你的手机,将不再属于你。
自 2027 年*起,Google 将强制推送静默更新,若开发者未在 Google 进行注册、未签署协议、付款或上传官方身份证件,其开发的应用就会被封禁。
全世界所有应用、所有设备都不例外。
↓Google 在做什么?
2025 年 8 月,Google 宣布了一条新规:自 2027 年起,所有 Android 开发者都必须集中向 Google 注册,否则开发的软件就无法安装到任何设备上。所有应用均会受影响,包括在小圈子间互传的应用、在 F-Droid 上发布的应用以及由爱好者开发、个人使用的软件,而不仅限于 Play Store 中的应用。独立开发者、社区组织、爱好者等都将被挡在软件开发与分发的大门之外。
而为了注册,开发者们需要:
- 向 Google 支付费用
- 同意 Google 的条款
- 提交政府签发的身份证件
- 证明自己拥有私有签名密钥
- 列出现在和将来所有要使用的应用 ID
若开发者不服从规定,则全球所有 Android 设备会悄然屏蔽他开发的应用。
谁会受害?
你
你购买 Android 手机,是因为 Google 曾承诺它会开放。你可以自由安装想要的软件,这是当初的承诺。
然而,Google 如今要重写这份协议,而且是追溯到你已拥有的设备。更新落地后,你的手机 —— 你的财产,你花钱购买的 —— 将只能运行 Google 许可的软件。你的手机,在事实意义上,将有一部分不再属于你。
独立开发者
无论是求学少年编写的第一个应用、志愿开发者制作的隐私工具,还是公司内部的保密测试版,均难逃一劫。到了 2027 年,以上软件若未获得 Google 许可,都将无法安装。
F-Droid 上有数千个自由开源的 Android 应用,它们认为这次更新堪称“存亡”威胁。Cory Doctorow 称之为 “Darth Android”。
Google 给予的“退路”,实则是陷阱
Google 声称“高级用户”可以“继续安装”未验证的应用。但是,实际情况却是:
- 你需要打开系统设置,找到开发者选项
- 连续点击版本号七次,打开开发者模式
- 关闭“确认你是否受到了胁迫”的恐吓性提示
- 输入设备的 PIN 码
- 重启设备
- 等待 24 小时
- 回到设置,再次关闭恐吓性提示
- 选择“暂时允许”(7 天)或“永久允许”
- 再次确认你清楚所谓的“风险”
*仅仅只是为了在自己的设备上自己安装侧载软件,*你就需要九步操作、等待二十四小时强制冷静期。
然而,祸不单行的是,这一流程完全受Google Play 服务控制,和 Android 系统无关。Google 可以随时改动、收紧甚至废止,无需系统更新,也无需用户同意。
Android 还只是这一切的开始
如果 Google 可以事后锁定数十亿台当初打着“开放平台”旗号售卖出去的设备,那全世界其他硬件制造商也都可能效仿。
Google 此举将确立 “设备制造商有权在消费者购买后决定其能装什么软件” 的规则。软件圈中,这称为“撤梯子”,但至少用户仍可安装其他竞品。而在硬件上,剥夺用户自主权,让用户任由不受制衡的“守门人”、已被判垄断的巨头摆布,即将成为既定事实。
实际上,Android 的开放性从来不仅是一项功能,而是其区别于 iPhone 的承诺。数百万用户正是出于这一承诺选择了 Android。但如今,Google 自恃市场主导地位和监管影响力足以让其逍遥法外,要单方面撕毁承诺,波及用户早已到手的设备。
Ars Technica:“Google 嫉妒苹果,要摧毁 Android 开放的传统。”
但是稍等,这不就是……
“……说到底不就是安全吗?”
安全只是借口。Google Play Protect 本身无需了解开发者的身份即可扫描恶意软件。要求提交身份证件并不能让代码更安全,只能让开发者被识别和监控。恶意软件制作者照样能注册,独立开发者和异见人士却反而未必。EFF 一针见血:以身份为依据的把关是审查手段,而非安全措施。
“……走高级流程,不还是能侧载吗?”
然而,为了侧载,你需要九步操作、等待二十四小时强制冷静期。而且这条通路不仅埋藏在开发者选项中,还依赖 Google 随时可中断的专有服务。这并非侧载,而是劝退机制,意图正是让大多数人都无法侧载。而且因为该功能通过 Play 服务而非系统实现,Google 可以悄然收紧或关停。
“……没什么见不得人的,怕什么?”
威权政府下的吹哨人、记者、活动家将首当其冲。其次会轮到家庭暴力受害者。这些群体有必要在分发或使用软件时不向 Google 数据库提供真实身份,理由正当。匿名贡献开源代码的传统早在 Google 建立前就已形成,但新政策会在 Android 上消灭这一传统。
“……苹果不也这么干吗?”
苹果从一开始就是封闭生态,人们早已习惯。人们选择 Android,正是因为它不一样,它“开放”。“苹果也这样”是竞相逐底的恶性竞争、五十步笑百步。更何况,在欧盟《数字市场法》的监管压力下,连苹果都被迫开放。Google 却反其道而行之,试图进一步巩固自身在 Android 世界的“土皇帝”地位。
“……不就是 25 美元和填几张表而已?”
或许如此,但前提是你身在美国,有信用卡和可以证明你身份的证件(如驾照)。倘若你是撒哈拉以南非洲的学生、缅甸的异见人士或维护社区健康应用的志愿者,成本就远不止于金钱了:还要将身份证件和签名密钥交给某家经常配合政府下架应用、泄露开发者身份的公司。
那我们应当如何反击?
所有人
- 在你拥有的所有 Android 手机上安装 F-Droid。只有人们大量使用,平替应用商店才能存活下来。
- 联系你所在地区的监管部门。全世界的监管部门都在密切关注科技巨头的垄断和集权问题,也想聆听受害者的真实心声。
- 分享这个页面。让 keepandroidopen.org 遍布网络世界。
- 对抗网络水军。开口就是“其实吧……”的那群人已经倾巢而出,别让他们主导舆论风向。
- 签署 change.org 的请愿书。加入已有超 10 万人签名的行列,让我们的声音被听到。
- 阅读并转发我们的公开信
- 在 Google 自己的调查问卷中,填写你的想法 (虽然这大概率无用,但尽力而为)。
开发者
不要注册开发者账号。不要注册 Android 开发者控制台,不要签署 Google 的不可撤销条款,更不要验证身份。不要授人以柄。
Google 的计划只有在开发者配合时才能生效。因此不要配合。
- 劝说其他开发者和组织不要注册。
- 将 FreeDroidWarn 库集成到你的应用中,提醒用户。
- 你在运营网站吗?可以在你运营的网站添加一条倒计时横幅。
Google 员工
如果你了解该计划的技术实现方式或内部逻辑,使用非工作电脑、非 Gmail 账号发送邮件到 tips@keepandroidopen.org。我们保证绝对保密。
所有反对者……
来自 23 个国家的 71 个组织签署了 公开信
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Techlore techlore.tech
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
Proton AG proton.me
FOSDEM fosdem.org
iodé iode.tech
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
Cryptee crypt.ee
FACiL facil.qc.ca
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Brave brave.com
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
F-Droid f-droid.org
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
April april.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
Data Rights datarights.ngo
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
GitHub Store github-store.org
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
FULU Foundation fulu.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
FUTO futo.org
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
CryptPad cryptpad.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
OpenMedia openmedia.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no 大家怎么说
科技媒体
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"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
"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
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"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
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
评论和分析
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"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
"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
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"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
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"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
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"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 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 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
"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
"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 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 $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
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"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
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"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
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"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
"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'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 has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"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
"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
"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
"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
组织和公开信
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"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 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
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"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
"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
"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
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"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
"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
"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
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"Developers who build privacy-first browsers, encrypted messaging apps, VPNs, Tor-based software or tools for journalists and activists would be required to upload government ID to Google. These developers are unlikely to trust Google and might stop developing for Android."
Brave
"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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
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
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
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
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"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
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"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 Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"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
YouTube 博主和创作者
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google 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 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
"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
"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
"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
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – 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
"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
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – 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
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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
"F-Droid is basically saying that the new Google developer registration process will likely kill the open-source app store entirely."
The Linux Experiment – YouTube
"Google 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 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
"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"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 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
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"This means you can't sideload an app from an unofficial source. But it could also be used to lock the ecosystem so we're forced to install only Google apps on approved Google OS versions."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
开发者和社区
"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
"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
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, 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
"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 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
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, Hacker News
"Google selling Android as both open source and open to running any software you like in order to quickly gain market share, only to break those promises after driving competing platforms out of the market is nothing more than fraud."
GeekyBear, Hacker News
"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
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), 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
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"Any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you, and won't give you a key, they're not doing it for your benefit."
vord (quoting Cory Doctorow), Tildes
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, 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
"I hate this so much. More and more I get the feeling I have no control over the devices I own. My fear is that Windows will eventually follow. For security reasons of course. It's the path we're on now."
cheesyvoetjes, Reddit
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, 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
"Computing is infrastructure. Personal computers are a means of expressing agency. This is like banning people from moving furniture around their house without approval from mortgage lenders."
wervenyt, Tildes
"I 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
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"Google's own Play Store had over 600 million malware downloads. They keep talking about 'security' but their own store is crawling with fake apps and straight up malware while actual useful stuff gets buried or rejected."
Historical-Employ129 (324 upvotes), Reddit
"If 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
"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
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, 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
"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
"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
"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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"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
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, 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
"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
"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
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, 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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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 wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"My Pixel 6 just broke, and after 15 years of using Android, I've finally been convinced to move to iOS. If I must live in a walled garden, I suppose I'll choose the one with nicer flowers."
yonato, Hacker News
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
请愿者的呼声
"Google is an evil entity. I'm not surprised they're doing something evil. "
Justin, change.org
"This is a clear overreach of authority on a platform which has hitherto been a champion of freedom in the segment. This sort of restriction on the Android OS will force those of us with the desire for privacy and freedom of choice to alternative providers, or to create our own. Please re-think this decision and understand that by going this route you are furthering the creation of a world of censorship, restriction, and strife. "
D, change.org
"I use sideloading very often, especially for Linux terminal emulation, and I can't do nearly as much in that vein without it. "
Sylvia, change.org
"I chose Android over Apple because of its openness and flexibility. I want to be the one who controls my device, not some central decision making body. "
Liana, change.org
"I think that there should be access to install whatever you want on YOUR device, and use it how you want to. "
Jamison, change.org
"I 100 don't support this, it seems these companies really want to control us and our freedom. If you are frightened by identification theft or scared that someone in your life is not protected enough then teach them, so you can prevent accidents from happening. This isn't a way to go. "
Naba, change.org
"As a CS Professional and recent CS Grad, the flexibility for Android to allow us to share hobby project apps with friends and family who also use Android is a vital part of the learning experience and what makes Android unique. Requiring paid verification based on government ID will have a stifling effect that will make Android loose the open nature that set it apart from Apple, which has been key to its success for many upcoming CS Students, and for many hobbiests that often lead to professional paths. "
Kyler, change.org
"Google will lose so much money from this, and frankly, we know money is all they care about. Not only is this an obvious nosedive into fascism, it's anti-consumer and I hope Google suffers for it. "
Darien, change.org
"I support identity verification for those who wish to register, but do not support restricting consumers’ ability to install software that they want to. "
Roke, change.org
"Ridiculous. Android always has been open source, and by restricting access to downloading APK files, you're removing the freedom that comes with android. You say it's for safety but if that was the case, you would be removing a bunch of terrible apps on YOUR store filled to the brim with viruses and malware. We know this isn't about protection, it's about control and monopolyzing the phone industry. This decision clearly shows how little you understand your own customers, nor actually care about them "
Aiden, change.org
"#NoMoreCensorship "
Russell, change.org
"Goolag, you are destroying Android and becoming the new Apple. Soon, there will be no escape from your lifeless, locked-down, prison-sentence operating system. Anyone who wants to use real Android, with APKs, custom ROMs, actual Material design, will be locked out. Rooting will be impossible, and Android will be gone. No more cuddly bugdroids to open the lock. No more Graphene OS. No more Lineage OS. No more TWRP. Terabytes upon terabytes of open-source projects, all rendered obsolete. Keep Android open. Because nobody will buy your half-baked, Gemini-centered trash, and live in your dystopian agentic world. Your aiPhones will sit on shelves, never purchased. Sideloading bans will not protect anyone. They will only make the Android community collapse. If you are not from Goolag, listen carefully. Get a custom ROM now, and remove everything with the word “Google” from your devices. Use Startpage instead. Install NewPipe and bypass Goolag’s ad revenue. Sabotage Goolag in every way possible. But do it legally, friends! You don’t want to be caught by the FBI for criminally pirating paid software off of sites like Aptoide! "
squooshy, change.org
"What software I choose to create or install on my computing devices, no matter whether they fit in a pocket, is my choice alone. Google, Microsoft, Apple, et al. have zero business trying to arbitrate how I use the hardware that I own. Android is quickly becoming the very thing it swore to destroy--an opaque, locked-down, walled garden where the very concept of ownership is drawn into question--and I am already taking steps to distance myself from it should the worst come to pass. "
James, change.org
"As user and developer, this is surely concerning and, obviously, unwanted. For a period in my life I've used iOS, but didn't think twice before abandoning it completely, just as I did when moving from Windows to Linux. Again, as user and dev., I treasure having (maximum) control and privacy over my very own devices. To s##t with these ridiculous policies. "
Anthony L., change.org
"Every year my tech gets less and less useful, it seems like every time I look away Alphabet adds more hurdles to jump over simply to have basic access to MY device. Google is a glorified intelligence agency conjured from the depths of DARPA and the CIA. They're allowed to retain their monopoly, not only because of the capitalist dystopia we live in, but because they're a thinly veiled arm of our criminal government, being welded like a cudgel against not only China's much superior tech industry, but the entire world in the form of the tailor made, digital echo chambers they lock us in. "
Steven, change.org
"The Google need to stop "
ghost, change.org
"I do not trust the judgment of one company to decide what every person on Android is allowed to use on their phones. This is a censorship tactic, and will silence and punish small-time app developers who do not have the time or money to plead their case for the right to host their apps. "
Anna, change.org
"First step to digital Gulag "
Sergio, change.org
"Don't do this, I will never spend more than 100$ on an android or any phone ever again. Google, get smart. "
Jamell, change.org
"I originally chose android so I can learn and make things with apk packages, modify my phone and practice security and privacy. Also to break away from the apple cult. If google goes through with it, that'll betray myself and so many others who feel the same. "
Christopher, change.org
"Android has always been a symbol of freedom, a system that allowed us to use our devices our own way, without chains or limitations imposed by corporations. Now Google wants to take that away from Android users, to control every detail as if we weren’t capable of deciding what’s best for ourselves. I don’t agree, and I will never agree, with this absurd, authoritarian, and completely insane decision. They are killing the very essence of Android, the open spirit that made millions of people choose this platform. We, users and developers, have always stood for the power of choice. If Google thinks it can simply impose restrictions and hide behind a false narrative of security, it’s deeply mistaken. Android wasn’t born to be a digital prison. It was born to be free. And if Google keeps going down this path, make no mistake: the community will not stay silent. Freedom will always find a way to fight back. "
Ronaldo, change.org
"Your ruining the freedom who ever to download what we wanted to do and stop limiting what we like to download from other websites or anything that is legally. "
Gabriel, change.org
"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
"I currently own an iPhone, but I've always wanted to switch to and Android because I knew that I wouldn't be limited by what their app store says I can have on my phone. With this change, it sets a precedent that I don't have the right to run what programs I want to run on my technology, and I don't want to live like that. There are so many cool projects that aren't on the Play Store for various reasons, and we can't afford to lose those simply because Google wants control. "
O, change.org
"I only choose Android because of the openness and flexibility in how I choose to use my device. Locking down Android with paid developer verification and blocking me from installing apps manually is not being open. "
Jason, 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
"googleme dokunma "
Adım, change.org
"The ONLY reason why i stay with android is because of the freedom. That is literally the only thing that makes android stand out compared to apple and is the reason why I stayed with android my whole life . If this change does happen and that freedom gets taken away . Im definitely going to switch to apple as there is no reason to entertain android/google anymore . Google , take note of your communities feelings on this matter and understand the risks from an financial stand point on how negatively this will impact your sales. I'm flat out saying you will lose me at least who is a loyal android and google supporter. If im willing to leave , imagine the rest of the community. "
Vincenzo, change.org
"Android's strength has always been its openness. Closing or limiting this system violates users' trust in the principles that led them (or rather, us) to choose Android as their (our) OS. That's why we urge you to keep Android open and not implement any developer or app registration system. Build bridges and educate your users to venture beyond them, rather than erect walls trying to isolate them. "
Edoardo, change.org
"We want our freedom of speech "
Mohammed, change.org
"As the market stands the whole point of having an Android device over an iPhone is that you have more freedom over your device. Android is secure. Any claim that this change is for security is a farce. Unwitting users are not downloading random malicious APKs and then clicking through warnings to install them. It just is a non-existent problem. This change is about Google seizing power for personal gain. It's remarkably short sighted and foolish. If they're going to get rid of developer and subsequently user freedom then there's no reason to stay with Android/Google. I don't like Apple, but they already do security and privacy better and are in all other ways comparable. Google has had no claim to any kind of morality for quite some time, but with this move they are now so greedy and so stupid that they're actively working against their own interests. "
Steven, change.org
"Dystopian, unaccountable corporate control and rug pulling. "
Ethan, 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
"The world can live without android if it's just an apple clone, and the Chinese will copy/clone better if you give them such a easy opportunity sense your taking away freedom, all they have to do is give some freedom and everyone won't be buying apple or android anymore. "
Hilario, change.org
"I use apps that I cannot find on the Google Play Store, Google restricting users to only the Play Store is not only bad, but a hindrance to myself as well since some of these apps I use are of every day use. Android was made to be an open source system since day one, and it needs to stay that way. "
Nova, change.org
"One of the reasons I use android is so I can do what I want unlike an iPhone. Locking it down will make it no different from the competition "
Jonathan, 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
"Without the ability to make my own choices on it I have no reason to use android. I am already tired of and furious about censorship if this goes through I will never use android again. "
Orrin, change.org
"Hold Google accountable to the original vision of Android. Stop Google from limiting APK file usage. "
Jeff, change.org
"I use android since I was aware of what is tech, nearly since android started as an OS, customizing every aspect of my phone I was capable to, breaking things, some of the things that make android being the sweet spot between being in complete freedom (what can be dangerous) and a kindergarten for cellphone users. In later years still using some good indie apps that the developers can't afford to put on google play, going back in app versions through public apk repos like apkmirror when something went wrong with the current version of an app, and more recently being a software developer. Today this is nothing but one more barrier to do native mobile apps (adding to resource intensive development tools, excessive boilerplate, steep learning curve, hardware and OS fragmentation, play store current policies, and many more) turning testing and feedback into a headache. I as a developer see a potential loss of talent that could enrich the ecosystem, a place where only startups and companies will survive (driven by capitalism) except for a minority of truly dedicated developers. I'm not a native English speaker however today I wanted my voice to be heard, doing it so in their language despite the misspelling I could make. I have hope for open source (especially indie); we mustn't forget that many of today's software foundations, including Android, originate from it. I hope they allow, and above all, facilitate the preservation of open source through the small innovations of more casual developers who improve the ecosystem day by day. "
Alexis, change.org
"As a consumer, i have The right to install applications freely without pressure or retaliation,since ona has The right to choose the applications one needs or uses. Furthermore,Android was designed for free use without restriction and with open source code for allá programmer,developers,and users of The device.This restriction would be illogical and would destroy The esence of Android.I oppose the removal of F-Droid and other third party applications. CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT BE FORCED INTO CHANGES THEY NEITHER WANT NOT SUPOORT;BESIDES BEING PROHIBITED,IT IS ILLEGAL TO DECIDE FOR THE USER.ANDROID IS FANTASTIC BECAUSE EVERY USER CAN PERONALIZE THEIR DEVICE.SOMEONE MIGHT HAVE A SPECIFIC BRAND IN MIND,BUT THEIR DEVICE WILL REFLECT THAT PERSONALIZATION,UNLIKE ¡OS, NO TO BLOCKING THIRD PARTY APPS "
Juan Manuel, change.org
"Android was always marketed as an operating system where you could create applications freely and without problems; seeing the shift to a closed operating system is discouraging for small developers and an attack on user freedom. "
Enzo, change.org
"You okay Google? Isolation is never the answer. Hope you feel better soon! "
Robert, change.org
"Android has always been known as the more freedom option on the market. With this move by Google will shatter that belief and create distrust completely. Keep Android free and always will! "
Phuong, change.org
"This is very anti trust and google is doubling down in the form of 'safety and security'. Do not let this happen! "
JASON, change.org
"Vamos parar essa empresa mercenárias "
Euler, change.org
"It's simple. No one else should have the right or the power to control any aspect of your life, not even when it comes to software and information sharing. Of course, security is important, but so are privacy and freedom. What they're trying to do is nothing more than a political ploy, a quest for surveillance and control. "
Gonzalo, change.org
"Sick and tired of Google's garbage. "
Gabriel, change.org
"I had to begrudgingly install google on my phone recently, and it's so difficult to get it off. I'm probably going to install graphene on the phone in the near future, so I don't have to consent to everything and get tracked constantly. "
Hank, change.org
"This won't stop until we put an end to monopolies! "
daniel, 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
"I am genuinely angry about what Google is trying to do by limiting APK usage. This is not some tiny background tweak. This cuts straight into the reason many of us chose Android in the first place. Android meant freedom. It meant I could install what I wanted. It meant developers could share their work without kneeling before a single approval system. It meant that when I bought my phone, it was actually mine. We keep hearing that this is about “security.” And yes, security matters. Nobody wants malware. But there is a real difference between protecting users and controlling them. Give people warnings. Give them tools. Educate them. Do not take away their ability to choose. I am an adult, fully willing and capable of deciding what I install on my own device. When APK usage is restricted, everything narrows. Developers get pushed into one official channel. One review process. One company deciding what is acceptable and what is not. That kind of centralized control should make all of us uncomfortable. It changes the balance of power, and it does it under the soft language of safety and convenience. This is about ownership. If I cannot freely install apps, do I truly own my device? Or am I just using it within boundaries that can shift whenever it best suits a corporation? I hardly think it is extreme to say that when I pay for hardware, I should have complete control over what runs on it. That is not radical. That is basic digital autonomy. And I am not okay with watching that autonomy slowly disappear without saying something. "
Brooke, change.org
"As I'm planning on purchasing a new device soon, this announcement is making me reconsider choosing android at all. If it is moving towards controlling user freedoms, Android becomes less compelling, as that has been the major draw for me. "
Taryn, change.org
"Ces é paia mano "
Solalalule, change.org
"I'm a new Android game developer but unfortunately what Google did is unacceptable! We need to stop this stupid idea before it becomes a reality!! "
Guilherme, change.org
"Products should be made to give the consumer control of the product they purchase. They should not be used for the corporation that manufactured the product to control the consumer use of that product or what the consumer has access to. This is a form of controlled speech and is a violation of the first amendment of the United States of America. "
Mitch, 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
"This is a threat to everyone's first amendment rights. Google's tech oligarchy is trting gatekeep creativity for their own greed. This should concern everyone, not just F-Droid developers and users! They won't just stop at F-Droid, their goal is total control! "
AJ, change.org
"Android is Linux. Linux is free! "
Arthur, change.org
"This is an attempt to stifle free and open development because that development has created avenues that subvert Google's bottom line. People are becoming tired of being the product and have the right to their privacy- but Google belives they have a right to force people to become said product by limiting where and how they use their devices. Buzz-words like "a more secure ecosystem" are used to hide their true initiative: their bottom line. Ironically, this corse of action may become the driving force that pushes Linux phones into full maturity, thus amputating the open-source-development community as revenue. I don't subsidize my mobile device purchases so that I may have full control over what I can do with them. Upon this move, I will gladly suffer the inconvenience of a less-mature operating system or less-developed device over a walled garden built by greed mascurading under the guise of "This is what will be best for everyone." "
Jake, change.org
"For the freedom of an open and universal system for all! "
Zaphyru's, change.org
"Fight for internet freedom/anonymity! "
m, change.org
"My device is my device. "
arianna, change.org
"I release my apps on Github, this change will make my apps unusable. "
Mitch, change.org
"Please STOP being evil Google-u promised it once but obviously those words were hollow & meaningless so just stop it. "
Steven, change.org
"Sim ao Android "
Cristina, change.org
"If Android OS is going to be like Apple OS, it makes more sense to use an iPhone in the next process. "
Özkan, change.org
"Dear Google, you are single handedly destroying the whole purpose for which we use Android. Not only will you see a mass exodus from Google devices/services, you will force the creation of alternative operating systems that allow for user privacy and fredom for app developers. You all are making it harder for yourselves and for us. "
Kevin, change.org
"This would mean there's no longer a reason to use android "
Chandrea, change.org
"I chose to use android for the freedom and customization within its current limits. I have never owned any other type. If this passes, I will be leaving galaxy and Google android devices. I believe in freedom and privacy for all. "
Joel, change.org
"I despise ALPHABET's manipulative and self-serving gestures, toward gate-keeping OUR FREEDOMS and coyly investing themselves in THEIR PROMOTION, of our best intetests! 601=VC1 "
Ian, change.org
"I've spent my entire youth and adult life trying my very best to curate tech that puts me in charge rather than some unaccountable corporation. Unfortunately not everyone has the luxury I do, and even my position is somewhat precarious. As a user of GrapheneOS, theoretically this change will not affect me directly, but that doesn't mean the ripples will not reach me. App developers are being hamstrung in such a way that I have no confidence whatsoever that these proposed changes to the Android ecosystem won't wind up killing useful and important apps that I use. Just using an unverified device is not enough, these changes must not go through. "
Ben, change.org
"You're forcing us to create an alternative. We live in an age of increasingly powerful AI, we will not let you control everything. "
Anthony, change.org
"This petition is important because as an open source developer and long-time Android enthusiast, the freedom of installing software on a device I own is mandatory. Android is fun and customizable, let's ensure that both developers and users can continue to enjoy their devices without restrictions. "
Benjamin, change.org
"we need to choice. stop google "
Dhlox, change.org
"The entire reason I switched to Android in the first place was the freedom that it allowed compared to Apple products. I felt stifled and restricted by Apple software and moved to Android with the hope that I would have more freedoms, despite some other downsides that existed at the time compared to Apple, such as camera quality. Without the freedom to install what I want when I want, what's the point in even continuing with Android? The core reason I switched would be taken away, and there would be no reason at all for me to continue using Android products. Being able to sideload apps and have more control over how I use my device has been incredible, and I do not want to lose that. And my god I do not want to have to switch to a new device brand because of this, but I will if this is pushed through. "
Cortney, change.org
"The whole point---for me---to have an Android phone is to stay away from Apple's closed ecosystem. Google locking down APK privileges to "approved developers" spits in the face of this. An owner of a phone should have the right and ability to install whatever they want on it, without deference to any company. If this change goes through, my next phone certainly won't be an Android one. "
Adam, change.org
"Please reconsider this decision. Android has always been about freedom and open source. Being able to support small developers and having choices to sideload apps is integral to Android's success. "
Jay, change.org
"I think the freedom to have a choice on this matter is important, not just because there is a case to make regarding unsupported products let alone possible monopoly concerns, but also because there is a major issue regarding the freedom of choice on this matter that I think should not be taken away as an option for consumers. "
Ronald, change.org
"dear android, you are doing what you did to unlimited photo storage and making it limited. i have been eyeing the linux cell phone ecosystem for awhile and hope that is my option if you decide to limit and cripple the ecosystem you helped build. i have been degoogling my services like photos, drive, gmail, and calendar. if you change for the worse, i will change for the better "
michael, change.org
"This undermines user choice, Again. This will hurt countless small businesses and massively increase the barrier to entry for new bootstrapped developer startups. We don't need more gatekeeping. "
Thomas, change.org
"We have the right to use our phones as we like. DON'T BREAK OUR FREEDOM "
Ferdari, change.org
"It wasn’t enough to allow malicious apps on the Playstore, now they want to remove the one thing that makes someone want to use Android? And I haven’t even commented yet on the fact that they prevent users from exploring their own files freely (date, obb), and applications with security flaws that cannot be uninstalled. the situation does not seem to be good... But there is still hope "
Adonis, change.org
"We live in a declining society where it is becoming ever more apparent that those in power wish to hoard & guide technologies to enrich themselves more. Enough! Proprietary systems are no different than a safe, one you may use only in the manner that those with enough wealth & influence to have the safe's combination are willing to allow its usage. Such systems are a net negative to wider societal growth & stability. Meant to lock out new talent & stifle overall creativity which could massively improve the system overall. Just another example of a tech company's massive overreach. It should 100% be stopped. "
Aaron, change.org
"I signed this petition because Google is slowly turning Android into a locked down version of iOS and it's really frustrating. I bought my phone, it's my property, yet every few months they add more restrictions on APKs, more warnings, more blocks that make it annoying or impossible to install apps from outside the Play Store. Sideloading is something separate that I also want to keep fully open and easy. This isn't about security anymore it's about control and forcing everyone into their ecosystem so they can monitor and profit from everything we do. I want the freedom to install what I want on my own device without Google acting like a parent who doesn't trust me. Developers and power users especially need this ability, and regular users deserve the choice too. If we don't push back now, soon we'll have no real alternatives left and Android will lose what made it special in the first place. Please sign and share if you value your device freedom. "
Christopher, change.org
"I've used side loading a number of times in the past to load 3rd party developed apps. Not supporting this will make me seriously reconsider other phones and OS "
Richard, change.org
"I've used both an apple and an android, the differences between them are like night and day, one has made it almost impossible to have free applications unless your willing to deal with a bombardment of ads, it also made it near impossible to have true safety, privacy, and freedom . Safety) there are applications that are aiding in the fight against tyrannical countries by making you decide what apps should be acceptable in which country you are harming people. Privacy) There wont be any anonymity with Developers, who now have to pay to make something for others, this doesn't encourage charity and generosity, it only fuels greed Freedom) There wont be a single application no matter how 'offline' the features are that wont be paid or ad-bloated, I don't get to choose any app and deal with the consequences, of those choices. in the words of Ben Franklin "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" "
jack, change.org
"Im sick of these souless corps squeezing every cent from us they can! "
Marcus, change.org
"Google get out of MY phone! "
Mauro, change.org
"People who choose Android over Apple do so because Android offers the freedom to install apps freely and develop apps as a hobby. I think that if they remove access to APKs, I'll switch to Apple, and I think most people will do the same. "
Alexis, change.org
"Android has always been free and I get that money and safety is a massive push at the moment especially with the UK ID laws and much more but there has to be another way and if not to scrap this entirely. Everyone knows that android is open and thats alot of the reason people stick to Android and leave Apple and IOS behind. Androids openess has been a key part to my tech Journey and even my brand. Myself and many others would lose neishe apps that make their lives and even businesses possible and effective. KEEP ANDROID FREE. "
Grayson, change.org
"I paid for the computer, its mine, I should be able to put whatever I want on it. I hate google, I will be removing every google associated anything from my life because of their continued abuse. "
Brenden, change.org
"As someone who writes and uses my own APKs to make my device even more useful to me, this lockdown would be a deal breaker for my use of the Google Android platform "
Luke, 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
"Google is not tuff for ts "
John, change.org
"Don't tread on us Google! "
Trevor, change.org
"I switched to Android to escape Apple's aggressively anti-consumer walled garden. My S20 Ultra (that I paid over $1600 for, after tax) is finally starting to show it's age, but now I have no incentive to get another android device for my next smartphone if you follow through with these changes. I've been a vocal supporter of Android for years, but if you don't scrap this change, I will boycott Alphabet products altogether and do my best to ensure as many others as possible are well-informed on why they should do the same. "
Jacob, change.org
"I use android phones and coordinate my digital life using the Google ecosystem. I chose Android/Google because although I loved the iPhone and iOS, I didn't want to use a closed digital environment. I don't "sideload" apps on my phone, just like I don't "sideload" programs on my laptop. I install apps myself, outside of the Google Play Store. I've rooted many of my phones too, for many different reasons. There's nothing illegal going on, I simply want things on my phone to look and function a certain way. When Google takes away my ability to install apps myself in September, it will eliminate it's primary advantage over Apple. When my current phone contract ends I'll buy an iPhone instead of a Samsung or other Android OS phone. There are millions of other people, like myself, that will do the exact same thing. "
John, change.org
"The Only reason I have an Android cell phone is because I can install Linux to it Take away my ability to use My cell the way I want then there is no longer any reason for me to own any cell phone This type of Dictatorship and greed for money and it power needs to stop I install LineageOS to my cell to stop the constant nag from Google to push this button pop ups. And to try to curb all the spyware I use No social apps, "I hate social spyware" My cell phone is a "Phone" Google has proven to me my dislike for all things Google was correct I will be looking online for a True Open Source Hardware / Software cell phone cost last time I checked was approx $2,000.00 USD "
chris, change.org
"I cannot count the amount of times a sideloaded application has provided me with a much needed service or feature! Removing the ability to install such applications would be a massive blow not only to the users of android, but the operating system as a whole, and what it has and should still stand for. Which is the "your device your choice" mentality. The choice by Google to implement this change is nothing more than corporate greed. This decision should be reversed and an apology issued as soon as possible. "
Josh, change.org