Предстои телефонът ви да спре да бъде ваш.
През 2027* г. Google, без да иска съгласието на потребителите, публикува тихомълком актуализация, която ще блокира всяко приложение за Android на разработчици, които не са регистрирани в Google и не са подписали съответните договори, не са платили съответните суми и не са предоставили личен документ.
Всяко приложение и всяко устройство по целия свят и без опция за отказ.
↓Какво прави Google
През август 2025 г. Google обяви ново изискване: от 2027 г. всеки разработчик на приложения за Android трябва да бъде централно регистриран в Google, за да може софтуерът му да се инсталира на което и да е устройство. Не става въпрос само за приложения от Google Play Магазин, а за всички приложения. В това число влизат приложения, изпратени от приятели, разпространени през F-Droid, създадени от хоби разработчици за лична употреба. Всички независими разработчици, обществени и църковни групи и любители ще изгубят възможността да разработват и разпространяват софтуера си.
За регистрация е необходимо следното:
- Да се плати такса на Google
- Да се приемат Общите условия на Google
- Да се предоставят собствени официални лични документи
- Да се предостави доказателство за вашия частен ключ за разработчик
- Да се посочат всички текущи и бъдещи идентификатори на приложения
Ако разработчикът не се съгласи, приложенията му ще бъдат блокирани без известие на всяко устройство с Android навсякъде по света.
Кой страда от това
Вие
Когато сте си купили телефон с Android, сте очаквали да имате отворена система, в която можете да инсталирате каквото поискате. Това беше обещанието на Google.
Сега Google променя сделката със задна дата и то за устройства, които вече притежавате. След минаването на актуализацията ще можете да използвате само софтуер, който е предварително одобрен от Google. На вашия телефон, който вие притежавате и за който вие сте платили.
Независими разработчици
Няма значение дали ще става въпрос първото приложение на тийнейджър, инструмент за запазване на поверителността на доброволец, или за поверителна вътрешна бета версия на компания. През 2027 г. нищо от това няма да може да се инсталира без благословията на Google.
Според F-Droid, където се намират хиляди безплатни приложения за Android с отворен код, това е „екзистенциална заплаха“. Cory Doctorow го нарича „Darth Android“.
Правителствата и гражданските общества
Google има документирани случаи, в които е изпълнявал исканията на авторитарни режими, когато става въпрос за премахването на приложения. Когато тази програма влезе в сила, софтуерът, който се използва от институциите във вашата държава, ще бъде зависим от решенията на една чуждестранна корпорация, която не подлежи на законовите изисквания на държавата ви.
Фондация „Електронна граница“ (EFF) нарича тази форма на ограничаване на приложенията „непрестанно разширяващ се път към цензурата в интернет“."
„Резервният вариант“ на Google е всъщност капан
Google твърди, че „power users“ (напреднали потребители) „могат да продължат да инсталират“ непроверени приложения. Ето как всъщност изглежда това:
- Ровите се в системните настройки, намирате опциите за разработчици
- Докосвате номера на компилацията седем пъти, за да активирате режима за разработчици
- Потвърждавате, че действате по собствено желание
- Въвеждате PIN кода си
- Рестартирате устройството
- Изчаквате 24 часа
- Връщате се и минавате още няколко изскачащи прозореца
- Избирате „Разрешаване временно“ (7 дни) или „Разрешаване за постоянно“
- Отново потвърждавате, че сте наясно с „рисковете“
Девет стъпки и задължителен 24-часов период на изчакване. За да инсталирате софтуер на устройство, което притежавате.
По-лошото: Този процес се извършва изцяло през Google Play Services, не през операционната система Android. Google може да го промени, да го ограничи или да го спре, когато пожелае, като за целта не е нужна актуализация на операционната система.
Това е по-голямо от Android
Ако Google има способността със задна дата да заключи милиарди устройства, които са били продадени като отворени платформи, това ще ангажира вниманието на всеки голям производител по света.
Така се установява нов принцип: компанията, която е произвела устройството ви, има силата след като сте го купили да вземе решение какъв софтуер можете да използвате на него. В света на софтуера това се нарича „rug pull“ (неочаквана тотална промяна на правилата), но поне винаги съществуваше възможността да инсталирате конкурентен софтуер. В света на хардуера това обаче ви изправя пред свършен факт, след който нямате ходове и не можете да противодействате на хрумванията на един доказан монополист, който не допуска свободен достъп и не може да бъде подведен под отговорност.
Отвореният характер на Android никога не е бил просто особеност. Той беше обещанието, което го разграничаваше от iPhone и милиони потребители избираха Android точно поради тази причина. С действията си Google сега нарушава едностранно това обещание на устройства, които вече са в джобовете на потребителите, защото са решили, че имат достатъчно доминираща позиция на пазара и влияние върху регулаторите, за да го направят без последствия.
Ars Technica: „Завистта на Google към Apple заплашва да унищожи наследството на Android като отворена операционна система.“
Добре, но това не е ли...
„...само за нашата сигурност?“
Обяснението за сигурността е само пясък в очите. Google Play Protect вече извършва сканиране за злонамерен софтуер без значение от идентичността на разработчика. Изискването на официален документ за самоличност няма да направи кода по-безопасен, но за сметка на това прави разработчиците по-лесни за идентифициране и контрол. Създателите на злонамерен софтуер могат да се регистрират. Инди разработчиците и дисидентите често нямат тази възможност. Фондацията „Електронна граница“ *(EFF) има недвусмислена позиция: системата за идентификация е инструмент за цензура, а не за сигурност.
„...същото като инсталиране на външни приложения, просто със следване на разширената процедура?“
Девет стъпки, 24-часов период на изчакване, ровене в настройки за разработчици и всичко това през собствена услуга, която Google може да анулира по всяко време. Това не е същото като инсталиране на външни приложения, а е възпиращ механизъм, който е така разработен, че да гарантира, че почти никой няма да го ползва. И понеже работи през Play Services, а не в рамките на операционната система, Google винаги може тихомълком да го ограничи или спре.
„...проблем само ако имаш какво да криеш?“
Информаторите, журналистите и активистите срещу авторитарно управление ще бъдат първите жертви на тази промяна. Ще ги последват хората, които са жертви на домашно насилие. Всички тези групи имат основателни причини да разпространяват или използват софтуер, без да въвеждат данните за идентичността си в база данни на Google. Приносът от анонимни потребители към отворен код е традиция, по-стара от самия Google. Тази политика ще убие всичко това на Android.
„...същото, което и Apple прави?“
Apple е затворена система от самото начало. Android беше избиран от потребителите, защото беше различен. „Apple прави същото“ е напълно безпредметен слаб аргумент, който само отнема вината от правилното място. А благодарение на натиска от регулаторите (Закона за дигиталните пазари на ЕС) дори Apple е принуден да работи по-отворено. За сметка на това Google се е насочил в обратната посока с опити да затвърди контрола си върху достъпа.
„...просто 25 долара и малко документи?“
Може би не е нещо особено за разработчик в САЩ, който има кредитна карта и собствен автомобил. Съвсем различно е обаче за един студент в Африка, или за дисидент в Мианмар, или за доброволец, който се грижи за здравно приложение за общността си. Цената не се измерва само във финансова величина. Давате данните от официалния си документ за самоличност и предоставяте доказателства за частния си ключ на компания, която редовно изпълнява исканията на различни правителства за премахване на приложения и разкриване на информация за разработчиците им.
Как да се противопоставим
За всички
- Инсталирайте F-Droid на всяко устройство с Android, което притежавате. Алтернативните магазини за приложения ще оцелеят само ако има хора, които ги използват.
- Свържете се със своите представители в регулаторните комисии. Регулаторите по света са наистина загрижени за ефекта от монопола и централизирането на властта в технологичния сектор. Те приветстват обратна връзка от хора, които са потърпевши и имат свои притеснения.
- Споделяйте тази страница. Изпращайте навсякъде връзката към keepandroidopen.org.
- Борете се с опитите за манипулиране на общественото мнение. Все по-често се срещат мнения от рода на „От гледна точка на Google...“. Не им позволявайте да изменят фокуса.
- Подпишете петицията в change.org и станете част от другите 100 000 подписали.
- Прочетете и споделяйте нашето отворено писмо.
- Кажете на Google какво мислите за това, като използвате тяхната анкета за изискванията за проверка на разработчиците на Android (колкото и да е глас в пустинята).
За разработчиците
НЕ УЧАСТВАЙТЕ. Не се присъединявайте към програмата и не се записвайте в Android Developer Console. Не приемайте техните Общи условия, от които няма да можете после да се откажете. Не потвърждавайте самоличността си. Не играйте по свирката им.
Планът на Google ще сработи само ако разработчиците се подчинят. Не го правете.
- Опитайте се да разубедите другите разработчици и организации около себе си да не се включват в програмата.
- Добавете библиотеката FreeDroidWarn към приложенията си, за да предупредите потребителите.
- Имате уебсайт? Добавете банера с обратно отброяване.
За служители на Google
Ако знаете нещо, свързано с техническото осъществяване на програмата или вътрешна информация, пишете на tips@keepandroidopen.org от неслужебно устройство и акаунт, който не е на Gmail. Поверителността на вашата информация ще бъде строго защитена.
Всички, които са против…
71 организации от 23 държави са подписали отвореното писмо
FULU Foundation fulu.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
Data Rights datarights.ngo
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
GitHub Store github-store.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
OpenMedia openmedia.org
iodé iode.tech
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
Proton AG proton.me
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
FACiL facil.qc.ca
Cryptee crypt.ee
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
Techlore techlore.tech
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
Brave brave.com
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
F-Droid f-droid.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
April april.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
CryptPad cryptpad.org
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
Italian Linux Society ils.org
FUTO futo.org Тук можете да прочетете цялото отворено писмо и да благодарите на подписалите се →
Какво казват хората
Технологични медии
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"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
"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
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
Коментари и анализи
"Innovation may be the biggest casualty in all of this. This new rule erodes your right to make informed decisions about your own devices."
MakeUseOf
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"Developers from sanctioned countries or those without Google Play access cannot verify themselves. This creates systemic discrimination against developers based on birthplace rather than conduct."
agnostic-apollo (Termux developer), GitHub
"Google'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
"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
"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
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"Android is not open anymore. It's not an alternative. It's not even trying. It's iOS with ads and spyware bolted on."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google is turning sideloading from a right into a permission slip, and the open-source community has until September to convince it otherwise."
Reclaim The Net
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"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
"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 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
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"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
"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
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google has announced that they are altering the deal. And telling us that we should pray that they don't alter it further. Block this policy change now before they wrap their cold metal hands around our necks."
Jesse Wilson, PublicObject.com
"The $25 isn't the real cost. The chilling effect is. Submitting government ID to Google is a non-starter for pseudonymous contributors and privacy researchers."
Arafat Alim, DEV Community
"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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"Google isn't certifying apps, they're certifying developers. This implies that the company can somehow predict whether a developer will do something malicious in the future."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"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 is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"This policy represents a dramatic departure from Android's decades-old tradition of openness, in which developers could build and share apps freely without first submitting to a centralized authority."
Biometric Update
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"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
Организации и отворени писма
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"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
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"For developers building tools specifically designed to protect user privacy, being forced to surrender their own personal data as a precondition for distribution is deeply contradictory."
AdGuard
"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
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"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
"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 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
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"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
"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 invasion of privacy of developers is not just an overreach of Google's authority over Android, but also jeopardizes developer safety."
Software Freedom Conservancy
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"Google's abusive approach to the Android operating system has only gotten worse in recent years. Software freedom is sorely lacking in the 'computers in our pockets' we call cell phones."
Free Software Foundation
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"This extends Google's gatekeeping authority beyond its own marketplace into distribution channels where it has no legitimate operational role."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"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
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"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
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"A policy that forces every Android developer to hand their identity to Google, regardless of whether they use Google's services, makes Android a less-open and less-private platform."
Brave
"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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
Ютубъри и създатели на съдържание
"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
"I'm not using the word 'phone.' I'm using the word 'computer.' This has over 8 GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage. It's a computer. And I'm also not going to be using words like 'sideload.' When you download an exe file onto your Windows computer, you've installed an application. You haven't 'sideloaded' something."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"The widely-circulated narrative that Google already backed down from this is false. They didn't, and that misunderstanding may be the most dangerous part of the story right now."
Techlore – YouTube
"F-Droid is basically saying that the new Google developer registration process will likely kill the open-source app store entirely."
The Linux Experiment – YouTube
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"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 decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."
Switched to Linux – YouTube
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – 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
"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
"This means you can't sideload an app from an unofficial source. But it could also be used to lock the ecosystem so we're forced to install only Google apps on approved Google OS versions."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"Google isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."
Techlore – YouTube
"That's not openness. That is control."
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
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"This is an iPhone now. I didn't want to buy an iPhone. I use Android because it gives me freedom. If you are not going to give me freedom with my computer, then why would I buy your stuff anymore?"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."
Techlore – YouTube
"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
Разработчици и от общността
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, 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
"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
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, 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
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, 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
"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
"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 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
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, 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
"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
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"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
"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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"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
"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
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, 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
"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
"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
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"It is a disgrace how Google has managed this situation. The promised 'advanced flow' hasn't appeared in any Android 16 or 17 betas. Google is quietly proceeding with the original lockdown."
fermigier, Hacker News
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, 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
"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
"Any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you, and won't give you a key, they're not doing it for your benefit."
vord (quoting Cory Doctorow), Tildes
"My Pixel 6 just broke, and after 15 years of using Android, I've finally been convinced to move to iOS. If I must live in a walled garden, I suppose I'll choose the one with nicer flowers."
yonato, Hacker News
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, 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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"I still remember how in the early days of Android vs iOS discussions, the main point was 'but it's OPEN!' The word 'open' was used as a comma by Google people. It was The Thing. The Difference. Good vs Evil and all that."
jwr, Hacker News
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"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
Мнения от петицията
"I only bought an Android just for the custom APKs part. If I have to buy an entirely new phone for the slightest bit of sideloading, I will. "
Robert, change.org
"The main reason I use Android products at all is for their modability. To require ID verification just invades the privacy of app developers and does absolutely nothing to protect Android users. At this point, what would make Android products any different from Apple? This is completely unacceptable; this will end up hurting more people than it does help. "
Elise, change.org
"If you buy a computer, you rightly expect to be able any software, developed by anyone, one that device. Why should phones be any different? This is a shameless power grab by google, and a huge step backwards for user's rights "
Christopher, change.org
"The freedom of android is what makes me not think about moving to another system such as ios, which could be lost depending on what Google decides, the charm of android is this for me. "
José Antônio, 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
"Once i switched to f-droid & duckduckgo google could destroy my android experianced the way it's suposed to be, keep our galaxies's free and simple. "
Kelab, change.org
"I can explain why I use Android, and therefore Google services, by the fact that Google used to care about its users, their rights, and their freedom. Although not as much as we would like. After what Google has presented, my phone will soon be no different from an iPhone. I'm not happy about this; I want freedom. I want the freedom to install the apps and APK files I choose, not just the ones I am "allowed" to download. "
Sviatoslav, 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
"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
"As consumers, we are entitled to the full functionality of the technology we purchase. This includes the freedom to choose how we use our devices and what software to run on them. Google claims their efforts to lock down Android are for security purposes, but their true motivations are based in a incessant need for control and financial gain. Malware concerns have never justified sideloading restrictions on computers, regardless of OS - so why would they suddenly apply to their pocket-sized counterparts? Smartphones serve as the primary drivers enabling both our personal and professional lives, online and offline. Big tech’s desire to rob the people’s agency and ownership over such vital technology through needless restrictions and invasive surveillance for an extra dime clearly shows their lack of integrity and respect for the consumer. Removing the freedom of choice from Android means creating a landscape where all mobile technology will never truly serve their users as all tools should. Coming from someone who has used both Android and iOS devices, I have learned how indispensable the freedom provided by Android really is, even for an average user. Google’s willingness to restrict their users, destroying Android’s greatest strength and its legacy is extremely disappointing. I do not want to live in a world where all technology becomes a series of “walled gardens” as Apple has notoriously made their own phones. We deserve to own our technology, not be owned by our technology. "
Jurrien, 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
"Dystopian, unaccountable corporate control and rug pulling. "
Ethan, change.org
"Forcing developers to pay fees and hand over identifying documentation will never be the solution to malware. It creates opportunities for censorship, removes one of the major reasons uses android over apple products. As a hobbyist developer, I do not wish to throw my identity left and right just to run my own app on my own phone that I have no intention of publishing. If I do, it would be open source for others to use and when the time comes that I wish to sell an app, sure I will register to the Google play store or any other store as needed. "
Christopher, change.org
"One of the only reasons I use Android today is because of the openness of the operating system. Without it there is no reason why I would pick an Android phone over an iPhone. Most of the apps I use are not found on the playstore because I like to tinker a lot. I also like to make small applications for myself, my co-workers, and friends. Requiring a fee would completely shut down my ability to create niche apps that I already wouldn't be profiting on. "
LANDON, change.org
"Google should not be able to say what apps we can and can’t download. I use my android to download indie games that are not on the Google Play Store, so this will hurt a lot of indie devs that have their games downloadable as APK’s "
Owen, change.org
"Sim ao Android "
Cristina, change.org
"the declaration of independance prolly said something about this... "
john, 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
"Funny how a principle as straightforward as “don’t be evil” can still turn out to be surprisingly difficult to live up to. "
JV, change.org
"As a regular user and consumer, I am frightened by this direction. Android has historically differentiated itself by being an open platform that users can customize to their liking - this is THE main reason I continue to purchase Android phones. I am a developer as a hobby, and will occasionally create my own apps to support my unique projects and requirements. I have no interest in becoming an authorized developer - that wouldn't make sense for me. In addition, I benefit STRONGLY from the community of existing open-source apps. I am an avid F-Droid user, and find the apps there to be of equal or better quality than those in the Play Store. If Android is to become as locked-down as iOS, then my next phone purchase will be from Apple to benefit from their increased privacy protections. The main differentiator drawing me.to Android will be gone. "
Patrick, change.org
"this is the opposite of the free and open source platform that they set out to make. "
Denzel, change.org
"You okay Google? Isolation is never the answer. Hope you feel better soon! "
Robert, change.org
"The restriction of an end-user's ability to control what they can and cannot do with their device that they legally own is inherently malicious and should be illegal. Google is pushing and overreaching in a way that is invasive and threatening to users' privacy and freedom. "
Weston, change.org
"I've always chosen to use Android because I want to have control of how I use my phone. I know installing something might cause problems, but after all it's my decision and my phone too! If I wanted to be "more safe" I'd buy a phone with iOS. Let the users decide how they want to use their phones at their own risk. "
Nicky, change.org
"I use many open source apps, and I do not want to lose any of them! "
Jayden, change.org
"There are games, apps, that are FREE, because the authors want it that way, no charge. WHY SHOULD GOOGLE WIN MONEY WITH THEM??? "
Ana, change.org
"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
"As an open source developer, keeping Android open is what Android was all about! Let's keep it open so we can differentiate from other platforms, and keep Android what we all got to love! "
Benjamin, change.org
"As an Android developer, I care deeply about security and privacy, and I also care about user choice. Restricting APK usage and sideloading does not “fix” security. It centralizes control and limits legitimate use cases like testing builds, F-Droid, enterprise/internal apps, and accessibility tools. Android should protect users with strong warnings, permissions, and verification, not by making alternative distribution harder. If this is forced, I’ll move to something like GrapheneOS, and I’m saying that as a Pixel daily driver. "
Sean, change.org
"The main reason I've always preferred android over apple is the freedom of app development and usage. What's the point of using an android phone when I have to rely on an app store that limits what's available? This decision is gonna affect an already undesirable Google "
Mychal, change.org
"As an Android user in Australia, I'm deeply concerned about what this policy means for consumers worldwide. When I purchased my Android device, I chose it because of its openness and freedom. Google is now unilaterally revoking that promise with a forced update — without consent, without recourse, and without accountability. This isn't just a developer issue. It affects every person who believes they should have the right to control their own device. I've already contacted the ACCC and my local MP, and I urge others to do the same. We cannot let a single corporation decide what software we are permitted to trust. "
Kaito, change.org
"I'm old enough to remember when Google's company montto was "Don't be evil". "
Ryan, change.org
"What's the joke about Android being another iOS? Sure, you can find whatever you want on the Play Store as long as it's there, but there are junk apps and paid apps that ask you to doxx yourself and tell them where you live and everything else. No, where's the freedom in that that Android always had? .... Another iOS? No. "
mike, change.org
"They literally block sideloading with this and always using "security" as an excuse, they never will accept all dev, and also who give they the right to get ID of dev. Put in you place, you are a company in a democratic country, we give you power The solution for this is stop using google services, give they a prove of power, they depend of us because we give them money, stop using google service, and fight against this injustice Google is evil, and right now they are shown they craws "
Juan, change.org
"Android for me has always been the freedom to choose. The right to find alternatives that won't actively gather my information. I want to keep my freedom. I trust my open source small developers more than I trust corporations who put profit over my rights. "
Yeshua, change.org
"We should keep Android open. "
Habsir, change.org
"This change will kill one of the biggest reasons to go Android-the freedom to choose what software YOU want to run. Without this freedom, Android becomes significantly less differentiable to iOS, and NOT in a good way. "
Muhammad, change.org
"When I was around 13 or 14 I had a real dream to be a coder...I tried to use Google to find a way but found that all of the links were funded by Google and directly discouraged fellow coders...I believed them...now at 22 I refuse to lay down and listen I hope this story hits home for a few people because the coding community is one of the few communities I found I am accepted...do not let Google break this community I am begging you - with all love a fellow coder and human being this is Donald signing off "
donald, change.org
"Hey Google. You are a silent cancer. You've engulfed everything in your path for decades: true innovation, billions of unsuspecting people's data, healthy competition, and choice. You've been sued, repeatedly fined, and ordered to break up your monopoly (you haven't), yet you keep metastasizing. I could cite historical, philosophical, religious, even SciFi metaphors of what you are, but "plague" is sufficient. For the love of humanity, if in fact there's anyone left at Plague HQ who still identifies as human, keep your metastatic tentacles off the Android Developer Platform. You've done enough harm already. Signed, The last cancer-free organ you have yet to destroy "
Andromeda, change.org
"Google is an evil company. "
Cool, change.org
"The EU should help us "
Raphael, change.org
"Having a device where you control what does or does not go on it is our right to have. We bought this device and we should have the freedom to do what we want with the device, regardless of the manufacturer or operating system it is on. Allowing this change to happen is just one more step towards a controlled ecosystem; by Google, for Google and this is exactly what they want. "
Clayton, change.org
"This is not only concerning or invasive. It's unjust, deceitful and abusive. Once you break this trust, they can AND WILL control every aspect of the software chain. Not even casual users will be safe then. "
Jesse, change.org
"keeping android open enables far more indie studios to continue to operate on android, and thats what i love, i love finding the most random game, and not having to worry about if its on one store or the other, i can just download it keep it open, please "
Evan, change.org
"Android giving users choice has been the staple point of android OS. Removing choices like sideloading apps is not the move. I develop apps for myself, I do not want to be "an approved developer" I don't have time nor care for that. This action also is the beginning of censorship, and monopolization of android OS. Android started as an open operating system, you have simply turned it into a reskinned Apple OS. Your choice to go anti-consumer is going to hurt. You are not "protecting" anyone "
lucas, change.org
"Android made it possible for free, open source software to be widely used between everyday consumers instead of locking them into subscriptions or high one time payments, and by restricting APK sideloading, this strips people away from being able to use software that more poeple are able to use. This is downright wrong. "
Michael, change.org
"This is absurd. To remove one of the main things that drew people to android over iPhone is laughably moronic. Especially when some of the best apps recommend by people come from outside the play store. Pull it together! "
Logan, change.org
"Stop this bullshit of trying to control our lives, deciding what I can and can't do. Enough with planned obsolescence, enough with authoritarianism. I, and only I, decide what's best for me, what I can and can't download on MY PHONE. "
Leonardo, change.org
"Android OS IS and SHOULD STAY “my device, my rules,” not “Google’s walled garden with extra steps.” Locking down sideloading and making people become “approved developers” is not safety, it’s control. - F!@# Off -- You control everything else Google .. Leave Android alone! You’re stripping away the one thing that made Android different from Apple, and calling it protection doesn’t make it less anti‑consumer. -- You're just masking it as control in pretty language !! Leave it alone! "
Jon, change.org
"Let me preface this. Sideloading is *installing a program on a personal computer,* for all that it's phone shaped. You might be used to this behavior from iOS, but even Mac PCs will let you install applications that are unsigned and made by other people, and on the closed-source Windows environment it's still *the main way to get applications,* despite there now being two different official app stores on that platform. Nothing needs to be said about the various Linux/Unix environments. The centralized registration of both apps and developers is not the right approach. It creates a monopoly over who can be an Android developer and will greatly limit the desire to develop apps if it is no longer something that can be done as a hobby but a slow, complicated expense with the requirement to identify oneself. I've done some hobbyist development, but I would not have learned coding if these were the standards I had to meet, and I'd only be losing money. It encourages turning a problem-solving hobby project others might benefit from into a cash grab, or just discourages it entirely. It will in one blow destroy all apps which are no longer maintained, or those who are developed by people who can't or won't escrow their identities with Google, including myself. It also integrates Google's control over the phone even more deeply into how even the phone's software runs, locking these allegedly open devices even more under Google's remote control, and which is already a challenge for makers of de-Googled devices. I strongly suspect it will also become used to apply arbitrary limitations to developers (read the XScreenSaver privacy policy if you'd like to know more) and block many of the tools we currently take for granted, such as those used to root phones. After all, rooting a phone would likely permit installing arbitrary apps, and Google's security model already "distrusts" those devices to the point that they break e.g. banking apps or DRM, so why would they allow something if it conflicts with their security model and they can now control any code that runs on your device? In the end, this WILL be used by Google to permanently remove many people's ability to develop apps on Android at all, likely because those people made tools that provided capabilities Google is not willing to offer or let exist on the free market anymore. The ID requirement will prevent them from creating new accounts and the devices will retroactively block even their installed apps from working while preventing those developers, those _people,_ from making more even on other stores (if other stores even continue existing, given that they would effectively become arms of Google just to have the apps work). "
Russell, change.org
"Google is not tuff for ts "
John, change.org
"Android has always been the superior product because it has allowed it's users the ability to customize their phones and download what they want. To take that away would make you no better than Apple "
Mike, change.org
"Removing a huge part of why people choose android is certainly a choice. "
Drae, change.org
"Let's be real, this isn't about security, it's about forcing people to use Google playstore, and trying to get peoples info just like what Youtube is doing right now. "
Draven, change.org
"When I buy a device, I own the right to choose how I use the device. I have the right to repair and replace any part of the device, and that includes the software running on it. "
Drew, change.org
"the whole point of android is it's not apple, atp I'll just put linux on my phone "
a, change.org
"Users don't deserve the Google jail cell to shrink and encroach "
Ben, change.org
"At that point highkey I'd just use IOS. Why remove one of the main things that lets android be android "
Josue, change.org
"Don't become Apple!!! "
Yahya, change.org
"This is, I believe a really dumb decision on Google's part. Personally one of the primary reasons I choose to use Android devices over IOS is because I loathe Apple's locked down environment ... Is Google now wanting to follow in Apple's coat tails with this policy ? I thought Google was about leadership and innovation, if it now wants to play second fiddle to Apple, I hope another OS comes to the forefront, I'm pretty sure one will. It may take a little while, but freedom will out in the end. And personally if Google thinks they can control what I choose to do with my own devices ... well I'm sorry Google, but THAT WILL NOT WORK FOR ME. As it is I already have to sideliad apps I want on my tablet because " they are not compatible with my device " at least according to the Play Store they are not... So tell me Google, if they are so incompatible, WHY DO THE FUNCTION PERFECTLY one I sideload them from a device that you deem to be "compatible " ?? And now you think you can stop me ? and stop me from writing my personal little apps to do other neat stuff that I like ??? I really THINK NOT and if I can no longer work on Android Devices, we'll I WILL FIND / CREATE A WORKABLE ALTERNATIVE. "
Paul, change.org
"When I'm bored, I don't look through the play store - it's full of ads and mind-numbing time wasters. Instead, I look through f-droid, which is full of solo developer apps designed to actually be useful and solve a problem. Maybe a problem unique to that one developer, but it's always interesting to look at. We flock to Android because apple doesn't let us side-load. Why take away something that is core to many users experience and has only limited security problems? We all know this isn't about security, it's about control. It's my phone, let me do what I want with it. (And don't even get me started about Android's rollback "protection" >:( ) "
Spencer, change.org
"Keep android open "
Charlotte, change.org
"Our phones, our choice!!! "
Robert, change.org
"I sideload and digitally mod a lot of my devices, and while I was just about to consider switching to Android because of this (and Apple's limit in storage), this sort of removal of freedom, even small and masked as 'the right thing' for security, just isn't right. There's already trust issues within Apple's app store, and the 'free' stuff doesn't support developers properly, so why copy paste the same issues that made people want to switch in the first place? How else will people get apps that properly support their device that aren't locked in some way or just won't? How else will people try and test prototypes of apps? How else will people... get this... have fun with the device they bought with money to have and physically own? And yet a company wants the money to steal more water and ruin immune systems of the future. This is totally 'the right thing'. "
Laura, 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
"Android was once the pinacle of freedom, not letting that stay in the past "
Juan, change.org
"I have contributed to FOSS apps that were published to Google play and F-Droid + similar stores, as well as written multiple apps for myself and family members. Android has long been an open platform that actually gives the user(s) freedom to do what they want with the device they own. However, that free and open model is coming under threat more and more in the name of "security" all while collecting and monetizing our user data. We do not need another walled garden Apple experience. Android users use Android BECAUSE of choice and freedom, not in spite of it. "
Christopher, change.org
"Play Integrity, Custom ROM/Root discrimination because of that, and now this? What have you BECOME, Google? You're not helping anyone, and I don't even think it helps them. If I had to pick between an unmodded Galaxy S25 (or whatever the latest one is) and a modded Galaxy S10, I'm picking the S25. It doesn't influence sales, all it does it make life harder, for everyone. Including the people imposing the restrictions, HEY, WHAT A COINCIDENCE! Just stop making the available mobile operating systems "iOS, iOS 2, and the other manufacturers' versions of iOS 2." I've talked more about custom ROMs, but replace it with customs apps and the same point is easily carried over. And because the 2 are interconnected in nature of them both being stuff that Google might not like. "
Gavin, change.org
"This is a grave mistake and disaster and a true display of tyrannical behavior meant to push away the rights of others under the usual suspect aka the old bs saying "to protect the children" or "to keep you safe" its all a lie and this is just another way for the 4th amendment in my country to lose even more of its value and harm other countries that dont gave as many rights as americans do. First it was collusion and social media tracking, then it was ads and personalizations, then came along biometric security such as face scan or fingerprints arent protected by 4th amendment like passwords are, then we had AI invasiveness and the loss of ownership and shifting to subscriptions and now here we are not knly can we not own digital things now we are to lose our last items the physical things we own now under control as well no longer owned but basically licensed to us as long as we arent deemed dissidants. I only can hope that if you dont change that maybe we have alternatives and keep the will to fight back. "
Avery, change.org
"Google,please don't do that. Because if you do that, millions and millions of Android users will switch to iOS, because that's the point of Android even exists! *I* switched to Android because I did not like iOS So please... Give us the freedom we want! "
Eduardo, change.org
"Limiting developer and user freedom in the name of "safety" or whatever will only bring Android down to iOS's level. Don't make this mistake, Google! We must keep the right to make and use APKs freely! "
Julian, change.org
"This change would defeat the core purpose at the heart of what the Android platform is. Remember when Google used to use the slogan "Don't be Evil"? Well this is about as evil as it gets. "
Justin, change.org
"I always chose to use android because of its freedom to do whatever I want woth my smartphone. Now they want to become Apple. What is wrong with them? We can't let this happen. "
kelvin, change.org
"Been using the android platform since 2009. Removing the ability to use MY device in the way it was always intended is disgusting. I won't stand for any of that hogwash. "
Kurt, change.org
"google take the L "
Miguel, change.org
"This Will remove the reason most users use Android,its freedom. also,It Will barely even help with security,as there ARE viruses posted even on Google Play store. "
Davi, change.org
"The last thing differentiating Android from iOS was the freedom to be different, to be a power user, to truly own the very device you hold in your hand. Taking that away not only strips Android of its identity, it makes it just like iOS: locked down, useless, and incapable of serving the user. If you want to protect people, teach them how to protect themselves, don't be a helicopter parent to someone else's child. "
Evan, change.org
"This will affect corporate privacy for those that rely on FOSS. Personal and Business privacy will be even more at risk if these changes are applied. From the Conglomerate owner to the DIY hobbyist, we will all be affected only negatively by this. So much of the world relies and depends of FOSS, and with the already dying privacy, many people are going to be literally put at risk of injury or cessation of life because of these changes. No this isn't an overstatement, I'm serious. The amount of NDIS and NDIA workers that use FOSS to protect their clients and their information is staggering. And this will effectively cause them to provide a lower quality service. "
Tobias, change.org
"The only reason I've stuck with Android all these years has been its open ecosystem. If that's removed, I'd switch to Apple in a heartbeat. "
Anjali, change.org
"The fact is that Google does not have a valid cause to further restrict Androids app open sources due to “alleged need to protect Android users safety “ by only allowing apps to be installed through their paywall, I mean service, google play store. This personally affects me, as I have been using Android for years, and prefer to switch devices when it is best for me, I have a difficult time learning about tech as it is and with the massive amount of wrongs that company has done, it is only growing greedier while treating the users, as captives, not even providing sufficient opt ins, opt outs, and giving the choice to not have any private identifying datas sold out to any unsafe nefarious entity willing to pay. That data would not exist were it not for us individuals it is inextricably tied to, and if anyone has the authority to opt in or out to whats done, especially the selling of my private datas, that would exclusively be Me,Myself, and I. Google is neither fair nor honest, they sneak about doing unethical things until being discovered, and this is just Un American, and totally Anti Capitalism. They wish to eradicate possiblities of choice, wherever possible. They want a monopoly, not a fair market and I will be forced to ditch my Android , if I cannot use open source apps on it, the open source apps have much less problems from my experience, I dont end up with fake apps that mess up my phone, and or cannot be deleted. Once i know a device fairly well it really does not serve me well just to have to find something else, which likey i should do because it was built already infected with google, I trusted that company to be better,gave it a chance, but it is no ones friend. Im not even requesting anyone to stop the google nonsense, just dont let it stop use of upen source on Android, please. Thank you for taking time to read my message. "
Sara, change.org
"The whole reason I've stuck with android so long is because of how many choices I had compared to other options. Now they are trying to get rid of them and for what? The only thing they gain by doing this is their customers ire and I don't want to sit and let something so predatory just get passed like this. "
Logan, change.org
"Android’s intended purpose has always been to be an open, permissionless operating system. By requiring developer "verification" to install apps, Google is turning a personal device into a corporate-controlled appliance. I oppose this policy because: Ownership: I bought the hardware; I should decide what software runs on it without a "gatekeeper." Privacy: Forcing independent developers to "dox" themselves to Google kills anonymous, pro-privacy innovation. Freedom: Sideloading must remain a right, not a privilege granted by a Google-controlled ID system. Keep Android open. Don't build a walled garden. "
Jordan, change.org
"If android truly blocks what are some of my favorite apps from developers I trust, I will no longer be using "smart" phones without root. It'll be graphine or flip phones, I promise you. "
R, change.org
"The entire reason I left the Apple ecosystem and came back to Android is because of the freedom you get with installing any app you want. If Google locks down app installations, there will be zero reason for me to still stay on an Android opereting system. Don't be evil, Google. "
Amirali, change.org
"Ready and willing to move to iOS permanently if this move to mandatory developer verification is not FULLY retracted by September 2026. "
Do Not, change.org
"It's disappointing that Google wants to take away the only good thing about Android. I said it last time and I'll say it again: if they do it, I'm switching to Apple. There won't be any difference anyway. "
Rubén, change.org
"My name is Lawrence Wider Jr. I am a huge fan of Android. The ability flawlessly download the individuals files (APKs) of smartphone apps on my smartphone is the reason why I decided to choose Android as my first ever smartphone OS to use over iOS a couple of decades ago. In short, it was Freedom Of Choice that caused me to choose Android over IOS decades ago. If Google decides to go through with their plan to limit APK usage this September, then I will no longer have that awesome choice and I will no longer be able to choose the awesome smartphone OS known as Android as my smartphone os. The ability to flawlessly download the individuals files (APKs) of smartphone apps on my smartphone had also caused Android to be a fun smartphone OS for me to use. Another advantage of the ability for me to download individual files (APKs) of APKs on my Android smartphone has given me is the ability for it to be easier for me to use Android. If Google decides to limit APK file usage this September, then it would cause me to no longer choose Android as my smartphone is to use. Thank you. "
Lawrence, change.org
"A better way to improve Android security is for Google to require all their own code and the code of all Play Store apps to be fully free as in freedom to make security research easier. Ideally, all Google code would also be bootstrappable and reproducible. Without 100% free software all the time, we can only assume there ore backdoors and malicious code in Google products and Play Store apps. "
Seth, change.org
"Keep the Android ecosystem free. "
Gabriel, change.org
"Isn't the whole purpose of Android yo be open source? Where's that going to Google? Get your s**t together "
Jarred, change.org
"FOSS IS WHAT BUILT ANDROID. THIS WILL HURT FOSS. "
Noah, change.org
"I've been using APKs ever since I got my first phone, and now, it's an indispensable part of my life. Things I downloaded, games that I played that would be lost to time because the very people who made them forgot about them, things I watched, all those experiences... How can one take it away from us? We want our freedom. So what if we may be downloading viruses and having our data stolen? It's our choice, and it's nothing to be worried about by other people. And in my experience, there aren't as many viruses in the internet as people think. I know that I never got one. If APKs are gone, my main sources of entertainment — the things that kept me alive all this time by brightening up my days — they will be gone too. So, this cannot happen. This can't go on. I need my APKs. And I will not stop fighting for their existence, because they are a valuable part of my existence. - The Meteor "
João Pedro, change.org
"If Android copies IOS and becomes locked down garbage than why would I ever use it again? Android is supposed to be the alternative, not a cheap knockoff. Locking down the installation of apps is ridiculous. "
John, change.org
"This is just another tiny step in the journey to control your device. The more they control the more they extract. "
Michael, change.org
"We want a free and open Android, or we'll choose a better platform. Android without free and anonymous apk's installation capabilities it's not Android anymore "
Peoplewant, change.org
"I'm not even a dev and I don't agree with this "
John, change.org
"Android had one advantage over iPhone, that you owned the product that you purchased via being able to download software of which you please. Ruining this feature will not only hurt consumer rights, but will drive many people away. "
Anthony, change.org
"Not only are open platforms important in general, but this effort specifically is an anticompetitive and a fraudulent attempt by Google to begin walling the garden after profiting off of the work of devs in the community and the consumers who bought their products FOR the open nature of the software and devices. The goal here is not to secure the platform, its to kill open source and privacy conscious competition to Google's corporate surveillance complex. "
Shelden, change.org
"Imagine not being able to install programs on your computer that don't go though Microsoft or Apple first. That is where this will go next if this type of practice is made normal/succeeded. "
Kyle, change.org
"I have advocated for Android since I first got one, as well as developed for them for the past few years. This is regressive, and in the event that it passes I will immediately drop any projects involving android and attempt to find a new open OS for my phone as soon as humanly possible. "
June, change.org
Всички препратки, коментари, статии в медиите и видеоклипове →