Your phone is about to stop being yours.

143 days until lockdown

Starting in 2027*, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.

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

What Google is doing

In August 2025, Google announced a new requirement: starting in 2027, every Android app developer must register centrally with Google before their software can be installed on any device. Not just Play Store apps: all apps. This includes apps shared between friends, distributed through F-Droid, built by hobbyists for personal use. Independent developers, church and community groups, and hobbyists alike will all be frozen out of being able to develop and distribute their software.

Registration requires:

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

Who this hurts

You

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

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

Independent developers

A teenager's first app, a volunteer's privacy tool, or a company's confidential internal beta. It doesn't matter. In 2027, none of these can be installed without Google's blessing.

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

Governments & civil society

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

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

Google's "escape hatch" is a trap door

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

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

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

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

This is bigger than Android

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

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

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

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

But wait, isn't this...

"...just about security?"

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

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

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

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

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

"...the same thing Apple does?"

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

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

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

Fight back

Everyone

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

Developers

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

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

Google employees

If you know something about the program's technical implementation or internal rationale, contact tips@keepandroidopen.org from a non-work machine and a non-Gmail account. Strict confidence guaranteed.

All those opposed…

71 organizations from 23 countries have signed the open letter

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

Read the full open letter and thank the signatories →

What they're saying

Tech press

"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"

The New Stack

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

Gizmochina

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

TechRepublic

"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"

InfoWorld

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

The Verge

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

Techdirt

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

heise online

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

Slashdot

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

How-To Geek

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

How-To Geek

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

Benzinga

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

TechSpot

"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"

Reclaim The Net

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

Cybernews

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

Tuta Blog

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

The Register

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

Datamation

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

MakeUseOf

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

Android Police

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

Tom's Guide

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

It's FOSS News

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

Techzine EU

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

Tom's Guide

"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."

Thom Holwerda, OSnews

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

How-To Geek

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

Android Headlines

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

I-Programmer

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

9to5Google

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

Android Headlines

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

Hackaday

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

The Register

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

TechCrunch

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

How-To Geek

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

Ars Technica

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

Infosecurity Magazine

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

The Register

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

XDA Developers

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

How-To Geek

"Keep Android Open"

Linux Magazine

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

Android Headlines

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

SlashGear

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

How-To Geek

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

Bleeping Computer

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

Ars Technica

"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"

Internet Freedom Foundation (India)

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

Open Source For U

Editorials & analysis

Organizations & open letters

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

European Parliament

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

Nextcloud

"A centralized global registration system for Android will inevitably chill this work. Those communities are likely to drop out of developing for Android altogether."

Electronic Frontier Foundation

"This 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

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

AdGuard

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

Tech-ish Kenya

"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

"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

"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

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

F-Droid

"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

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

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

"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

"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

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

Tuta

"Google will cut off independent developers to Android if they do not register with Google first. This will kill independent platforms like F-Droid and severely impede FLOSS devs from creating apps for Android."

KDE

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

AdGuard

"Changes would impose barriers to entry for individual developers, small teams and volunteer projects by imposing fees, identity checks and terms that may not align with the principles of an open ecosystem."

Infosecurity Magazine

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

Tuta

"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

"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

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

F-Droid

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

European Pirate Party

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

ACLU

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

F-Droid Open Letter

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

F-Droid

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

AdGuard

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

Osservatorio Nessuno

"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

YouTubers & creators

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

Tuta Blog – Blog

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

fireborn – Blog

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

fireborn – Blog

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

ChiefGyk3D – YouTube

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

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."

Techlore – YouTube

"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

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

Tuta Blog – Blog

"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

"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 has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."

Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – 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

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

Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube

"I'm not using the word 'phone.' I'm using the word 'computer.' This has over 8 GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage. It's a computer. And I'm also not going to be using words like 'sideload.' When you download an exe file onto your Windows computer, you've installed an application. You haven't 'sideloaded' something."

Louis Rossmann – YouTube

"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."

Techlore – YouTube

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

ChiefGyk3D – YouTube

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

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

"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

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

ChiefGyk3D – YouTube

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

Techlore – YouTube

"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 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

"The widely-circulated narrative that Google already backed down from this is false. They didn't, and that misunderstanding may be the most dangerous part of the story right now."

Techlore – YouTube

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

Louis Rossmann – YouTube

Developers & community

"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

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

TheTearMiser, Lemmy

"Whatever Google is doing kind of scares me. We have a big DIY community of diabetics in Germany running tools like AndroidAPS that cannot ever be distributed through official channels."

pimeys (Type 1 diabetic, DIY medical software), Lobsters

"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

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

BenjaminRi, 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

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

lynxy, Tildes

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

koala, Lobsters

"Years ago, I wondered how Google would try to get away with locking down Android and shutting the cage door after capturing such a large dependent user base. Now I see how they are trying to get away with it."

chaznabin, Reddit

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

Zak, Lemmy

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

Zak, 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

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

nibbleyou (developer in India), 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

"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

"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

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

hn92726819, Hacker News

"Requiring a government ID to distribute software. Holy shit. If you are a kid and want to create a game for your friends, you better get that birth certificate ready!"

llitz, Reddit

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

flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News

"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

"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

"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

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

hbn, Hacker News

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

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

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

paxys, Hacker News

"Google has no right to be my parent. As long as I can't reject paternalism, I don't believe for a second this is done with the well-being of scam victims as the main priority."

gspr, Lobsters

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

gcupc, Lobsters

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

gumby271, 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

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

girvo, 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

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

Max-P, Lemmy

"If I go down this path, I will stop all development on Android. I implore all other developers to resist this. This will completely lock down the platform forever, there will be no going back."

BatteryMountain, Hacker News

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

MrZander, Hacker News

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

BenjaminRi, Lobsters

"I want to deploy apps on my device. They are my apps, it's my device, and I should not be required to ask for permission to do so."

fsniper, Hacker News

"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

"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

"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

"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

"This is a war on users that want to keep control of their phones and when it's done, you will not be able to escape the enshittification."

ikidd, Lemmy

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

layfellow, Hacker News

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

tejtm, Hacker News

"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."

masterofn001, Lemmy

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

harry8, Hacker News

"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

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

survirtual, Hacker News

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

anordal, Lobsters

"I teach digital literacy and 99% of unsavory software I encounter on people's phones come from the Play Store or App Store. I will believe they're serious about protecting users when I see them do something about the crap ton of borderline scam apps infesting their stores."

1995ToyotaCorolla, Lemmy

"Google 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

"Making it harder makes it harder to treat ourselves. Software like AndroidAPS is unique. It's hard to find or very expensive and inferior in the proprietary market."

pimeys (diabetic user on life-critical medical software), Lobsters

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

afferi300rina, Hacker News

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

Apocryphon, Hacker News

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

Tiraon, 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

"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

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

vala, Lemmy

"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

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

WaffleMonster, Slashdot

Voices from the petition

"We are so used to it by now, but not having root access to your own device is insane. This would never fly in the PC space. I just want a computer in my pocket, but instead we have locked down appliances that we are not free to use as we wish. Side-loading apps made not having root access palatable since I could still do most things I would want to do anyway. Without it, I will be looking to move away from Android going forward. "

Brandon, change.org

"Hey Google, remember what you said? "Be together, not the same." "

Christopher, change.org

"Device freedom shluld not be limted and the whole appel of android is device freedom taking that away defeats the whole point terrible change hope this doesn't go through "

Logan, change.org

"The reason I don't like the IPhone ecosystem is because of how restricted it is, inwas able to support games or authors who don't publish on Google playstore due to what country they live "

Hairon, change.org

"Changes like this severely limit fledgeling development. While you promise easy ways to register for free, any barrier can be enough to stop someone from making their first app. Additionally, anonymous publishing should be available for applications that may go against the will of those in power. This change limits freedom as well as killing the developer community. "

Jack, change.org

"Android does not need to be the same as iphones are: locked and proprietary. "

Dustin, change.org

"dont do that man "

Kaktus, change.org

"Open Android was a promise to devs and users. Now Google tries to turn Android into a closed shop. That is disapointing. "

Marc, change.org

"Freedom and anonymity in app development are extremely important. This petition and comment is a declaration that we will not bow to great power and will continue to protect our rights. I hope Google doesn't end up like Apple. "

伊藤, change.org

"is the monopoly finally going to end? "

Rafael, change.org

"What guarantee is there that Google will use this data to make money? If only it were used for apk content bar betting houses and violent challenge. "

Waldomiro, change.org

"Google is making Android more similar to iOS, and we cannot remain passive. We need to unite and resist Google's monopoly control. "

Jerry, change.org

"Ceasing to monopolize everything under the guise of "user security" only harms millions of independent developers and the users who consume their apps "

Angeles, change.org

"Don't let Google shut down Android, let your voice be heard! "

Gustavo, change.org

"Google needs to STOP! Taking away MY Right to choose what apps I will or won't use is completely UNACCEPTABLE and ILLEGAL! Freedom of Choice has always been a hallmark of the Android lifestyle. Unlike Apple's closed-box system, Android's relatively open nature gives me the ability to choose FOSS apps over paid closed-source apps, saving me both money AND the lost sleep over repeated worries about tracking, ads and spyware in the apps I regularly use. Google's recent decision to lock the system down and force devs to pay huge "membership" fees, surrender ALL their rights under a TOS that is AGAINST them developing without providing the ID and private signature keys and listing any application IDs they have. If this isn't the behavior of a monopoly, than please define to me what is?! "

Stephen, change.org

"Google. Seriously. Stop. You're becoming the definition of the "don't be evil" slogan that you've buried. You're making Android even worse than iOS "

Karkan, change.org

"Keep google free and open to use third party apps and app stores. "

Robert, change.org

"I develop apps for personal use and use fdroid for open source and privacy focused apps. This will just be another step towards tyranny and control "

Jackson, change.org

"One of the few remaining features that Android provides over it's completion is a relatively open ecosystem for app development. Having to sign all apps through Google kills any motivation to have fun and develop apps for yourself and friends. Let's be honest, Android is not the best mobile operations stream. Openness was it's advantage. With that soon to be gone, there will be very little holding people back from switching over to Apple. "

Terence, 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

"That cannot be allowed, it even attacks the freedom of all users who use Android, for years that has always been the case, therefore, making that change, It would result in a catastrophic situation for many users, including Google itself, with many losses in every sense. "

Javier, change.org

"Google is trying to remove any ownership of a device that I bought and paid for. If they wanted to make it some what more difficult to side load in order to prevent people accidentally installing non-reputable apps, that would be understandable, however there complete blocking of installing apps on my own device shows an irreverence for my personal property. "

Ryan, change.org

"I don’t want a walled garden on android like iOS it sucks "

Caleb, change.org

"With Google aiming to lockdown Android, what makes it any different than Apple? The only reason I and many others opt for Android is because it's openness! "

Christian, change.org

"Keep Android Open Google! Make it stand out to users and developers above the iPhone! "

Jason, change.org

"i have apple, but it'll be so desperate if the people who use android to have to hand android your private and personal id, and even if i have android i am NOT handing android my private and personal id. over my dead body. "

Navell, change.org

"I do not like doing this to Google but if I have to I will format my phone and I will switch it over to Kiley "

Jonathan, 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

"I have payed and continue to pay for an android device. The right to upload whatever app I please on my own device should be maintained. By extension, developers shouldn't have to give money, personal identifying information, and private sign in keys to google. Nor should developers be subjected to google's constant scrutinized spying and biases through : - Being forced to agree to google's terms and conditions. - Alongside extorting app identifiers for the entirety of an app's life span. Taking away and inhibiting both the ability to do what I want with my own device and the ability of developers to share their creations with others is wrong. What google is proposing is anti-consumer and against the values of freedom. "

Alexandria, change.org

"Android has always stood for user choice that’s what made it different. Taking away freedoms like sideloading apps goes directly against that foundation. Not every developer wants to go through approval processes just to create or use their own apps. Many of us build things for personal use, experimentation, or learning not for distribution under strict control. These changes don’t just limit developers they set a dangerous precedent. This is how censorship and platform control begin, slowly turning an open ecosystem into a closed one. Android was meant to be open. What made it powerful was the freedom it gave its users. Stripping that away doesn’t protect people it restricts them. If Android continues down this path, it risks losing what made it great in the first place. "

Jared, change.org

"Terms and conditions work both ways. Google cannot simply violate their end of the bargain like this. "

Katrina, change.org

"Google sucks if it changes android and will burn! "

Gage, change.org

"Protect Android FREEDOM... I’ve used Android for years because it stood for freedom and choice. But lately Google has been making it harder to install APK files apps that come from outside the Play Store. That freedom to choose what I put on my own phone is what made Android different, and it’s slowly disappearing. I’m not a developer or hacker just someone who believes that the device I bought should truly belong to me. I should be able to install safe apps from any source without being blocked or discouraged. This isn’t about breaking rules it’s about keeping control over our own technology. If Google keeps tightening these restrictions Android will lose the openness that made it great. I care because user freedom matters and I don’t want to see it taken away bit by bit. "

Boris, change.org

"APKs CANNOT be ripped away from us. "

Twily, change.org

"You have to ask yourself. What is google's motivation and it's simple power ingredient "

D., change.org

"As an app developer, the last time I sent google my address, they put it on their store page for anyone to see. It was not clear to me that they would do this and it happened without my clear consent. During this time, I was also receiving death threats. I felt unsafe and afraid, and Google's actions directly contributed to my lack of personal safety. I will never trust Google with my personal information again. I would rather just not support Android platform than compromise my privacy and safety. "

Skye, change.org

"Well google showed their true colours. Time to start migrating all my accounts away from them. What a joke. "

Jordan, change.org

"I honestly don't understand why this even has to be petitioned for in the first place. It should be self-evident that it should be entirely up to the user what software should be installed on their own device. "

Patrick, change.org

"Google, don't be evil. "

Eric, change.org

"Android is all about being open. Removing the ability to install apps without the play store destroys this freedom. This will kill the dreams of young app developers, and will hurt high-quality open source apps that don't have the funding to pay to Google. This move will stifle app development innovation, and will hurt users by removing choice. Without free choice, I am left asking the question "Why Android anymore?" If Android is locked down like IOS, maybe going with Apple is better. I hope I don't have to switch to IOS. "

Austin, change.org

"This policy would put developers at risk. This isn't safety, it's censorship. "

Teagan, change.org

"I use Android because of the freedom to customize and use my phone the way I want. I don't need Google telling me how to use my phone. "

Deja, change.org

"The only reason I use Android since 2012 is for the freedom it gives over iphones and the ability to install what I want. Fine to give a warning (they already do) but blocking this is unacceptable and against what Android has always stood for. "

Allen, change.org

"My business uses and older app distributed via apk. It is no longer maintainable but works perfectly fine. It will be a huge hassle rebuilding the app just to comply with this new rule to be certified. "

Aaron, change.org

"Using Android has always meant having the freedom to customize your experience to your hearts content, this would be the end of an era. This would also be the end of many small app developers that can't or won't conform to the what one might say 'invasive' requirements to publish an app. You can say goodbye to FOSS and side loading which is a huge part of Android customization. "

sebastian, change.org

"Boydan girmek lazım "

Said, change.org

"Really hurting developers with this move. I implore those that are have good conscience left at google to re-evaluate. "

Calvin, change.org

"Android livre! "

Wanderson, change.org

"I do not support Google moving android in a totalitarian direction where freedom is removed and central authority is enforced. Keep Android Free! "

Phillip, 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 best part of android is the freedom to do what we want, downloading fan made apps and such is the freedom we like its kinda only reason people buy androids "

Andrew, change.org

"I am the founder of Yale Privacy Lab, where we have investigated privacy and security issues in Android apps since 2017. I can say without hesitation that this change makes Android users less safe. Android is based upon free and open source software (FOSS) and that has always been defined by user choice. Blocking the capability to install apps directly from trusted sources outside Google Play is not a small tweak. It removes a core freedom. We should not need permission to run software on devices we own. Framing this change as protection does not reflect the reality of the Android ecosystem. Google Play has long allowed unsafe apps, invasive tracker SDKs, and supply chain threats that slip through automated review. Independent audits have consistently revealed these issues inside of Google Play, even *after* Google claims to have scrubbed. For example, the X-mode SDK persisted long after it was banned in the USA by the FTC enforcement action, and was still present in many Google Play apps until Google was called out by my own investigation. Initially, Google responded by saying I was wrong but then acknowledged their error in press. Long after that, other tracker SDKs associated with X-mode and the wider ad-tech surveillance economy have persisted. In many cases, the safer and more privacy-conscious option is to use F-Droid to install apps. F-Droid is just one organization that is much more serious than Google about checking the safety of their catalog of apps. Sometimes, the safest option is installing APKs directly from trusted developers. These methods can avoid ad trackers, surveillance code, and unwanted data sharing. To cut off these options is to put many activists, journalists, whistleblowers, and ordinary users at risk. "

Sean, change.org

"Take away the freedom of Android, and you'll lose the majority of your userbase. Seems like a smart move! "

Evan, change.org

"Android is designed to be free. We own OUR devices. This is not up for discussion "

Brandon, change.org

"Remember, "DON'T BE EVIL." These are still worthy and wise words to live by. Don't be a competition crushing monopoly, driven by the love of money and power which, is the root of much evil. With wisdom and awareness, operate according to the principles of enlightened self-interest, acting in the world with peace and virtue in order to more readily manifest Heaven on Earth, Our Earth in Heaven. Let us be good for our own sake if not for goodness sake. "

Mark, change.org

"Google has shown a lack of respect for user privacy their entire existence. You own your device, you spent hundreds of dollars/Euros for it. It was not a loan by Google, it is yours, and you should control what you use it for. People who want to use only Google verified apps are free to do so without having to infringe on the rights of the people knowledgeable enough to make the decision to use apps from outside Google's Play store. Google and others have long criticized Apple for this exact thing, to the point that they're in a lawsuit for it. For Google to try this shows a complete lack of respect for the customer, a lack of integrity, and complete and utter hypocrisy. If I want to make a personal app to control a toy I made and programmed, why should I have to give Google my personal information, jump through extra hoops, give them my code, and PAY them for the privilege of doing my own work? It's ridiculous. It's pure corporate greed. More than that, it's an attempt from Google to control your device. Yet another avenue for censorship, surveillance, and the road towards a world without any freedom, all under the guise of "safety." This is not just an attack on you and your device. This is an attack on your freedom as an individual and your right to your privacy and choice. This shouldn't just be a petition, this needs to be nonnegotiable. "

Paul, change.org

"Android promised us a choice. We shouldn't let them take it away from users and developers alike just to have more control. "

Cross, change.org

"Literally the only reason I swapped to android years ago was because it had freedoms that iPhones didn't. I may as well swap back if this is how things are going. "

Robert, change.org

"How Google came about to be the say all of android is probably by phone users lazyness to learn or try other Interfaces then the default paid preinstalled apps.. "

Chris, change.org

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

Loren, change.org

"The whole reason Android is popular is because it's open source. By locking away sideloading and forcing developers to verify themselves, what difference is there between this and iOS, which is starting to allow sideloading of apps? "

Ruben, change.org

"This change would effectively prevent any normal user from escaping the constant for profit schemes you'll find on the play store. Kids deserve games that don't try to coerce money out of them "

Jody, change.org

"As a user, Stop it. Android is cool for openness: you close it, we'll leave "

Nicolò, 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

"Keep android open, or there will be a fork. Open software always prevails "

Mikka, change.org

"Enough. Google blocking APK usage is an attack on user freedom, innovation, and fair competition. Blocking sideloading centralizes control, stifles small developers, and forces users into a gated ecosystem controlled by one corporate gatekeeper. We deserve the right to choose how we manage our devices, install software we trust, and support independent developers. Security can be improved without stripping choice — transparent warnings and user education. This is about digital sovereignty. Join our petition to demand that Google restore full, responsible APK access now. Defend openness, choice, and the future of a free app ecosystem. Sign now. "

Evela, change.org

"Spread this everywhere, we can't afford to be lazy. Also, for my fellow Aussies! You can fight against the Online Censorship Act here! https://t.co/ZqH6nemOJb and https://freespeechunion.au/esafety/ and https://endesafety.au/ please take some time to check these out! "

Sara, change.org

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

Mark, change.org

"I think this a terrible thing since what if you're trying to create your own project app but with this you wont be able to create your own app easily with no problem for your own personal self "

Angel, change.org

"Sideloading is genuinley the one actual reason I choose android phones over Apple. Without it, the switch is actually negligble. This is not the business decision to make. "

Leon, change.org

"Open APK usage is literally the only reason I switched to Android in the first place "

John, 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

"Android has always been my preferred due to the freedom and flexibility it allows developers and consumers like me. To take that away, you're becoming more like apple and deciding what I, the consumer of your devices and software do with my device. If this goes forward, I will utilize an alternative to apple or android. "

Genesis, change.org

"Android has always been my favorite platform because I can download apps externally, often community-created apps with various benefits. Removing this option from Android is like erasing its very essence. "

Davi, change.org

"The selling point of Android has always been freedom, in contrast to Apple's centralized ecosystem. I use Android because it allows me to tailor my experience to my wants and needs rather than what a big corporation decided that I need. I like supporting small creators and developers, which will be made increasingly more difficult with such a barrier to app creators. If you turn into Apple, there is no more reason to choose Android. You will just be another form of unnecessary censorship and limitation. "

Jackson, change.org

"I am Japanese and using translation. I am deeply disappointed about this matter. There is no need to restrict the great features of Android. If only a limited number of people can develop, it will only lead to the decline of content. Please stop making things worse. "

成田, change.org

"Intelectual property is a disgrace! If what Google is trying to do is normalized it will eventually reach other OSes and it could kill game preservation via emulation. Not only that, they are also trying to normalize putting ridiculous restrictions to the freedom of the developers which could eventually kill open-source or at least make it unimaginably worst! "

Guilherme, change.org

"We want digital sovereignty for democracy! "

Kelly, change.org

"Having the ability to own your phone and use it as you wish is the ONLY reason I have used Android over Iphone for years "

Matthew, change.org

"Removing the feature that set android apart, the very feature that drove countless users to choose Android, is not something we will sit idly by and accept. These are our devices. We own them. Not the corporations. They do not get to tell us how we can and can't use our devices. You are not protecting us. You are attempting to control us, to build a monopoly and line your pockets more than you already have. "

Jorja, change.org

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

Thomas, change.org

"Android started as the Anti-Apple and the ubiquity of manufacturers, form functions, ROMs, and open source app development has made it what it is today: the worlds most used operating system powering nearly 70% of phones and 1/3 of all devices, even surpassing Windows. App verification and sideloading through ADB only will hamper development and greater adoption moving forward. If forced into a walled garden, why not just use iOS? "

Nicholas, change.org

"Hold Google accountable to the original vision of Android. Stop Google from limiting APK file usage. "

Jeff, change.org

"This feels like bait and switch. Android has been the open alternative to iOS and that's a primary reason why I've chosen to support Android over the years. We don't have a viable truly free alternative like on the desktop, but Android is the best we've got. "

Sol, change.org

"What a spit in the face from Google. I switched from iOS to Android for the freedom, and this is what they do to me? Google gave me yet another reason to migrate away from their technocratic oligarchy & seek independence from profit-seeking corporations. Frankly, I don't expect Google to care about its customers anymore. But I'm still going to raise my voice. "

Samuel, change.org

"That's bad google policity "

José, change.org

"Sideloading does not exist. I bought the device, I own it and will use it as I see fit. I'm sure Sundar wouldn't appreciate his gardener telling him what grass he's allowed to grow. "

Eric, change.org

"I bought my Android devices so I could have the freedom to use it as I wish. Google's change goes against every reason I bought my Android devices to use. Keep Android open. Otherwise, what's the point? It feels like I have wasted my time and money now. "

Madison, change.org

"This is a violation of free speech and freedom of choice. We are not apple! "

Gearrard, change.org

"I don't sideload, I only download form sources I trust and that are not the Google PlayStore. If you want to verify apps, verify them on your app store, not others! "

Lukas, change.org

"the only reason Android shines is it's customizabe especially app installation. please don't ruin yourself "

John, change.org

"Hasn't Google monopolized enough? Let us have a right to our data, identity security, and development. "

Taylor, change.org

"Google, pls keep the sideloading and freedom of anyone installing or developing apps and others choosing to use them open. It is a breach of trust by making the ecosystem closed. People will hate google, no doubt I have started feeling so too with your move / proposed move. "

Gaspi, change.org

"I use Android because it's free than OS so what will be the difference between iOS and Android if it's not for "site loading".i am simply user not a developer I like to be able to take a software and install it with my device.Don't be evil but that's not true anymore but remember for where you coming from if you forget this your roots you have no future. "

Krasimir, change.org

"Hands off the APK! I left Russia for Freedom in 2022 and now you trying to restrict our Freedom like a criminal Putin. "

Alex, 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

"The whole reason Android is superior to other os is because its an open platform. If you change what makes it great....then its no longer great. Its a copy cat IOS falling in line with everyone else and no longer blazing its own path. "

Michael, change.org

"Everyday Google becomes more and more of a monopoly and governments are letting them get away with it so they can use them to enact censorship and surveillance. "

Ciara, change.org

"We ned open source application PLEASE "

french, change.org

"As a user and advocate of free and open-source software, I express my deep concern regarding Google's recent decisions that progressively erode the open nature of Android. The reduction of AOSP releases from four to two times per year [[13]], the development of the system behind closed doors [[21]], and the new developer verification program that threatens independent repositories like F-Droid [[17]], represent a shift toward a more controlled and restrictive model. Android was born as a promise of freedom for manufacturers, developers, and users; turning it into a closed ecosystem not only betrays its foundational principles, but also limits innovation, competition, and users' right to control their own devices. I demand transparency and a genuine commitment to open source. "

Dalien, change.org

All references, editorials, press coverage, and videos →

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

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

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

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