تلفن همراه شما در حال از دست رفتن است.
از شهریور ۱۴۰۵، یک بهروزرسانی بیصدا که بدون رضایت شما توسط گوگل اعمال میشود، تمام برنامههای اندرویدی که توسعهدهنده آنها در گوگل نامنویسی نکرده باشه، قرارداد را امضا نکرده باشه، هزینه اشتراک را پرداخت نکرده باشه و هویت واقعی خود را ارائه نداده باشد، مسدود خواهد شد.
تمام برنامهها، تمام دستگاهها، در سراسر جهان — بدون هیچ راه انصرافی.
↓گوگل چه کاری انجام میدهد
در ۳ شهریور ۱۴۰۴، گوگل اعلام کرد که از شهریور ۱۴۰۵، تمام توسعهدهندگان برنامههای اندروید باید بهصورت متمرکز در گوگل نامنویسی کنند تا برنامههایشان روی هر دستگاهی قابل نصب باشد. نه فقط برنامههای پلیاستور—بلکه همه برنامهها. این شامل برنامههایی میشود که بین دوستان همرسانی قرار است بشود، از طریق افدروید منتشر میشوند یا توسط افراد علاقهمند برای استفاده شخصی ساخته شدهاند. در نتیجه، توسعهدهندگان مستقل، گروههای مذهبی و اجتماعها و حتی علاقهمندان، عملا از امکان توسعه و انتشار برنامههای خود محروم خواهند شد.
برای نامنویسی باید:
- پرداخت هزینه به گوگل
- پذیرش شرایط و قوانین گوگل
- ارائه مدرک هویتی برای شناسایی
- ارائه مدرکی از کلید امضای خصوصی که برای امضای برنامهها استفاده میشود
- ثبت تمام شناسههای برنامههای (فعلی و آینده)
اگر توسعهدهندهای همکاری نکند، برنامههای او بهصورت بیصدا روی تمام دستگاههای اندرویدی در جهان مسدود خواهند شد.
این موضوع به چه کسانی آسیب میزند
شما
شما یک تلفن همراه اندرویدی خریدید چون گوگل گفته بود این سکوئی باز و آزاد است. میتوانستید هر چیزی که میخواهید نصب کنید — این توافق بود.
حالا گوگل در حال تغییر این توافق است، آن هم بهصورت یکطرفه، روی دستگاهی که شما قبلاً خریدهاید. بعد از این بهروزرسانی، فقط برنامههایی اجرا میشوند که گوگل تأیید کرده باشد. روی گوشی شما که مالک اون هستید، چیزی که برایش پول دادهاید.
توسعهدهندگان مستقل
اولین برنامه یک نوجوان، ابزار حریم خصوصی یک داوطلب، یا نگارش آزمایشی داخلی یک شرکت — فرقی نمیکند. بعد از شهریور ۱۴۰۵، هیچکدام بدون تأیید گوگل قابل نصب نیستند.
افدروید، این را یک «تهدید وجودی» نامیده است. Cory Doctorow از آن بهعنوان «دارث اندروید» یاد میکند.
دولتها و جامعه مدنی
گوگل سابقه مستندی در همکاری با حکومتها برای حذف برنامهها دارد. در این مدل، برنامههایی که زیرساخت کشورها را اجرا میکنند، عملاً وابسته به یک شرکت خارجی بدون پاسخگویی خواهند شد.
EFF این مدل را «مسیر در حال گسترش سانسور اینترنت» میداند.
«راه فرار» گوگل در واقع یک تله است
گوگل میگوید «کاربران حرفهای» هنوز میتوانند برنامههای تأییدنشده را "نصب کنند". اما واقعیت این است:
- ورود به تنظیمات سیستم و گزینه «توسعهدهنده» را پیدا کنید
- روی شماره ساخت هفت بار ضربه بزنید تا حالت توسعهدهنده فعال شود
- پیامهای هشدار دهنده درباره اجبار را رد کنید
- وارد کردن PIN
- راهاندازی مجدد تلفن همراه
- ۲۴ ساعت منتظر میمانید
- برگشت به قسمت قبل و رد کردن پیامهای هشدار بیشتر
- انتخاب «اجازه موقت» (۷ روز) یا «اجازه دائمی»
- تأیید دوباره اینکه «ریسکها» را درک میکنید
۹ مرحله. یک دوره انتظار اجباری ۲۴ ساعته. برای نصب برنامهای روی دستگاهی که متعلق به خودتان است.
بدتر از آن: این فرآیند کاملاً از طریق Google Play Services اجرا میشود، نه خود سیستمعامل اندروید؛ گوگل میتواند هر زمان آن را تغییر دهد، سختتر کند یا حذف کند — بدون نیاز به بهروزرسانی سیستمعامل و بدون رضایت شما. و تا امروز، حتی در نگارشهای آزمایشی هم ارائه نشده است.
این موضوع فراتر از اندروید است
اگر گوگل بتواند میلیاردها دستگاهی را که بهعنوان سکوی باز فروخته شدهاند قفل کند، تمام تولیدکنندگان سختافزار در حال تماشا هستند.
اصل ماجرا این است: شرکت سازنده دستگاه شما تصمیم میگیرد، حتی بعد از خرید، چه نرمافزاری اجازه اجرا دارد. در دنیای نرمافزار به این «rug pull» میگویند؛ اما در سختافزار یعنی سلب کامل اختیار از شما.
باز بودن اندروید فقط یک ویژگی نبود، بلکه یک وعده بود که آن را از آیفون متمایز میکرد. میلیونها نفر دقیقاً به همین دلیل اندروید را انتخاب کردند. حالا گوگل این وعده را بهصورت یکطرفه لغو میکند
Ars Technica: «حسادت گوگل به اپل، میراث باز اندروید را تهدید به نابودی میکند.»
اما صبر کنید، آیا این...
«...فقط برای امنیت نیست؟»
این یک بهانه است. Google Play Protect همین حالا هم بدافزار را بررسی میکند. الزام به ارائه هویت واقعی، کد را امنتر نمیکند — بلکه توسعهدهندگان را قابل شناسایی و کنترل میکند.
«...هنوز میشود sideload کرد؟»
۹ مرحله، ۲۴ ساعت انتظار، و قابل حذف توسط گوگل — این دیگر نصب دستی نیست، بلکه یک مکانیزم بازدارنده است.
«...فقط برای کسانی است که چیزی برای پنهان کردن دارند؟»
افشاگران، خبرنگاران و فعالان — اولین قربانیان خواهند بود. مشارکت ناشناس در متنباز، سنتی قدیمی است که این سیاست آن را از بین میبرد.
«...اپل هم همین کار را میکند؟»
اپل از ابتدا یک اکوسیستم بسته بوده است. مردم اندروید را بهخاطر باز بودنش انتخاب کردند.
«...فقط ۲۵ دلار و کمی کاغذبازی است؟»
هزینه فقط مالی نیست؛ شما در حال واگذاری هویت و اطلاعات حساس خود به یک شرکت هستید.
اقدام کنید
همگی
- نصب افدروید روی تمام دستگاههای اندرویدی
- تماس با نهادهای نظارتی
- این صفحه را همرسانی کنید
- در برابر روایتهای ساختگی مقاومت کنید
- امضای دادخواست اینترنتی
- خواندن و همرسانی نامه درخواست مخالفت
- دیدگاه خود را به گوگل اعلام کنید
توسعهدهندگان
نامنویسی نکنید. با نامنویسی در Android Developer Console و پذیرش شرایط و قوانین غیرقابل بازگشت آنها، به این برنامه نپیوندید. هویت خود را تأیید نکنید. همکاری نکنید.
این طرح فقط در صورتی کار میکند که توسعهدهندگان همکاری کنند. همکاری نکنید.
- سایر توسعهدهندگان و شرکتها را از نامنویسی منصرف کنید.
- کتابخانه FreeDroidWarn را به برنامههای خود اضافه کنید تا به کاربران هشدار دهید.
- وبسایت دارید؟ بنر شمارش معکوس را اضافه کنید.
کارمندان گوگل
اگر درباره نحوه پیادهسازی فنی این برنامه یا دلایل داخلی آن اطلاعاتی دارید، از طریق یک دستگاه غیرکاری و یک حسابکاربری غیر Gmail با tips@keepandroidopen.org تماس بگیرید. محرمانگی کامل تضمین میشود.
همه مخالفان…
71 شرکت از 23 کشور امضا کردن این نامه سرگشاده
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
Brave brave.com
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
iodé iode.tech
FOSDEM fosdem.org
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
F-Droid f-droid.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
OpenMedia openmedia.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
FULU Foundation fulu.org
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
April april.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
GitHub Store github-store.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
Techlore techlore.tech
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
CryptPad cryptpad.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
Proton AG proton.me
FACiL facil.qc.ca
Data Rights datarights.ngo
Unified Push unifiedpush.org
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
FUTO futo.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org متن کامل نامه سرگشاده را بخوانید و از امضاکنندگان تشکر کنید →
دیگران چه میگویند
رسانههای فناوری
"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 is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"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
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"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
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
سرتیترها و تحلیلها
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
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
"Destroying F-Droid isn't some 'oops.' It's the mission. It's Google finally cutting the last remaining escape route and locking every single user inside their store."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google's 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 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
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"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
"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
"The $25 isn't the real cost. The chilling effect is. Submitting government ID to Google is a non-starter for pseudonymous contributors and privacy researchers."
Arafat Alim, DEV Community
"Google 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
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"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
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
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
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"Developers from sanctioned countries or those without Google Play access cannot verify themselves. This creates systemic discrimination against developers based on birthplace rather than conduct."
agnostic-apollo (Termux developer), GitHub
"Google 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
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"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
"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
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"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
"There is also the very real possibility that Google will leak your identity with the result that any apps with political implications could result in persecution and worse."
I-Programmer
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"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
"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
"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 could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
شرکتها و نامههای سرگشاده
"Changes would impose barriers to entry for individual developers, small teams and volunteer projects by imposing fees, identity checks and terms that may not align with the principles of an open ecosystem."
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google 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
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"This extends Google's gatekeeping authority beyond its own marketplace into distribution channels where it has no legitimate operational role."
Open letter, over 67 signatory organizations
"Google'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'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
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
AdGuard
"For developers building tools specifically designed to protect user privacy, being forced to surrender their own personal data as a precondition for distribution is deeply contradictory."
AdGuard
"A 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
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"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
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"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 is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"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
"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 invasion of privacy of developers is not just an overreach of Google's authority over Android, but also jeopardizes developer safety."
Software Freedom Conservancy
"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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
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
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"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
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"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
"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
یوتیوبرها و تولیدکنندگان محتوا
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"Google is doing to Android what Microsoft once tried to do to the web. Embrace, extend, extinguish. Just wrapped in a shinier open-source package."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"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
"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
"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."
Techlore – YouTube
"This has obvious problems for non-Google operating systems like iodeOS, LineageOS, or BraxOS. Google Android will 'check in' with Google to verify the identity of the app and to validate the operating system."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"The widely-circulated narrative that Google already backed down from this is false. They didn't, and that misunderstanding may be the most dangerous part of the story right now."
Techlore – YouTube
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"This means you can't sideload an app from an unofficial source. But it could also be used to lock the ecosystem so we're forced to install only Google apps on approved Google OS versions."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"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
"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
"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
"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
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – 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
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
توسعهدهندگان و اجتماع
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
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
"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
"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
"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
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), Hacker News
"Google's own Play Store had over 600 million malware downloads. They keep talking about 'security' but their own store is crawling with fake apps and straight up malware while actual useful stuff gets buried or rejected."
Historical-Employ129 (324 upvotes), Reddit
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, 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
"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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, 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 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
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, 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
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, 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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"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
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, 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
"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
"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
"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
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"Don't beg. Don't get in a position that freedoms depend on the whims of a corporation or willingness of a government to regulate them. Build."
jzb, Lobsters
"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
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"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
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"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
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, 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
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"Whatever Google is doing kind of scares me. We have a big DIY community of diabetics in Germany running tools like AndroidAPS that cannot ever be distributed through official channels."
pimeys (Type 1 diabetic, DIY medical software), Lobsters
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, 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
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, Hacker News
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, 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
"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
"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
"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
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
"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
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
صداهایی از دادخواست اینترنتی
"I've been on android for as long as I can remember. The freedom to develop and most importantly do what I want with my own device is wonderful. To have that taken away from us all would be terrible, especially since the whole reason I love Android is how it is now. "
Angelo, change.org
"Android has always been a platform for freedom of choice and exploration. This restrictions from Google go against the core element that made users stick with Android for all these years. If I bought something with my own money I should be free to use it as I please. "
Eric, change.org
"Freedom to download and install whatever you want is one of the main reasons people choose AndroidOS over apple products. With how Apple has made steps towards more sustainable hardware, it is getting less and less justifiable to continue using google products. "
Antonio, change.org
"The main reason I always chose to buy Android devices for myself (and my wife and son as well) instead of iOS devices was that Android wasn't a "walled garden." Now that Google is making Android the same as iOS, I'll be looking for alternatives... "
Silas, change.org
"Android's main strength and opportunity in the S. W. O. T analysis is it's openness, which no other OS comes close to. From one side of the earth to the other, android users justifiably expect this unique strength to be enhanced, not diminished. Indeed, this unique feature which has set android apart from the beginning, has also motivated many in the community to become developers. There are even developers for apps on the Apple store whose beginnings were with android. These developers benefited from the openness android provides. For example, Toni Fingerroos — Hill Climb Racing / Fingersoft (Finland), Andrei Popleteev — KeePassium (Luxembourg), and many more. "
Schwan, change.org
"Android has always been about freedom and an open option for not only everyday users but developers and artists as well. If Google gets their way this will be a devastating blow to privacy, freedom, independence and how people live their lives. Do not let them get away with this! "
Jonathan, change.org
"Hopefully this movement is successful for the custom developmental purposes and devotion from the developers themselves. "
Jerrod, change.org
"This is ridiculous the fact that google is causing this will effect everybody it's gonna make it way harder for developers to post there apps to specific users. "
Daisuke, change.org
"SCREW GOOGLE FOR DOING THIS! F-Droid and other 3rf party app stores ARE IMPORTANT and losing them means Google wins and everyone else LOSES. Help support these platforms in any way you can peeps!!! "
Jack, change.org
"I find this measure deeply concerning. When I choose to buy an phone, it is with the expectation of having control over how I use it. A company should not decide how I use my devices. "
Abdoul, change.org
"As an evil, evil man, I despise google because they are worse. Thus, I of then times look at this website and sign all the petitions against google. Amen brother man "
David, change.org
"the only reason Android shines is it's customizabe especially app installation. please don't ruin yourself "
John, change.org
"that's the only reason i actually use Android, this should not be an actual project of Google "
Theodore Thomas, change.org
"It is so crazy to think I would ever think that this was the case. Android becoming IOS. I know Google wants to be Apple, but limiting supposedly open source software to now not allow true open source software seems to undermine this experiment. I will call this an experiment because you're been testing it for over a decade and now showing the true direction. Closed environment where all the data is mined and sold. Regardless of those who were here because Apple locked us into devices and software, the difference here is quality control you have none Google. You have relied on communities of users/developers to accomplish this. No More! This change unfortunately won't affect the bottom line immediately or barely when it comes to profit, but it will affect quality and choices and those are things that attract money... "
Marc, change.org
"I strongly believe that Android used to be the go to for app developers and it is essential that they keep their open policy because it only opens up more users to test their apps for them before a full official release "
Garrette, change.org
"This Will remove the reason most users use Android,its freedom. also,It Will barely even help with security,as there ARE viruses posted even on Google Play store. "
Davi, change.org
"The freedom and flexibility was literally the reason I never owned an iPhone. It's like Google wants me to use Ubuntu Touch or something... "
Katrina, change.org
"APK or go away "
Joshua, change.org
"I am very conceded that our government and big technology is building a electronic prison to enslave humanity. Google is working to this end by implementing tactics like requiring their permission to create and use apps that big government and big technology approve. This is evil and must be stopped if we are to have any freedom and privacy. "
Pamela, change.org
""Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Benjamin Franklin "
ethical, change.org
"That's definitely not what most people choosing Android signed up for. What is left of Android if it becomes a closed system like iOS? "
Martin, change.org
"If I want to be restricted in where I get my apps from, which ones to install and my phone to look each year the same, I buy a device with an apple on it (never did). It should be your choice which apps you want to install and where to obtain them from - not the device vendors or OS manufacturers. Keep android open! "
Andreas, change.org
"I didn't even know they were trying to pull this until today! This is scary and concerning as a consumer, stop limiting my freedom on my device! "
Chloe, change.org
"This is a clear grab at power over Android's massive userbase to manipulate the masses via censorship and mass surveillance. If this isn't stopped, they will only push the rules further and further until the slope is so slippery it becomes a cliff. "
Boris, change.org
"Open source apps is what makes Android the best over ios "
Billy, change.org
"I grew up on Android devices, and I find it saddening that Google is making this decision. It’s clearly not for the security reasons they claim; it's about control. "
Gabriel, change.org
"One of the main reasons people even use Android is because it grants them a choice and freedom as a consumer to choose the software they use on their phones. By demanding that any other app or software made by a third party has to register with Google, provide private and information including their government IDs AND pay a FEE to Google for the privilege of developing an open source application... Google is essentially just creating a censorship tool and the beginning of a monopoly over any and all android software, just with extra steps. Proceeding with this will hurt both the reputation of Android and Google even more than has already been done this past year. "
Rhiannon, change.org
"I started using an Android device because of the freedom to use the software I wanted to use. If Google goes forward with these restrictions, I wont have any reason to use Android devices anymore. "
Luis, 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
"the whole point of android is that it is open. i want to OWN and have actual control over my device. google's decision takes that out. It's cruel and straightup dystopian how it is forcing users to just comply; thus having you not actually "own" the device. we want to freely choose what we have on our own devices, and it's quite blatant the "protection from risks" is only a smokescreen to censor and ... ruin android's biggest redeeming quality. this is a horrible choice "
r.w., change.org
"I do not need hpw to be told how to use my phone. If android goes through this Im downgrading to flip phones and will never use androids again. Ive never used Apple for this reason. Let me decide whats good or ill for myself, I am a grown autonomous human being and do not need to be kept "safe" by a large corporation, safe from what Im not even sure? Sounds like control not safety. "
Jake, change.org
"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
"Removing the ability to side load apps is taking away owners right to their own devices. As one of the best phones I've owned this is disheartening. I might as well buy an iPhone "
Kamau, change.org
"I figured out how to play Minecraft Java Edition on my phone, and Google is trying to take that away from me? Besides that, there are probably dozens of unverified apps on my phone that I would REALLY like to keep, and Google requiring verification will basically turn my phone into a little YouTube machine. I hate that and you should too. "
David, change.org
"I got an Android specifically to be able to get apps from third party developers. This level of censorship is not right, and will hurt many independent developers "
Caspian, change.org
"Android was always advertised as an open OS for anyone, and was like Windows or Linux, supporting unsigned app installs. If need to use ADB to install some indie app for things, or need to go through a development environment just to install a singular random app, then I might as well switch to iOS, as Android just lost it's best weapon in the battle against Apple. "
Trenton, change.org
""do no evil," my eye! this maga-adjacent, corpo-fascist overreach must be opposed, halted buried under copious amounts of binding democratic rules of fundanental software development freedoms & rights. no to paying tolls to genocide enabling skuoogle. no to overt subjugation of independent sw developers. if skruoogle had a consciencec... oh, but skruoogle has no conscience - it's not human. "
whiskey, change.org
"The push toward a mandatory, centralized developer verification program for Android represents a significant departure from the open-source values that originally defined the platform. By requiring independent developers to pay fees, surrender private signing keys, and provide government identification just to share an app—even outside the Play Store—these policies create a massive barrier to entry that threatens to stifle innovation and privacy. This shift doesn't just add friction; it risks dismantling alternative ecosystems like F-Droid and Aurora Store, which have long provided a vital refuge for those seeking software free from big-tech oversight. If we allow the door to close on sideloading and force every developer behind a paywall, we are effectively trading a diverse, free ecosystem for a "walled garden" that prioritizes corporate control over user agency and digital rights. It is essential that the community stands together to keep Android an open platform where developers can create and users can choose without needing a centralized permission slip. "
Andrew, change.org
"Google has their own line of phones already. If people wanted Google to have this level of power over them, they would buy the devices the company is selling. This is simply trying to create a monopoly, if not a universe in which a company holds more power than any government, and I think we all know that that is no good outcome. This is a direct attempt to hinder people's creative freedom and ability to share their own projects with the world, whether it's a fun game, or a useful tool, anything. A policy like this has to go. "
Lucy, change.org
"I find it frankly baffling how Google is trying to erase one of the selling points of their products because of their need to control Android even further. "
Theo, change.org
"Be better than IOS, this is not the way "
Kai, 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
"Sim ao Android "
Cristina, change.org
"User Freedom is the Android standard, what the user chooses to do with his Android device is done under his own accountability. This is an attempt to monopolize and monetize the users "choice" by removing all avenues aside from google's approved path. Sideloading is not a risk that google is trying to protect their users from, it is a risk to their revenue that would come from selling you a tool made of easily copyable code, since all purchases made from apps installed through "normal means" give 30% of that revenue to google. What google wants is money, and they get money by placing their own guiding rails on your attention. they give you a free app that sustains itself with either some "full version purchase/subscription" or google's own ad platform. Their ads are another form of revenue to google, as well as app developers, though they have the downside of attempting to guide your attention away from what you're doing at the time and stimulate you into spending on whatever is being sponsored to be shown to you. There are thousands of apps on the play store, there are thousands more on other sources, and the very ones on the play store are subject to a policy of "update your app within x years or it will be removed from the play store;" this is a death sentence to any developer that simply wants to create a tool to help others by having to constantly update, then having to have some way to make it sustainable by some form of monetization since it's going to have an upkeep. It's either this, or being "doomed to obscurity outside the play store." In every step of the ladder of usage, google wants to have more money, search for an app, sponsored results first, then actual search query response, start downloading an app, the layout changes to show multiple carousels of sponsored apps "tailored to you," open an app, ads, wherever they can be, chosen by years of usage tracking and market control research, making money to google because companies will pay to have their names spread to gather attention, pay for services, subscriptions, and tools, giving 30% of it to google. A company like google measures its success by how much money they make, while the creators of tools, services, and games read through their mail, appreciating good reviews and crying about bad ones because passion is what led them to create. Take GitHub for example, a site comprised entirely to sharing code, entire project libraries free and open-source for anyone to use. Take StackExchange, multiple forums where questions and answers between experts of hundreds of subjects ranging from pure mathematics to writing to Dungeons & Dragons. Take Anna's Archive, a long-standing attempt to preserve literature media and providing methods to acces, preserve, and add to over 63 million books and 95 million papers, all for free. The average person is not me, but the average person includes large numbers of people younger than me that will accept whatever comes to their hands at the end of the day, it includes large numbers of people older than me that will be glad of an oversimplified process that won't take from their time. We need to be lucid enough to not waste time, the old will have too little time to care how they're being led, and the young will be raised into being led and believe it's natural. We need to show that our time is a value to each of us, and be strong enough to not sell our time to the well-oiled machine made to line a distant someone's pockets. "
Carlos, change.org
"Android will no longer be what it was initially pitched to be, a phone OS with the freedom to do virtually anything you wanted. After many years of owning android phones I have had to move to iPhone as I can no longer stand how google operates and what they are doing to restrict the android OS. "
Aiden, change.org
"Android has always been about freedom and customization. Let's keep it that way "
Jacob, change.org
"No one is happy about this change. F-droid is infinitely more trustworthy than the play store, and does not need google prying into developers personal info to keep people safe. Being an open platform is the fundamental basis of android user's usage "
Cris, 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
"I switched to Android for my freedom to install apps. Now that the threat of app verification is looming over us, If this goes through, Android will no longer have a place in my life. Continue to allow (free and fair) APK installs! "
Sebastian, change.org
"This is a de facto monopolization strategy and must not be allowed. Censorship and data harvesting are already proliferating, this will make those issues worse. "
Michel, change.org
"I bought my first Android phone around 2010 era, the Sony Xperia X8 for $160CAD on NewEgg SIM unlocked and I've been hooked on this type of freedom ever since. Flexxing on these iPhone scrubs in high school with my fancy custom rom(CyanogenMod, now known as LineageOS), is where it all started. Just a few days ago, I flashed the newest LineageOS for my device(April 8th, 2026). I don't know where I was going with this, probably to give you some insight on my experience. But it'll be a sad day if Google decides to take away sideloading, so let's try to stop it from happening. Doing my part and signing this petition. "
John, change.org
"Inaceitável "
Daniel, change.org
"We need Android still an open platform that we could run our own applications on that!We never allow Google change Android into an locked-down platform, it is murdering the Android Development! "
Zhou, change.org
"If I recall IOS got sued and lost for trying to lock down options, And imagine if you had to pay a fee and show your ID just to make a windows or Linux application? No because that is stupid. and It is utterly foolish. And this isn't about security as android already has ways of locking down insecure apps already. Also this act harms open source projects and also puts developers at risk as sharing government ID's has already proven to be very insecure and would give bad actors ways of hurting people because they don't like what the person makes. "
Bradley, change.org
"Google doing this would not only reduce consumer rights but also create a monopoly. I do not approve of this. "
Alexis, change.org
"Keep android open, important for the people… "
Sanjay, change.org
"Communities survive and thrive based on their ability to collaborate and share. Android is the superior platform in my eyes because it's not a closed garden that requires tithe to be paid to some arbitrary group to function. Requiring developers to cede to Google for the simple opportunity to exist would greatly hinder creativity and limit the scope of what an app could do. Were this to go forward, I would certainly be looking to alternatives for my phone and app needs, even if it is inconvenient and difficult. "
Joel, change.org
"Built off the back of free software and then removing the free... "
Paul, change.org
"I hæv been a lifeloŋ Android user because it offers ðe ability to customize it ænd sideload æpps on it wiþ ease, ænd I'm not lettiŋ google take ðæt right away! Down wiþ Big Broðer! Down wiþ mæss censoršip! Down wiþ age verificašon! Down wiþ mæss surveillance! Down wiþ ðis Digital ID tyrrany! "
∞ANTHONY∞, change.org
"I'm only using android for apk's otherwise I would be using IOS/iPhone, Also without apk's there would be no reason to keep updates going for certain developers, we would be losing one of the things that makes android what it is, That is my opinion on this whole idea from google "
JaCureon, change.org
"I don't want some mega corporation to tell me what code I can and cannot run on my own phone. The AI BS they're pushing is bad enough, this is even worse. "
Jackie, change.org
"I've always like Google for supporting open source. If Google doesn't not support open source who will? Come Google please keep being advocate of open source. I don't mind all the tracking Google does as long as they support open source "
allan, change.org
"Don't become Apple!!! "
Yahya, change.org
"If this update is released, I will switch to iPhone. "
Miguel, change.org
"Please stop monetizing making your software worse. I will quit using it. "
Bobby, change.org
"Freedom to choose... With this new move by Google, that freedom is ripped away. Moves like this are things monopolies do, and Google has now proven it wants to be a monopoly. Android has been the staple of choice and open source since it's inception and taking that away is a slap in the face to every person who chooses to customize their phone, and create an experience unique and exclusive to them. Google, stop this foolishness by not forcing users and developers hands. They should have the freedom to choose what they want, or how they develop. "
Kevin, change.org
"Stop trying to lock down Android, you bozos! "
Rares, change.org
"I'm repulsed by enshittification and the tightening grip of corporate oligarchs who bring nothing of worth to the table and therefore can only increase shareholder value by continuing to worsen their products "
Nicholas, change.org
"As Student and Junior Developer, I find this petition quite concerning on security and privacy for web data, android is not only a platform, it is a framework, a constant transition of metadata across the WEB. Limitating actions on android, even in level 3 is limitating not only user-friendly policy's of privacy, but freedom on networking. I Highly Recommend Sharing this petition! "
Davi Cristopher, change.org
"Stop this bullshit of trying to control our lives, deciding what I can and can't do. Enough with planned obsolescence, enough with authoritarianism. I, and only I, decide what's best for me, what I can and can't download on MY PHONE. "
Leonardo, change.org
"No reason to own a google device if I am limited in what I can do with it. "
Salvatore, change.org
"Thie is absolutely ridiculous. Nothing but censorship and control everywhere these past several months. They'll all burn for it. "
Jeffrey, change.org
"We need android to stay open "
Mark, change.org
"Authoritarians, I know you want the whole pie, but if you aspire for it we will make sure you lose the majority you already hold. "
Josh, change.org
"I have been an Android user since smartphones became mainstream, and the primary reason I chose Android was the freedom it offers. Unlike other platforms, Android allows users to install applications from outside official stores, enabling innovation, experimentation, and personal control over our own devices. Over the years, I have used open-source applications from platforms like GitHub and F-Droid, many created by independent developers who may not have the resources—or the desire—to publish through centralized stores. In some cases, I have even modified open-source code to suit my personal needs and compiled my own versions of apps. This is not just a niche use case—it represents the very spirit of open computing. Requiring developers to submit personal identification and restricting distribution channels will disproportionately impact: Independent and open-source developers Users in region-restricted environments Applications that are no longer available on official stores This change does not just improve security—it introduces control over who is allowed to distribute software, fundamentally shifting Android away from being an open platform. If users are no longer free to install applications of their choice, Android devices risk becoming restricted ecosystems similar to closed platforms—where functionality is determined not by the user, but by a central authority. The ability to sideload apps is not a loophole—it is a defining feature of Android. Removing or weakening it undermines user autonomy, developer freedom, and the very reason many of us chose this platform in the first place. "
Eranga, change.org
"I want to be able to load any arbitrary APK onto my own phone. I should not be limited or made so suffer in any way because some bad actors take advantage of naive people who act irresponsibly. It is my choice to install my own software or F-Droid or anything. Taking that choice away means Android has no value to me as a product. "
Seamus, change.org
"What sets Android apart from other OS' is its open source. This move will make Android just like every other OS. There will be no point in using Android. We'll all take out business to some other OS. "
Evo, change.org
"There are Chinese individuals abroad who sideload Chinese app stores and Chinese apps on their non-Chinese Android phones to use those services. Chinese developers are very unlikely to verify with Google. This is a racist update from Google which will inadvertently single out Chinese individuals as well. "
Sunny, change.org
"As a user STOP! What made me choose Android over iOS is the openness of it. By doing this you are killing what make android great, the fact that everyone can make an app and load it on his phone. You don't have iOS fan base. We will go elsewhere. "
marie-france, change.org
"Nobody asked for this. It's the users choice to install apks on their OWN device that they paid for. Stop doing this google! "
Alexander, 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
"are we really trying to iOs android? why are we trying to be the competition? if this occurs, android will LOSE so many users "
Ronin, change.org
"Google is an evil company. "
Cool, change.org
"This "security" feature will stop independent non-commercial projects. We don't want to be locked in commercial CRAP "
David, change.org
"Ready and willing to move to iOS permanently if this move to mandatory developer verification is not FULLY retracted by September 2026. "
Do Not, change.org
"The entire reason I chose android over apple was the freedom I had to do what I wanted on the device I paid for. Google enforcing this "lock-down" is just shooting themselves in the foot and giving people more reason to give apple a shot. "
Riley, change.org
"Google detente. "
Angel Gabriel, change.org
"then why get an android at this point? "
Kyarie, change.org
"You, the consumer, purchased your Android device believing in Google’s promise that it was an open computing platform and that you could run whatever software you choose on it. Instead, as of September 2026, they will be non-consensually pushing an update to your operating system that irrevocably blocks this right and leaves you at the mercy of their judgement over what software you are permitted to trust. "
shark, change.org
"I can't wrap my head around the idea that Google gets to decide what I can or cannot install on my own phone. "
Luís, change.org
"Android has always been defined as the more open platform. What gets people to move away from Apple is to get away from the closed ecosystem from having direct control over their own devices. This runs contrary to Androids original mission statement and what the platform stands for. This is not what I want for my device nor my family wishes for this either. "
Logan, change.org
"For a large portion of Android users, the freedom and openness of the OS is why they choose to use it in the first place. I can certainly say for myself that if this goes through, I will no longer use Android as my smartphone OS. Enshittification like this will only cause Android to lose market share and will be destructive in the long run. "
Nawton, change.org
"Enough is enough google! I am already swapping back over to iOS for more than a few reasons other than oh i dont know, YOUR OWN PHONES CATCHING FIRE ON MY BEDSIDE TABLE! As a developer, This makes it really hard to want to make an app cross-compatible with your OS! First you flatten the bugdroid, then you make unsafe phones, now this?! Sorry, but even I, a hardcore android fan am taking Apple's stance on this. "
Shibe, change.org
"Personal freedom and technology literacy are two things that allowed me to become so interested in technology in the first place around 4 years ago, and neither of those things are possible without the ability to realize what your phone is doing when installing an app, as well as the ability to look at the code of an open-source app to see how it works. It is allegedly about security, but that is a very insignificant byproduct compared to the real reason you were compelled to introduce this change that applies retroactively, server-side, and to everyone with no manual override, and you have abandoned all pretense of even saying "we're just checking for malware in more places". You aren't even lying to us anymore! You already scan all apps for malware and force all users to go through a series of checkboxes to be able to install apps from alternate sources, which is more than enough guardrails for the hypothetical person you want to protect, who is so smart to not just download but install an APK, but so dumb they install malware and don't realize. For what? So 99% of people will notice nothing different about their device while 1% of people will lose everything that they care about? No, it's not about that. You know that you are turning a perfectly guarded town into a police state. There might be less unpunished crime by the citizens, but that comes at the cost of more state-sanctioned crime from power-tripping assholes wanting to do the king's bidding. But we are waking up to this fact. And even besides these dictatorial changes made due to unregulated business practices, these people in power wanting you to censor their opponents will soon be kicked out, and you will face accountability for these actions you have taken to support the worst of the worst when you had the power to do the opposite. Reverse this proposition, and we'll turn the crosshairs to someone else for now. Actively fight against the enshitification of technology itself, either by example or encouragement, and we will welcome you, because our side is correct and improves the human condition, so it will win. "
Cameron, change.org
"I use Android phones rather than iphones because it allows for more user end control, including the ability to use/install open-source apk. If the choice is made to restrict this functionality, my next phone will not be an android. "
Rebecca, change.org
"Android was once the pinacle of freedom, not letting that stay in the past "
Juan, 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
"Android is built on the Linux kernel and owes much of its foundation to the GNU/Linux ecosystem. The spirit of that ecosystem is openness, transparency, and user freedom. Limiting APK installation beyond reasonable security safeguards risks turning Android into a controlled ecosystem rather than an open platform. Security improvements are important, but they should not come at the cost of developer independence, open-source distribution, and user freedom to install software responsibly. Instead of restricting APK usage, a better approach would be improving user education, providing clearer and more transparent warnings, and offering optional security layers that protect users without limiting their freedom. "
Alireza, change.org
"I've been an android user since I got my first smartphone a galaxy 3, I've been extremely happy with the amount of peronality I can add to my phone and I've stuck with the android platform because of it. This move towards locking away the freedom to create apps without the oversight of google is a disturbing and should be stopped. Google, please stop this, be the better company, don't become Apple. Be the voice of freedom. "
Sean, change.org
"Google, this would absolutely destroy android. Seriously, one of the only reasons people get Androids over iPhones (aside from them being cheaper) is that they can sideboard apps from the factory. Limiting that would be a huge blow to the Android market. "
Christopher, change.org