Ponsel Anda akan segera berhenti menjadi milik Anda sepenuhnya.
Mulai 2027*, sebuah pembaruan senyap yang diterapkan oleh Google tanpa persetujuan pengguna akan memblokir setiap aplikasi Android yang pengembangnya belum terdaftar di Google, menandatangani kontrak, melakukan pembayaran, serta menyerahkan identitas resmi pemerintah.
Berlaku bagi setiap aplikasi dan setiap perangkat di seluruh dunia, tanpa opsi untuk menolak.
↓Apa yang dilakukan Google
Pada Agustus 2025, Google mengumumkan persyaratan baru: mulai 2027, setiap pengembang aplikasi Android harus mendaftar secara terpusat ke Google sebelum perangkat lunak mereka dapat diinstal di perangkat apa pun. Bukan hanya aplikasi Play Store: semua aplikasi. Ini termasuk aplikasi yang dibagikan antar teman, didistribusikan melalui F-Droid, yang dibuat oleh para penggemar untuk penggunaan pribadi. Pengembang independen, kelompok keagamaan dan komunitas, serta para pehobi, semuanya akan terhalang untuk dapat mengembangkan dan mendistribusikan perangkat lunak mereka.
Pendaftaran memerlukan:
- Membayar biaya ke Google
- Menyetujui Syarat dan Ketentuan Google
- Menyerahkan identitas resmi Anda yang dikeluarkan pemerintah
- Memberikan bukti kunci penandatanganan (signing key) pribadi Anda
- Mencantumkan semua identitas aplikasi saat ini dan masa depan
Jika pengembang tidak patuh, aplikasi mereka akan diblokir secara diam-diam di setiap perangkat Android di seluruh dunia.
Siapa yang dirugikan
Anda
Anda membeli ponsel Android karena Google memberi tahu Anda bahwa platform ini terbuka. Anda bisa memasang apa pun yang Anda inginkan, dan itulah kesepakatannya.
Google kini mengubah ketentuan tersebut secara retroaktif, berlaku untuk perangkat keras yang sudah Anda miliki. Setelah pembaruan diterapkan, Anda hanya dapat menjalankan perangkat lunak yang telah disetujui sebelumnya oleh Google. Di ponsel Anda: milik Anda, yang Anda bayar.
Pengembang independen
Aplikasi pertama seorang remaja, alat privasi seorang relawan, atau beta internal rahasia sebuah perusahaan. Tidak masalah. Pada 2027, tidak satu pun dari ini dapat dipasang tanpa restu Google.
F-Droid, rumah bagi ribuan aplikasi Android gratis dan bersumber terbuka, menyebut hal ini sebagai ancaman "eksistensial". Cory Doctorow menyebutnya “Darth Android”.
Pemerintah & masyarakat sipil
Google memiliki rekam jejak yang tercatat dalam menuruti permintaan rezim otoriter untuk menghapus aplikasi. Dengan program ini, perangkat lunak yang menggerakkan lembaga-lembaga di negara Anda akan bergantung sepenuhnya pada kehendak sebuah perusahaan asing yang tidak bertanggung jawab.
EFF melabeli praktik pembatasan aplikasi sebagai 'jalur sensor internet yang terus berkembang'."
"Pintu keluar" Google adalah sebuah jebakan.
Google mengatakan "pengguna tingkat lanjut" masih bisa "memasang" aplikasi yang tidak terverifikasi. Inilah sebenarnya seperti apa prosesnya:"
- Masuk ke Setelan Sistem, cari Pilihan Pengembang
- Ketuk nomor build tujuh kali untuk mengaktifkan Mode Pengembang
- Abaikan layar peringatan tentang paksaan
- Masukkan PIN Anda
- Mulai ulang perangkat
- Tunggu 24 jam
- Kembali lagi, abaikan lebih banyak layar peringatan
- Pilih "izinkan sementara" (7 hari) atau "izinkan selamanya"
- Konfirmasikan, sekali lagi, bahwa Anda memahami "risikonya"
Sembilan langkah. Masa tunggu wajib 24 jam. Untuk memasang perangkat lunak pada perangkat yang Anda miliki sendiri.
Lebih buruk lagi: alur ini berjalan sepenuhnya melalui Layanan Google Play, bukan OS Android. Google dapat mengubah, memperketat, atau mematikannya kapan saja, tanpa perlu pembaruan OS dan tanpa persetujuan.
Persoalan ini lebih besar daripada sekadar Android
Apabila Google dapat secara retroaktif membatasi akses pada miliaran perangkat yang dipasarkan sebagai platform terbuka, maka setiap produsen perangkat keras di seluruh dunia kini tengah mengamati langkah tersebut.
Prinsip yang sedang ditegakkan adalah: perusahaan manufaktur perangkat Anda berhak menentukan perangkat lunak apa yang diizinkan untuk dijalankan, bahkan setelah transaksi pembelian selesai dilakukan. Dalam industri perangkat lunak, praktik ini dikenal sebagai "rug pull" (pencabutan dukungan secara mendadak); namun, dalam situasi tersebut setidaknya Anda masih memiliki kemungkinan untuk memasang perangkat lunak kompetitor. Dalam konteks perangkat keras, hal ini merupakan sebuah fait accompli yang merampas kedaulatan pengguna dan menjadikan Anda tidak berdaya di hadapan kehendak sepihak dari penjaga gerbang (gatekeeper) tunggal yang tidak akuntabel serta pelaku monopoli yang telah terbukti.
Keterbukaan Android tidak pernah sekadar berfungsi sebagai sebuah fitur semata. Hal tersebut merupakan sebuah janji yang membedakannya dari iPhone. Jutaan orang memilih Android tepat karena alasan tersebut. Kini, Google membatalkan janji itu secara sepihak pada perangkat yang sudah berada dalam genggaman masyarakat, karena mereka merasa telah memiliki dominasi pasar dan pengaruh terhadap regulasi (regulatory capture) yang cukup kuat untuk melakukannya tanpa konsekuensi berarti.
Ars Technica: "Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy."
Namun, bukankah ini...
"...hanya demi keamanan?"
Dalih keamanan hanyalah sebuah tabir asap. Google Play Protect sudah melakukan pemindaian malware secara mandiri tanpa bergantung pada identitas pengembang. Mewajibkan identitas resmi pemerintah (ID) tidak membuat kode program menjadi lebih aman; hal tersebut hanya membuat pengembang dapat diidentifikasi dan dikendalikan. Pembuat malware tetap dapat mendaftarkan diri, sementara pengembang independen dan aktivis sering kali tidak mampu melakukannya. EFF menegaskan dengan lugas: kontrol akses (gatekeeping) berbasis identitas adalah alat sensor, bukan instrumen keamanan.
"...tetap dikategorikan sebagai sideloading jika menggunakan prosedur lanjutan?"
Sembilan tahapan prosedur, waktu tunggu 24 jam, opsi yang tersembunyi di dalam menu Opsi Pengembang, dan dijalankan melalui layanan berpemilik (proprietary) yang aksesnya dapat dicabut Google kapan saja. Itu bukanlah sideloading. Itu adalah sebuah mekanisme penghambat yang dirancang sedemikian rupa agar hampir tidak ada pengguna yang mampu menyelesaikannya. Dan karena prosedur ini berjalan melalui Layanan Google Play (Play Services) dan bukan melalui sistem operasi (OS), Google dapat memperketat atau menghentikan fungsi tersebut secara diam-diam.
"...hanya menjadi masalah bagi mereka yang menyembunyikan sesuatu?"
Pelapor tindak pidana (whistleblowers), jurnalis, dan aktivis di bawah rezim otoriter akan menjadi korban pertama. Kelompok masyarakat dalam situasi kekerasan domestik adalah berikutnya. Semua kelompok ini memiliki alasan yang sah untuk mendistribusikan atau menggunakan perangkat lunak tanpa harus menyerahkan identitas legal mereka ke dalam basis data Google. Kontribusi sumber terbuka (open-source) secara anonim adalah tradisi yang lebih tua dari Google itu sendiri. Kebijakan ini mengakhiri tradisi tersebut di platform Android.
"...praktik yang sama dengan yang dilakukan Apple?"
Apple telah menjadi ekosistem tertutup sejak hari pertama. Masyarakat memilih Android karena ia berbeda. Argumen bahwa "Apple juga melakukannya" adalah sebuah perlombaan menuju standar terendah dan merupakan argumen tu quoque yang lemah. Bahkan di bawah tekanan regulasi (seperti Undang-Undang Pasar Digital/DMA di Uni Eropa), Apple kini mulai dipaksa untuk membuka diri. Sebaliknya, Google justru bergerak ke arah yang berlawanan: berupaya untuk semakin memperkuat statusnya sebagai penjaga gerbang (gatekeeper).
"...hanya persoalan biaya 25 dolar dan beberapa berkas administrasi?"
Mungkin demikian jika Anda adalah seorang pengembang di Amerika Serikat yang memiliki kartu kredit dan surat izin mengemudi. Namun, bayangkan jika Anda adalah seorang mahasiswa di Afrika bagian selatan, seorang aktivis di Myanmar, atau seorang sukarelawan yang mengelola aplikasi kesehatan masyarakat. Biaya yang harus dibayar bukan sekadar finansial: Anda menyerahkan identitas resmi pemerintah dan bukti kunci penandatanganan aplikasi (signing keys) kepada perusahaan yang secara rutin mematuhi tuntutan pemerintah untuk menghapus aplikasi dan mengungkap identitas pengembang.
Langkah Perlawanan
Semua Orang
- Pasang F-Droid pada setiap perangkat Android milik Anda. Toko aplikasi alternatif hanya dapat bertahan jika masyarakat benar-benar menggunakannya.
- Hubungi otoritas regulasi Anda. Regulator di seluruh dunia tengah menaruh perhatian serius terhadap isu monopoli dan sentralisasi kekuasaan di sektor teknologi. Mereka perlu mendengar langsung dari individu yang terdampak dan merasa prihatin.
- Sebarluaskan laman ini. Bagikan tautan keepandroidopen.org kemana saja
- Lawan narasi semu (astroturfing). Kelompok "tapi, sebenarnya..." sedang gencar beraksi. Jangan biarkan mereka menentukan narasi.
- Tanda tangani petisi change.org dan bergabunglah dengan lebih dari 100.000 penandatangan yang telah menyuarakan aspirasi mereka.
- Baca dan sebarluaskan surat terbuka kami
- Sampaikan pendapat Anda kepada Google melalui survei verifikasi pengembang milik mereka sendiri (terlepas dari seberapa besar dampaknya nanti).
Pengembang
Jangan mendaftarkan diri. Jangan bergabung dalam program ini melalui Konsol Pengembang Android dan menyetujui Syarat dan Ketentuan mereka yang bersifat mengikat secara hukum. Jangan melakukan verifikasi identitas. Jangan berkompromi.
Rencana Google hanya akan berhasil jika pengembang patuh. Jangan.
- Ajak pengembang dan organisasi lain untuk tidak mendaftar.
- Tambahkan pustaka FreeDroidWarn ke aplikasi Anda untuk memperingatkan pengguna.
- Mengelola situs web? Tambahkan spanduk hitung mundur.
Karyawan Google
Apabila Anda memiliki informasi terkait implementasi teknis program ini atau latar belakang internalnya, silakan hubungi [email protected] menggunakan perangkat bukan milik kantor dan akun non-Gmail. Kami menjamin kerahasiaan identitas Anda sepenuhnya.
Semua yang menentang…
71 organisasi dari 23 negara telah menandatangani surat terbuka
F-Droid f-droid.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
OpenMedia openmedia.org
iodé iode.tech
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
Data Rights datarights.ngo
Techlore techlore.tech
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
FACiL facil.qc.ca
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
FUTO futo.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
FULU Foundation fulu.org
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
GitHub Store github-store.org
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
Italian Linux Society ils.org
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
April april.org
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
CryptPad cryptpad.org
Proton AG proton.me
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
Brave brave.com Baca surat terbuka selengkapnya dan berikan apresiasi kepada para penandatangan →
Apa yang mereka katakan
Pers teknologi
"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 app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"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 ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"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's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"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 will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"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
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
Editorial & analisis
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"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
"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
"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 isn't certifying apps, they're certifying developers. This implies that the company can somehow predict whether a developer will do something malicious in the future."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Sideloading, a longstanding pillar of Android's openness, is now being marginalized, placing the Android platform closer to the walled-garden approach of Apple's iOS."
Purism
"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
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google has 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
"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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Android is not open anymore. It's not an alternative. It's not even trying. It's iOS with ads and spyware bolted on."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google's 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
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"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
"Although Google's claim is that this is for 'security', it does not prevent the regular practice of scammers buying up existing verified developer accounts."
Maya Posch, Hackaday
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"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
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
Organisasi & surat terbuka
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"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
"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
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"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
"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
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"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
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"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
"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
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"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
"Google Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
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
"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
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"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
"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
"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
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
YouTuber & kreator
"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
"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
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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 is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – 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
"I'm not using the word 'phone.' I'm using the word 'computer.' This has over 8 GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage. It's a computer. And I'm also not going to be using words like 'sideload.' When you download an exe file onto your Windows computer, you've installed an application. You haven't 'sideloaded' something."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"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 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
"This is an iPhone now. I didn't want to buy an iPhone. I use Android because it gives me freedom. If you are not going to give me freedom with my computer, then why would I buy your stuff anymore?"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google 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 has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."
Techlore – YouTube
"That's not openness. That is control."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"Google keeps getting in as much trouble as Apple when Google is half evil and Apple is full evil. So there are probably people inside Google saying, 'Why not just go full evil?'"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"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
Pengembang & komunitas
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"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
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"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
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, 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 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 open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, Hacker News
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, 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
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, 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
"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
"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 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
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, Hacker News
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"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
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"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
"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
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"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
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"Years ago, I wondered how Google would try to get away with locking down Android and shutting the cage door after capturing such a large dependent user base. Now I see how they are trying to get away with it."
chaznabin, Reddit
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, 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
"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
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"I teach digital literacy and 99% of unsavory software I encounter on people's phones come from the Play Store or App Store. I will believe they're serious about protecting users when I see them do something about the crap ton of borderline scam apps infesting their stores."
1995ToyotaCorolla, Lemmy
"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
"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
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"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 now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, 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
"The fundamental problem is that we are relying on the good graces of Google to keep Android open, despite the fact that it often runs contrary to their goals as a $4T for-profit behemoth. The 'don't be evil' days are very far behind us."
paxys, Hacker News
"Whatever Google is doing kind of scares me. We have a big DIY community of diabetics in Germany running tools like AndroidAPS that cannot ever be distributed through official channels."
pimeys (Type 1 diabetic, DIY medical software), Lobsters
"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 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
"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
"This isn't just a competition between app stores; it's a struggle for choice and dignity. Your phone shouldn't be a cage carefully constructed by others, but an extension of your own will."
renshijian, Hacker News
"I 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
"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
"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
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"My Pixel 6 just broke, and after 15 years of using Android, I've finally been convinced to move to iOS. If I must live in a walled garden, I suppose I'll choose the one with nicer flowers."
yonato, Hacker News
"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
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, 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
Suara dari petisi
"This change would kill the biggest reason I use Android, because I have the freedom to sideload useful apps that aren't available in the official store. I have never once bought an iPhone, but Apple's comparative respect for user privacy seems preferable now, so I'll most likely make the switch. "
Raymond, change.org
"Locking down android will create incredible friction to open source and 3rd party application stores. Imagine if you could only install PC programs from Microsoft Store. "
Andres, change.org
"Android shines in giving the user freedom to use their devices however they choose to. If Google closes down on this freedom, in my use case as a power user I will be unable to install apps any except from the play store which is a platform that is littered with bad app that are useless and sometimes they cost money making it unnecessarily difficult for Indy devs working on apps whether it for job or weekend project "
Cristian, change.org
"we need to choice. stop google "
Dhlox, change.org
"At one point in time, IOS allowed side loading, which is how I was able to play emulators on my iPod back then. Now, much of what I remember being allowed to do is either behind a paywall, or outright prevented. I (we)moved on to Android to escape those restrictions. Don't let Android turn into IOS, and keep your identity from being stolen! "
Alexander, change.org
"We own the phones so we should be able to do whatever we want with them. Waiting a short period is not the way to do it. This feels like control and blocks. We are not kids. Please let us actually have control of our phones. "
nicholas, change.org
"Sim ao Android "
Cristina, change.org
"Users own their devices and should be able to install software they choose on them. "
Paul, change.org
"#DOWNWITHGOOGLE "
Monty, 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
"Android without open means NOTHING "
Lang, 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
"I should be allowed to make my own decisions about what I want to install on my device, smartphones nowadays are basically pocket computers and the ability to install apps from any source is by far the biggest reason I chose Android over iOS. Only being able to install apps from verified developers also gives power to Google to censor apps they don't like. "
Ryan, change.org
"Android was meant to be competion for apple an OPEN SOURCE it's what made android better and not a closed system like the competitor. Read the room Google! "
Jesse, change.org
"I've installed dozens to hundreds of APKs on my phone for years. Whether it's personal projects or open source tools. It's really the only defining difference between Android and iOS. Why is this even being considered by Google? "
Joseph, change.org
"I am genuinely angry about what Google is trying to do by limiting APK usage. This is not some tiny background tweak. This cuts straight into the reason many of us chose Android in the first place. Android meant freedom. It meant I could install what I wanted. It meant developers could share their work without kneeling before a single approval system. It meant that when I bought my phone, it was actually mine. We keep hearing that this is about “security.” And yes, security matters. Nobody wants malware. But there is a real difference between protecting users and controlling them. Give people warnings. Give them tools. Educate them. Do not take away their ability to choose. I am an adult, fully willing and capable of deciding what I install on my own device. When APK usage is restricted, everything narrows. Developers get pushed into one official channel. One review process. One company deciding what is acceptable and what is not. That kind of centralized control should make all of us uncomfortable. It changes the balance of power, and it does it under the soft language of safety and convenience. This is about ownership. If I cannot freely install apps, do I truly own my device? Or am I just using it within boundaries that can shift whenever it best suits a corporation? I hardly think it is extreme to say that when I pay for hardware, I should have complete control over what runs on it. That is not radical. That is basic digital autonomy. And I am not okay with watching that autonomy slowly disappear without saying something. "
Brooke, change.org
"Let's be real, this isn't about security, it's about forcing people to use Google playstore, and trying to get peoples info just like what Youtube is doing right now. "
Draven, change.org
"I really liked android phones cause of the freedom they use to have, but with this... they are the same as Apple so.... there's any reason for me to like Android anymore "
Fabián Jhovany, 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
"The level of control Google is attempting to exert over developers and users is unreal. If I download an app from a source that isn't the play store, I shouldn't need Google's approval. I will seek alternate operating systems from the Android and iOS duopoly if this goes through. "
Alice, change.org
"When I was around 13 or 14 I had a real dream to be a coder...I tried to use Google to find a way but found that all of the links were funded by Google and directly discouraged fellow coders...I believed them...now at 22 I refuse to lay down and listen I hope this story hits home for a few people because the coding community is one of the few communities I found I am accepted...do not let Google break this community I am begging you - with all love a fellow coder and human being this is Donald signing off "
donald, change.org
"APKs have brought really cool Android ports to game sites like GameJolt, and and I don't want to see that go away. Also, I heard licenses for these things can get pretty darn expensive, which isn't cool. "
Deirdre, change.org
"This is an outrageous monopolizing effort that not only chokes out competition and a healthy ecosystem for application development, it also is hugely concerning from a security perspective. One entire company should NOT have control over everything. Google has grown far too large, and history has taught us that large corporations are obscenely corrupt and controlling of people's safety, freedom, and wellbeing. This cannot go unchecked. "
Sarah, change.org
"Nós vencemos Google idiota 😆😆😆😆😆 "
Bruno, change.org
"For Freedom! "
Ömer Can Devrim, change.org
"I do not trust the judgment of one company to decide what every person on Android is allowed to use on their phones. This is a censorship tactic, and will silence and punish small-time app developers who do not have the time or money to plead their case for the right to host their apps. "
Anna, change.org
"is the monopoly finally going to end? "
Rafael, change.org
"I have used my own, or other developers' custom APKs in the past, and do not want to be locked into app store(s) only! "
Collin, change.org
"Goggle shouldn't limit our freedoms on our own devices for any reason "
Tristin, change.org
"Google should be ashamed of itself and give users the freedom to install any app they want. Why don't they remove those apps from their store where thousands of people suffer from viruses? Bunch of scoundrels! "
Jorge, change.org
"the declaration of independance prolly said something about this... "
john, 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
"I use android because its easy to mod and customize. If I own the device, I want complete control of it. That comes with the understanding that my modifications could break it . If we lose sideloading and indie and open source development, we'll just have to stray further from the platform to find it again. In a world where the easy to access services and products are becoming increasingly controlled and locked down to the detriment of the consumer, there's real benefit to be had in being one of the few exceptions. "
Cole, change.org
"At that point highkey I'd just use IOS. Why remove one of the main things that lets android be android "
Josue, change.org
"We were promised FOSS, keep it that way "
Darius, change.org
"This is wrong! Taking freedom away from people isn't the same as making them safe! If this happens there will be no reason left to stay on android... "
Arya, change.org
"our digital freedom continues to erode as the years pass, gotta try to slow the degradation "
Kanji, 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 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
"My device is my device. "
arianna, change.org
"This is a threat to everyone's first amendment rights. Google's tech oligarchy is trting gatekeep creativity for their own greed. This should concern everyone, not just F-Droid developers and users! They won't just stop at F-Droid, their goal is total control! "
AJ, change.org
"I always chose to use android because of its freedom to do whatever I want woth my smartphone. Now they want to become Apple. What is wrong with them? We can't let this happen. "
kelvin, change.org
"I chose Android over Apple because of its openness and flexibility. I want to be the one who controls my device, not some central decision making body. "
Liana, change.org
"How can this be about security when the vast majority of people installing 3rd party apps are accepting that risk. Your anti virus services should be more than enough to prevent malicious applications but babying a population won't go well for you. I for one will get a huawei phone immediately after the change is officialized, privacy be damned, it's less authoritarian than what you're planning on doing. "
D, change.org
"google, it is not your job to parent any user on what they wish to do with the items they purchase. No one wants your control and no one asked. "
Kyi, change.org
"In this day and age, most of the rich and powerful are attempting to restrict the choices normal people have, and Google attempting to limit the open-source nature of Android is just one more example of this. What Google is doing is not protecting anyone and only serves to limit what we are allowed to do, and I don't want to idly stand by as the rich become richer. "
Joseph, change.org
"I bought my phone to do what I wanted with what I paid for. Let me do what I want on something i own. Let me suffer the consequences of my actions. Your not my parent and let me be an adult. "
kea, change.org
"I love making apps for my self on appinventor but when I heard this news I couldn't believe it. I don't want to be an approved developer because I only make these apps for myself, my friends and my family. This would make android feel less open source and is a horrible thing from Google to do this. This doesn't benefit anyone and only crushes creativity. #DONTBELIKEAPPLE "
Justin, change.org
"This solution simply doesn't make sense. It's not our fault, or the fault of all developers, that people don't know what to do to verify or install an application that isn't malicious. In my opinion, this should come enabled normally on new smartphones, but with a developer option to disable it. You don't have to complicate everything and force us to use an adb command just to install an unverified application. That simply doesn't exist. I provided the solution. "
Saulo, change.org
"I've been using Apk Apps since I was 6. 6! I'm 18 now. If you do this, your removing something that's a Part of My Life and also maybe some people too. This Is what makes Android Unique, This Is the Gift and the Power of Android! If you take It away, you're also taking away the freedom people believed this system to have, this freedom allows users to truly own their devices! And your only just taking It away like nothing, like this system hasn't existed since the launch of Android! Like Seth mentioned, Android started as an open operating system, you have simply turned It Into a reskinned Apple OS. You're better then this. The stop button Is right there, Just click It... ❤️🩹 "
Jonah, change.org
"Limiting developer and user freedom in the name of "safety" or whatever will only bring Android down to iOS's level. Don't make this mistake, Google! We must keep the right to make and use APKs freely! "
Julian, change.org
"I support Signature verification for security, but centralised verification is harmful for open Android ecosystem. "
Wenyi, change.org
"Google, let us keep being able to install whatever we want on our own devices. Otherwise there isn't really a reason to NOT get an iPhone because your platform isn't really open anymore. Don't alienate a large portion of your tech savvy customers and developers. Eliminating the possibility for people to write and distribute their own apps would harm the Android ecosystem. You would kill the pipeline for new developers to work their way up to creating the next big thing and your marketshare would suffer as a result. "
Sam, change.org
"The Android system should be kept open and free for end users and developers to use as they see fit. Google's decision to close the system is just one more step, of many already taken, toward the evil that they once promised not to be. Hopefully, enough people will realize that Google is not a trustworthy partner in software and OS ecosystems and a new, truly open system will be developed. "
E J, change.org
"Once the promise of running open software on Android is broken I ll simply toss the device into the bin and never look back. "
David, change.org
"You okay Google? Isolation is never the answer. Hope you feel better soon! "
Robert, change.org
"If this update is released, I will switch to iPhone. "
Miguel, change.org
"This will be the end of the android power user base, and will likely completely fracture things as open source os developers will be forced to do a complete fork. "
Matt, change.org
"As a former iOS dev, this move by Google sickens me. Android is the last major mobile OS that allows for open source development. Paying to become a "verified developer" is anti-consumer and anti-competitive. Google should be ashamed! This will allow them to introduce the same planned obsolescence the Apple uses to keep their users buying new phones when the latest OS isn't compatible with their phone. Users installing apps via 3rd party fully understand the risks. Corporate overreach won't "protect" anyone. We are not stupid Google! Stop treating us like sheep who don't know any better! "
Danielle, change.org
"Perhaps Google shares the same ideals as that damned communist country of China; they want to take away our freedom. "
Henrique Kelvin Alves da, change.org
"I've been an user of Android based phones for a very long time. I am fully against the idea of this move Google is trying, as it is just another notch in the attempted censorship and surveillance of the internet as a whole. If this move is allowed to go through, I will find workarounds or work towards getting a third party phone deal where I don't have to deal with this. These big tech companies should not have the authority to force us to bend to them. We have the power to make them back down. Let our voice be heard. Boycott these companies and make them lose money. The moment their financial gains are threatened, they will surrender. "
Brandon, change.org
"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
"We all have the right to contract unlimited. As free people. If Google controllers Android then that's peonage making Android users slaves, in a life that is so dependent around our phones!!!! "
Larry, change.org
"I should be able to share my android apps with my family and friends. It's easy to do on Windows and Linux. Why do I have to pay for sharing what is mine with friends and family around the world; yes, my actual family and friends are literally everywhere. Google often distributes malware. They allow Verizon to install unwanted apps that were often just malware. Google and Samsung force install apps we never asked for mostly so they can spy for advertising and traing their AIs. Heck, Google even watches what you put on gdrive and will remove things they don't like due to personal issues. How dystopian! "
Matthew, change.org
"Interesting how F-droid has been successfully been managing their own repo for years while simultaneously maintaining user and developer privacy, yet Google suddenly decides user safety is such an important thing that they have to sacrifice developer privacy on Android and conveniently have what apps users are allowed to install regulated by them and only them. If this was something they were doing on their store it would be disruptive, but developers who don't want to fork over pictures of their government ID, and 25 dollars apparently, could distribute their apps elsewhere. The privacy implications of forcing every developer, regardless of the distribution platform they use, to validate their government ID through a centralized source is far beyond the pale of Google's responsibilities and a major violation of privacy. The fact that they're even able to make a move like this should be treated as a travesty. It's not pro consumer either. As it stands today, users may choose to install apps from other appstores, including ones focused on open source software and privacy. Should Google's policy go into effect, they get to determine what apps we're allowed to install on the phones we bought and paid for. This alongside the sweeping age verification we've been seeing everywhere feels less focused on actual safety as opposed to surveillance. If I wanted a walled garden, I'd have gotten an apple phone. If this crap keeps up, I'm gonna have to search for a Linux phone whether they're ready for mass adoption or not. "
Pyre, change.org
"The ability to download apps directly from developers is one of the main differentials of Android from IOS. Limiting this will severely impact the market share of Android by removing basically any reason anyone would want to use Android over IOS. "
gabriel, 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
"If this forced update happens. I definitely will be finding a new operating system for my phone or a new phone without Google. You can take that to the bank...!!! "
James, change.org
"After dithering for ages, I finally did what I've always wanted to do, I installed a de-googled android it's, E/Os. Its great! If google persist in this, I'm sure more non technical users will too! I also wrote to my mp & to the UK monopoly commission. Search E/Os murena see if you can too! "
ed, change.org
"Android made it possible for free, open source software to be widely used between everyday consumers instead of locking them into subscriptions or high one time payments, and by restricting APK sideloading, this strips people away from being able to use software that more poeple are able to use. This is downright wrong. "
Michael, change.org
"One of the only reasons I use Android today is because of the openness of the operating system. Without it there is no reason why I would pick an Android phone over an iPhone. Most of the apps I use are not found on the playstore because I like to tinker a lot. I also like to make small applications for myself, my co-workers, and friends. Requiring a fee would completely shut down my ability to create niche apps that I already wouldn't be profiting on. "
LANDON, change.org
"Vamos parar essa empresa mercenárias "
Euler, change.org
"Android's open-source roots NEED to be worth fighting for. When Google released Android under the Apache License in 2007, it was a revolutionary move which allowed manufacturers, developers, and tinkerers worldwide to build on top of it freely. That openness is literally WHY Android became the dominant mobile OS, powering over 70% of the world's smartphones today. The ability to side-load APKs (install apps outside the Play Store) has been a cornerstone of that openness. It's what allows: • Independent developers to distribute apps without paying Google's 30% cut. • Users in regions where the Play Store is restricted to still access software. • Open-source app stores like F-Droid to thrive. • Researchers and security professionals to test and audit applications. • Enthusiast communities to keep older devices alive with custom ROMs which ALSO REDUCES GLOBAL E-WASTE. Compare this to iOS, where Apple has historically locked down side-loading entirely and ask yourself this important question, do we want Android to go down that same path? Restricting APK usage doesn't make users safer it just consolidates Google's control over what software you're allowed to run on hardware YOU purchased & own. The history of computing shows us that open platforms drive innovation, closed ones drive profits for gatekeepers. Android was built on the iconic Linux platform, a global community project. Let's not let that legacy be quietly dismantled in the name of "security". Android was built to be OPEN and its name says it all, ANDROID OPEN SOURCE PROJECT. "
Peter, change.org
"As a regular user of APKs, I think this system is so much important for us, bc we need this. GOOGLE DON'T BAN APK "
Alison, change.org
"As a consumer, I bought and use Android platform devices because I care about my privacy and I care about accessing third-party applications that are not strictly on Google's Play Store. I utilize F-Droid and various other third-party app stores, and this would be a major impediment to me. I did not agree to Google pulling the rug from beneath me well after I bought several thousand dollar Android phones and devices. "
Stephen, change.org
"As an Android user in Australia, I'm deeply concerned about what this policy means for consumers worldwide. When I purchased my Android device, I chose it because of its openness and freedom. Google is now unilaterally revoking that promise with a forced update — without consent, without recourse, and without accountability. This isn't just a developer issue. It affects every person who believes they should have the right to control their own device. I've already contacted the ACCC and my local MP, and I urge others to do the same. We cannot let a single corporation decide what software we are permitted to trust. "
Kaito, change.org
"Let open software environments stay open! Android has something unique that iOS does not, and it would be a shame to pursue the same locked-down “streamlined” experience. Personally, this change will stop me from purchasing an Android or Google device in the future, which is a shame because the open-environment nature of Android was the main appeal for me, and I know for many others. I believe this decision will alienate a large population of current, and potential future Android users. "
Ryan, change.org
"I currently own an iPhone, but I've always wanted to switch to and Android because I knew that I wouldn't be limited by what their app store says I can have on my phone. With this change, it sets a precedent that I don't have the right to run what programs I want to run on my technology, and I don't want to live like that. There are so many cool projects that aren't on the Play Store for various reasons, and we can't afford to lose those simply because Google wants control. "
O, change.org
"We should be able to do what we want with the devices we own. Locking everyone into only downloading from the google playstore will just create the walled garden that iPhone has already. "Sideloading" shouldn't be viewed as a bad thing, or something you shouldnt do. Its the same as downloading something on a computer. Im just downloading software on my phone. Imagine if they blocked you being able to downloading anything outside of the Microsoft Store on Windows. This needs to be stopped. The main (and basically only reason) I get an android phone is to have control over it. If this is removed from hs I will have no reason not to use an iPhone instead. "
Steven, 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
"Please don't close off the Android ecosystem. I'm an Android user because it gives me the freedom to install apps while taking responsibility for my installations. That's what differentiates it from iPhone and the reason I chose it. "
Víctor, change.org
"If I wanted to use a locked garden ecosystem, I'd just buy an iPhone. Keep Android open, Google. It is also for your best commercial interest. "
Oscar, change.org
"To quote Louis Rossmann: "A phone is essentially a computer, and you should have the autonomy to install whatever programs you want in your computer." (or something like that) Still, we can't deny that this is Google being petty for a multitude of reasons *cough* YouTube ADS *cough* and hopping aboard the "hand over your [government issued ID]" train in their own way. And apparently, they're going after our hardware with this one, since they just realized they can't prevent users from fiddling with software server-side. Again, there are plenty of privacy-invading and data-harvesting apps on the Play Store itself, but the data also goes to Google, so they're buddy-buddy on that. Anyway, you probably already know the rest of the script at this point. Now, onto my personal experience, I love the fact that I can install so many quality and useful open source apps made by developers who, (I'm probably underestimating here) sometimes, made those apps out of a personal need. Third party GApps front-ends, more tools than I can count, NewPipe forks, gallery apps that won't harvest data in the background — all of those, open source, with no trackers and no free data for Google, which is another reason why they're doing this. "
some dude, change.org
"Keep android app development open! "
Samuel, change.org
"I will switch to iOS and get rid of my android devices and Google home setup if this policy is implemented. I use android because it is open. If Google makes it an inferior version of the iPhone then I will switch over to iPhone. "
Scott, change.org
"We will not be pushed around. Resend the restrictions and let people use their property as they see fit. "
Daniel, change.org
"Android giving users choice has been the staple point of android OS. Removing choices like sideloading apps is not the move. I develop apps for myself, I do not want to be "an approved developer" I don't have time nor care for that. This action also is the beginning of censorship, and monopolization of android OS. Android started as an open operating system, you have simply turned it into a reskinned Apple OS. Your choice to go anti-consumer is going to hurt. You are not "protecting" anyone "
Seth, 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
"Do not fix something that is not broken. "
Pavel, change.org
"If wee do not stop this then our computers are next. We will end up the same as other countries who put out the same message to their people to condition them. Our freedom of speech and the right to privacy under the privacy act will be taken away. You do not want this!!! "
Keith, change.org
"I use android for one and one singular reason. Freedom. If I download malware, that's my own damn fault! Being "approved" by google just means following their political agenda, never these protective measures mean anything good. We didn't asked for this, no consumer wants this, WE DON'T NEED PROTECTION. WE. AREN'T. CHILDREN! "
Henrique, change.org
"There's a reason we chose Android over iOS. If this change happens there is zero reason for me to ever purchase another android device ever again. Might as well have better device hardware at that point. "
Daniel, change.org
"Its important to me that developers aren't forced to give away personally identifiable information to any agency, private or public. Google shouldn't have the right to require you to give up your GOVERNMENT ID in order to make an app. "
Alex, change.org
"I have contributed to FOSS apps that were published to Google play and F-Droid + similar stores, as well as written multiple apps for myself and family members. Android has long been an open platform that actually gives the user(s) freedom to do what they want with the device they own. However, that free and open model is coming under threat more and more in the name of "security" all while collecting and monetizing our user data. We do not need another walled garden Apple experience. Android users use Android BECAUSE of choice and freedom, not in spite of it. "
Christopher, change.org
"If you break android in this way, we will go elsewhere, and more code will be written, more avenues gone down and new ways to sidestep your control and ditch your software will emerge. You can't win, but you can lose. "
Daniel, change.org
"Unacceptable. This goes completely against the Spirit of the Android OS. Sideloading is a big reason Android is what is it today. Apps that were sideloaded became essential and were later integrated into the Android OS. Anyone smart enough to sideload is smart enough to educate themselves and be aware of any risks involved. I help people who's phones were hijacked by almost malware-like Launchers. Google still hasn't banned those Launchers from Google Play but somehow sideloaded apps are bad? Spare me the big brother crap. This is crackdown on Revanced and similar apps. This is also in coordination with government to crackdown on "undesirable" apps such as those that bypass censorship. "
Pavel, change.org
"This is an absolutely ridiculous move on their part. Nothing but censorship and control these past several months. They'll all burn for it. "
Jeffrey, 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
"I have the right to download apps made from developers I trust. You do not make that decision for me. Hands off! "
Danielle, change.org
"I own the hardware and will choose the software to suit my needs. not the needs of big tech. "
stuart, change.org