshittification."
ikidd, Lemmy
"Google 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
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, 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
"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
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, 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 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"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's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"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
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"I buy a device with my own money, which I supposedly then own, but then I need to ask some corporation permission to use it."
askonomm, Hacker News
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, 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
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, 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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"If I go down this path, I will stop all development on Android. I implore all other developers to resist this. This will completely lock down the platform forever, there will be no going back."
BatteryMountain, Hacker News
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"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
"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
Думки авторів петиції
"I purchased an Android device just recently and had to send it back because I disliked how central to the user experience Google made itself on the new device. I could never see myself buying another Android if it gets worse than this, and Googles limits on APK file usage is definitely worse. "
Donna Grace, change.org
"Android needs to remain about choice not a locked down OS like Apple, that's the reason I and so many others choose android "
Sean, change.org
"I do not need hpw to be told how to use my phone. If android goes through this Im downgrading to flip phones and will never use androids again. Ive never used Apple for this reason. Let me decide whats good or ill for myself, I am a grown autonomous human being and do not need to be kept "safe" by a large corporation, safe from what Im not even sure? Sounds like control not safety. "
Jake, change.org
"The spirit of open source is one of the basis of the Internet.Please do not reverse the course of history. "
Roberto, change.org
"I am tired of massive corporations limiting us. I love using android because it is a modified linux kernal and I love using linux. I want android to stay open, android has not right to call itself linux if it will not stay open. "
Charlotte, change.org
"Open source is people power "
Nathan, change.org
"Screw that! "
Thierry, change.org
"In the past, Google claimed to be "good" with its "don't be evil" slogan. That time has passed. Now we need to fight against these clearly evil policies. Join this cause! "
Cristiano, change.org
"Do not allow this tyranny! Refuse this overeach and help promote free software and your right to be able use your device the way YOU see fit. "
Nichita, change.org
"I've been an user of Android based phones for a very long time. I am fully against the idea of this move Google is trying, as it is just another notch in the attempted censorship and surveillance of the internet as a whole. If this move is allowed to go through, I will find workarounds or work towards getting a third party phone deal where I don't have to deal with this. These big tech companies should not have the authority to force us to bend to them. We have the power to make them back down. Let our voice be heard. Boycott these companies and make them lose money. The moment their financial gains are threatened, they will surrender. "
Brandon, change.org
"Unacceptable. This goes completely against the Spirit of the Android OS. Sideloading is a big reason Android is what is it today. Apps that were sideloaded became essential and were later integrated into the Android OS. Anyone smart enough to sideload is smart enough to educate themselves and be aware of any risks involved. I help people who's phones were hijacked by almost malware-like Launchers. Google still hasn't banned those Launchers from Google Play but somehow sideloaded apps are bad? Spare me the big brother crap. This is crackdown on Revanced and similar apps. This is also in coordination with government to crackdown on "undesirable" apps such as those that bypass censorship. "
Pavel, change.org
"I use apk's for work don't ban apk "
Binyomin, change.org
"Im sick of these souless corps squeezing every cent from us they can! "
Marcus, change.org
"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
"The main reason I ditched ios was that I felt the restrictions of what kinds of apps apple felt benevolent to allow me to download was choking my experience. I'm very disappointed to see that android is just going to evolve into a cheap offbrand iPhone. ( °︵°) "
Gino, change.org
"Keep android open source, resist surveillance and ID verification. Consider switching to Grapheneos "
Andrew, change.org
"This is unreal, time to change to non android, play store devices.... "
Robert, change.org
"Google, which has long positioned itself as a defender of freedom on the internet, now seems to be taking worrying steps by trying to limit the installation of apps outside of the Google Play Store. This move not only restricts users' freedom of choice, but also centralizes even more power in the hands of a single corporation, creating a closed and controlled environment. By forcing developers to comply with its rules and fees, Google eliminates the possibility of cheaper or even free alternatives, making the Android ecosystem more restricted and expensive. Moreover, this decision goes against the very essence of Android, which has always been based on freedom of customization and access. It's a setback for users who seek greater control over their devices and privacy. Limiting app installations outside the Play Store is not just a matter of convenience, but a matter of respecting user autonomy. "
Júnior, change.org
"Android is betraying it's one purpose, the "don't be evil" "
M, change.org
"The whole reason i chose android over apple so many years ago was for the freedom choice in how and what my phone does and doesnt do. Now google is attempting to take that away that freedom. Im honestly so frustrated with googles invasive practices that i've deleted all my google accounts, and moved on to better, more privacy focused alternatives. Sadly google wants to kill that off. "
cae, change.org
"As a power user, Android is my go-to option for mobile OS. Even if they retain a method for users like me to install unverified apps, these projects will suffer from the non techy users being blocked from using these apps. "
Brendan, change.org
"This may look like a security improvement, safety measure or other goods ideas, but the truth is far from them! This is against our digital rights! It disrespects privacy of developers! It may cause good developers to cease existence in Android! Look for alternative Android OSes, or root your device!! "
Avique, 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
"Freedom to download and install whatever you want is one of the main reasons people choose AndroidOS over apple products. With how Apple has made steps towards more sustainable hardware, it is getting less and less justifiable to continue using google products. "
Antonio, change.org
"The only reason I prefer Android over iOS is the freedom of sideloading apps. If you remove this feature, lots of users (including me) will no longer have a reason to use Android instead of iOS. Also, isn't Google Play Protect enough to protect users from malware? Besides, sideloading is disabled by default unless you manually enable it in settings. You can add warnings and scan APKs, but please don't block them entirely. "
IPVG, change.org
"I am not a dev, I am a Linux user who loves the openness of android. If Android becomes locked down, and the play store is the only option, my sovereignty and freedom is gone. GOOGLE, PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE YOUR CURRENT COURSE. "
Gabriel, change.org
"Locking down android will create incredible friction to open source and 3rd party application stores. Imagine if you could only install PC programs from Microsoft Store. "
Andres, change.org
"I stayed away from smart phones in the early days because they were locked down. It was only after I saw that Android was an open platform that I was willing to even try one. If Google locks down Android, then I will either switch to a basic feature phone, with no data (suits me fine, mobile data is ridiculously expensive), or I will hack together a Linux phone. What's the point in having Android if it just turns in to a.aecond-rate iOS? "
William, change.org
"Sideloading is not a term. It is called installing. Do not take our choices away. Isn't America proud of their freedom, so don't take ours freedom away. Our device, our decisions "
Quoc Huy, change.org
"Google does not deserve more money than they have right now, this is greedy. "
Parker, change.org
"Unnaceptable betrayal of platform standards "
Lukas, change.org
"Stop trying to censor & limit everyone! You can't just monoplize everything! "
Caulen, change.org
"I prefer Andriod because of the freedom to install applications from web and altrenative stores other than Play Store. I've lots of apps that I use on daily basis which were downloaded from F-driod and web. Side loading applications is what makes Andriod better than iOS. Don't take away feature that which makes Andriod Cool and Amazing. "
Zupher, change.org
"Freedom and anonymity in app development are extremely important. This petition and comment is a declaration that we will not bow to great power and will continue to protect our rights. I hope Google doesn't end up like Apple. "
伊藤, change.org
"I strongly oppose this change. Google should HIGHLY reconsider this idea. It's SPECIFICALLY this freedom that makes me go with android to begin with. This freedom of choice is what separates them from Apple. If this change goes into effect you will see many users either switch to Apple, or find any possible alternatives that support these options. "
Zachary, change.org
"Every time you centralise something, you are adding a point of failure that used to not exist. And you can not trust those who care only for money to care for anything else. "
Andrew, change.org
"Android being open source and accessible to everyone to install and modify as they choose is the most import thing. It's why android has the market share that it does, without developers being able to build for the platform as they wish android will wither and inovation will be stiffled. "
Guy, change.org
"Stop trying to lock down Android, you bozos! "
Rares, change.org
"Android gives us a choice. That is so so important to us in this day and age. Please let us continue to do so. "
Jenna, change.org
"We installed Android and became developers in good faith, that it was open and not locked/controlled and would stay that way. Google's motto USED to be "don't be evil" and yet they now do exactly that. People that force behaviour onto others are never the good guys. "
Shane, 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
"One of the reasons that I had chosen android over IOS is its open ecosystem, and the ability to side-load my own apps outside of traditional sources to meet my needs, but by locking this down, not only does this destroy the open-source movement, but it also stalls and even halts development all-together, which means that you will no longer be able to gain the advantage of "community" improving upon the various aspects of the android operating system. "
gabi, 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
"One of the main reasons I use Android is the ability to sideload applications—downloading APKs from trusted third-party developers. Now Google wants to limit that? Please don’t leave Android alone and don't take away the freedom it was built on. "
Suyaib, change.org
"I shouldn't have to build my own services and self host everything if I want freedom and privacy but it's getting to that point. "
Colt, change.org
"Because we have no more free OS like android, so keep android open is very important, imo "
DeVaughn, change.org
"I have the right to download apps made from developers I trust. You do not make that decision for me. Hands off! "
Danielle, 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
"Google’s recent changes that block or restrict APK distribution risk cutting off access for millions of users and harming independent developers who rely on alternative distribution channels. For many communities, sideloading and APK backups are essential for app availability, testing, and preserving older versions that still work for people and devices. We ask Google to reconsider any policy or technical change that would outright prevent APK sharing, and to work with developers and users to find safer, less disruptive solutions that protect security and choice!!!!!! "
Kabyt, change.org
"I've been using APKs for years; games, apps, software. So many people might quit from this, and that can't be allowed. "
Bruce, change.org
"Computers and modern technology was built and advanced by hobbyists who could freely develop for and modify their devices. By limiting APKs and off store software installs we are killing the innovation that built this industry. I stand with FOSS, I stand with hobbyists. "
Paul, 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
"This is another blasphemous attempt from Google to assert itself as a complete monopoly and their reasoning to protect users is just a mask for generating massive revenue. Being "open" coupled with the "freedom of choice" are the underlying factors for why Android dominates the market share. Crushing both these fundamental reasons to be a dictator is pure insanity. Developers shouldn't comply and users should stop buying Google infected Android devices. Thankfully, there's other options so no need to convert to iPhone. "
James, change.org
"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
"We will seek another way. Having only google apps would be like an iphone and why then would i keep android? will be jumping on the iphone train!! and using other phones and resources that get around the ban. privacy and diversity are important and there will always be some of us who pursue it. Apps like F-droid have been very cool and usefull. being told you can't use other non-google place store apps will cause the loss of many android phone users. "
sasha, change.org
"Google, as a US based company, is trying to seize control over who can and who cannot create applications for Android. If you purchase a phone, you should be able to use it however you see fit. But now, if you want to develop a simple app for your daily use or for a small project that doesn't strictly align with Google or the US government's agenda, you could be denied the right to install it and even persecuted or doxxed. "
Ivan, change.org
"This change would essentially make android comparable to iOS in the sense of the restricted amount of freedom we have over the operating system and how we want the operating system to function. This will also result in a constant battle between new "crackers" trying to find ways to spoof the signature system and Google patching the spoofs to keep the system restricted. This is not for security, this is corporate control over a dominating service they can milk for profit and add to their greed "
Simon, change.org
"We have the right to choose what apps we want to use or not to use leave it alone "
DENNIS, change.org
"I completely disagree because it is a form of Android dictatorship taking away the freedom to download apks like MT manager Play Story already gives an error when downloading and installing it, so please share this so that Google stops it. "
Ezer, change.org
"Being able to install "unverified" apps from third party app repositories has allowed me to discover ad-free software that fits my needs perfectly that aren't available on the Google Play store. Removing support for "unverified" apps would destroy all ability for me to use the phone I purchased how I see fit. "
Nella, change.org
"I switched to Android for freedom, not being locked down like Apple!!! There's no point in using Android anymore if they start making it exactly like iOS. Please don't limit the usage of APKs google! "
Nathaniel, change.org
"Screw Google... That's all. "
Michael, change.org
"Open Android was a promise to devs and users. Now Google tries to turn Android into a closed shop. That is disapointing. "
Marc, change.org
"I am Japanese and using translation. I am deeply disappointed about this matter. There is no need to restrict the great features of Android. If only a limited number of people can develop, it will only lead to the decline of content. Please stop making things worse. "
成田, change.org
"Android phones letting me control my apps in my way is why I love and stick with Android. I can't support upstart developers without our current APK framework. A future without one of the lead reasons I own an Android phone, is a future where I just stop owning a phone. "
Kyle, 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
"Protect Android FREEDOM... I’ve used Android for years because it stood for freedom and choice. But lately Google has been making it harder to install APK files apps that come from outside the Play Store. That freedom to choose what I put on my own phone is what made Android different, and it’s slowly disappearing. I’m not a developer or hacker just someone who believes that the device I bought should truly belong to me. I should be able to install safe apps from any source without being blocked or discouraged. This isn’t about breaking rules it’s about keeping control over our own technology. If Google keeps tightening these restrictions Android will lose the openness that made it great. I care because user freedom matters and I don’t want to see it taken away bit by bit. "
Boris, change.org
"Android has always been about freedom and customization. Let's keep it that way "
Jacob, change.org
"I should be able to use any app I want on my phone "
Alejandro, change.org
"I've been on android for as long as I can remember. The freedom to develop and most importantly do what I want with my own device is wonderful. To have that taken away from us all would be terrible, especially since the whole reason I love Android is how it is now. "
Angelo, 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
"Google should not be able to say what apps we can and can’t download; we are adults and until its illegal for a good and vaild point; i should be allowed to youse the phone i paid for with hard earned money they way I want: the freedom that comes with growing up. I use a lot of niche software/apps and can only do it on android due to its openess. Please stop with this eshitifcation of products and services; eventually will stop buying. We buy products that benefit us; once that stops we will stop buying them; and companies need our money so please actually listen to consumer base that gives you the money you desire. What made me choose Android over iOS is the openness of it. By doing this you are killing what make android great, the fact that everyone can make an app and load it on his phone. You don't have iOS fan base. We will go elsewhere. "
kea, change.org
"The entire selling point of Android was the open ecosystem. Locking down on APKs will alienate millions of users. "
G, change.org
"This is a step towards global disaster... Letting Google and Apple control any and all functionality you have on your handheld computer is absolutely absurd. The right android phone can be tuned to a perfect workhorse and sidekick, this new Android Developer Verification Requirement would kill any hope of having personalized and properly functional phones whilst letting Google choose exactly what Developers get to provide tools, collect your data, and offer in-app purchases. I think we all know Google has ruined almost every program on these devices already: accessing local files on the device requires that you use their "google files app" which is ridiculous and clearly them trying to take control where they shouldnt; photos is now "google photos"; wallet? google.; calendar? google; want to have a phone without some BS ai or something hard baked into it? well too bad! assistant cant be turned off; these little briefings with ads that pop up when you unlock your phone?; the adds in the weather app?; how about when you want to go to the nearest restaurant, just trust google to take you there i guess. Here's a very important part of all this: notice that Google replaces all of your PRIVATE apps! My files, which are private, are no longer private since by default the files app is a Google app now. My photos, which are private, owned by Google. My super secure offline location which holds my bank cards, very private, now online and stored somewhere by Google, the company that paid millions to cover up a data breach of 53 million users from 2015 to 2018 (if you were wondering why your info shows up on so many dark websites, thanks incognito!). Pretty much in short: Google is trying to own and control society and this pretty much is a huge leap for them to get there. Don't get me started on Apple. "
Kaden, 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
"Choice and modification is the root of the Android platform. I should be able to install software I want on my own phone. If Android becomes a walled garden, then there will be no real reason to buy an Android, and I'll buy an Apple. "
Bailey, change.org
"Android has always been shown as an open platform, made for the users to freely develop and share software for it. This change however, goes completely against this picture shown to us and also goes against the freedom and privacy of any developer that still wishes to continue having their work running on the platform; This change isn't safe for anyone but for those that want control of what we do and what we think. "
Jazmin, change.org
"No kings, not even Google. We the people are largely on android instead of IOS because of its open ecosystem. Killing that kills one of your major reasons for existing. Continue and your can bid farewell to massive chunks of users when the decision of what new phone to choose comes around. "
Patrick, change.org
"Google doesn't realise that for many Android users, the ability to install .apk files from unverified developers is the sole reason we don't flock to IOS or another mobile OS. Let's make sure they know. "
Marshall, change.org
"I wanted android mainly for its ability to download things in third party app stores, unlike Apple, now that Google is going to be doing this, it makes Google look no better than Apple, Android, infamous for its open sourcability now getting locked down just like iOS. I really hope that this is refuted instead of pushed to Android. "
Joshua, change.org
"Delusional to think this wouldn't shrink the number of users. "
Les, 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
"ts bullshit fr fr ive been tinkering with Android for a long long long time now and its part of the reason im even into tech so much. the sheer amount of freedom Android allows is truly amazing and so help me god if they take it away "
silly, change.org
"Google has shown a lack of respect for user privacy their entire existence. You own your device, you spent hundreds of dollars/Euros for it. It was not a loan by Google, it is yours, and you should control what you use it for. People who want to use only Google verified apps are free to do so without having to infringe on the rights of the people knowledgeable enough to make the decision to use apps from outside Google's Play store. Google and others have long criticized Apple for this exact thing, to the point that they're in a lawsuit for it. For Google to try this shows a complete lack of respect for the customer, a lack of integrity, and complete and utter hypocrisy. If I want to make a personal app to control a toy I made and programmed, why should I have to give Google my personal information, jump through extra hoops, give them my code, and PAY them for the privilege of doing my own work? It's ridiculous. It's pure corporate greed. More than that, it's an attempt from Google to control your device. Yet another avenue for censorship, surveillance, and the road towards a world without any freedom, all under the guise of "safety." This is not just an attack on you and your device. This is an attack on your freedom as an individual and your right to your privacy and choice. This shouldn't just be a petition, this needs to be nonnegotiable. "
Paul, change.org
"Android users need freedom. How many apps outside the app store help users who may have personal problems to have fun and distract themselves amidst so many problems? That's why freedom is important. "
Kaue, change.org
"I, as an Android user for 17 years, believe in, and chose Android for, device openness and the freedom of choice. To choose my device, the services I use, from where I download my applications, and to choose FOSS apps that don't require developer registration or sacrificing personal privacy by accepting trackers and/or unnecessary permissions being tied to my app usage. Choice and freedom is what built Android and differentiated it from other platforms, like iOS, Windows Mobile, and other early smartphone operating systems. The trend of destroying user choice through the inability to unlock bootloader and easily root devices, the effective and increasing destruction of the custom ROM community and options, and now the elimination of third party app stores that offer incredible FOSS apps with greater focus on user privacy is one more step Google and Android are taking towards an undesirable ecosystem for many of us who still choose Android for its few remaining, and quickly disappearing, advantages. The argument that Google is requiring developer registration and restricting the ability of alternative app stores, like F-Droid, to continue to thrive as legitimate and worthwhile options is anti-consumer and isn't to protect users. Rather, it's to give users and consumers less control over their devices and data and, in my opinion, that is unacceptable. "
Roger, 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
"We need Android still an open platform that we could run our own applications on that!We never allow Google change Android into an locked-down platform, it is murdering the Android Development! "
Zhou, change.org
"There is always the "security" claim, they got so many security tools already, built in the official app distribution, if the user want to experiment on the device they own they must have the freedom to do so, this is how tech should work, freedom is how tech progress "
Roberto, change.org
"You are now a 0. "
İbrahim, change.org
"I want to own my android and not be censored. "
Analisse, change.org
"Google wants to become IOS but with this petition we can have a chance for Google not to block apks and it has to work so we all have to vote "
Super, change.org
"Google, don't be evil. "
Eric, 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
"Android has always been about freedom. I've always loved side loading an app made by a line developer to complete a niche task/feature. My music player and compass app were side loaded from F Droid and I think it's super cool to be able to install custom versions of stock phone apps. I've side loaded a modded version of my camera app that brought Google Pixel's photosphere to my phone. How else would I have been able to do this without side loading?? There's no reason Android has to go this direction, it may just as well be called mock iOS if all the reasons I chose Android are taken away. May customization, freedom of how I use my phone, and innovation reign once again in the heart of Google's Android! "
Justin, change.org
"Do not fix something that is not broken. "
Pavel, change.org
"In a time when a few big companies are controlling everything, having access to open source alternatives is more important than ever. We don't need more restrictions and less access. Right now you can come up with a great idea, create said idea, then share it with other android users. The only barriers are your own willingness to learn. But google is trying to destroy what makes android great! Don't let it happen. Sign the petition, make noise on social media, boycott if it comes to it. Don't let the people at the top continue taking away and restricting things we love and need. It can feel like they're untouchable. But they rely on us for that power and control. If enough people resist they will revert the planned changes. Because in the end we're the consumer and all they care about is "the numbers go up". They need us for that. "
Anthony, change.org
"The actions of Google are asinine, and the fact the company is trying to do this is appalling. "
Grace, change.org
"Android was promised and sold as an open platform. As many others, I decided to get Android devices considering that that promise was a serious lifetime commitment from Google. All Google has to do now is honor their own word and keep Android open. "
Leo, change.org
"Yoo wtf? Cant live like dat "
Abs, change.org
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