Twój telefon wkrótce przestanie być twój.
Z początkiem 2027* roku, cicha aktualizacja wymuszona przez Google bez zgody użytkowników, zablokuje każdą aplikację na Androida której twórca nie zarejestrował się w Google, nie podpisał umowy, nie zapłacił i nie przakazał danych z dowodu tożsamości.
Każda aplikacja i każde urządzenie na całym świecie, bez możliwości rezygnacji.
↓Co Google planuje
W sierpniu 2025 roku, Google ogłosiło nowy wymóg: wraz z początkiem 2027 roku każdy programista aplikacji na Androida musi się zarejestrować w centralnym systemie Google zanim jego aplikacja będzie mogła zostać zainstalowana na jakimkolwiek urządzeniu. Dotyczy to wszystkich aplikacji, nie tylko tych ze Sklepu Play. Aplikacje udostępniane miedzy przyjaciółmi, dystrybuowane przez F-Droida, stworzone przez hobbystów na użytek prywatny. Niezależni programiści, organizacje kościelne i społeczne, a także hobbyści - wszyscy zostaną pozbawieni możliwości tworzenia i dystrybucji swojego oprogramowania.
Rejestracja wymaga:
- Uiszczenie opłaty do Google
- Zgody na warunki korzystania z usług Google
- Przekazania dokumentu tożsamości wydanego przez państwo
- Przedłożenie dowodu posiadania prywatnego klucza do podpisywania
- Wymienienia wszystkich obecnych i przyszłych identyfikatorów aplikacji
Jeśli programista się nie zgodzi, jego aplikacja zostanie po cichu zablokowana na każdym urządzeniu z systemem Android na świecie.
Komu to zaszkodzi
Tobie
Telefon z Androidem wybierało się dlatego, że Google twierdziło, że to otwarty system. Można było instalować, co się chciało i taka była umowa.
Google teraz przepisuje tę umowę z mocą wsteczną (retroaktywnie) na każdym urządzeniu, które już posiadasz. Po zainstalowaniu aktualizacji, będzie można uruchomić tylko te aplikacje, które Google uwcześnie zatwierdziło. Na Twoim telefonie: Twojej własności, zakupionej przez Ciebie.
Niezależnym programistom
Pierwsza aplikacja nastolatka, narzędzie do ochrony prywatności stworzone przez wolontariusza, poufna wewnętrzna beta danej firmy - nie ma to żadnego znaczenia. W 2027 roku żadna z nich nie będzie mogła zostać zainstalowana bez błogosławieństwa firmy Google.
F-Droid, dom dla tysiąca darmowych i otwartoźródłowych aplikacji, nazwał to "egzystencjonalnym" zagrożeniem. Cory Doctorow nazywa to "Darth Androidem".
Rządy i organizacje społeczne
Firma Google ma za sobą historię przypadków, w których podporządkowywała się żądaniom autorytarnych reżimów dotyczącym usunięcia aplikacji. Wraz z wprowadzeniem powyższego programu oprogramowanie, z którego korzystają instytucje w Twoim kraju, będzie istniało tylko i wyłącznie dzięki woli jednej, niepodlegającej żadnej kontroli zagranicznej korporacji.
Oragnizacja EFF nazywa kontrolę dostępu do aplikacji jako "coraz szerszą drogę do cenzury w Internecie".
"Furtka" od Google w rzeczywistości jest pułapką
Google twierdzi, że "zaawansowani użytkownicy" "wciąż mogą zainstalować" niezweryfikowane aplikacje. Oto jak to naprawdę wygląda:
- Przejdź do ustawień systemu i znajdź Opcje Programisty
- Kliknij numer wersji siedem razy by włączyć Tryb Programisty
- Pomiń odstraszające komunikaty sugerujące, że ktoś Cię do tego zmusza
- Wprowadź kod PIN
- Uruchom ponownie urządzenie
- Poczekaj 24 godziny
- Wróć i zamknij kolejne odstraszające ekrany
- Wybierz "zezwól tymczasowo" (7 dni) albo "zezwól na czas nieokreślony"
- Potwierdź, znowu, że rozumiesz "zagrożenia"
Dziewięć kroków. Obowiązkowy 24-godzinny okres oczekiwania. Żeby móc zainstalować oprogramowanie na urządzeniu, którego jesteś właścicielem.
Co gorsza: cały ten proces odbywa się w całości przez Usługi Google Play, a nie przez system Android. Google może go zmienić, zaostrzyć jego zasady albo całkowicie wyłączyć w dowolnym momencie, bez jakiejkolwiek zgody czy konieczności aktualizacji systemu operacyjnego.
To jest coś większego niż tylko Android
Jeśli Google może z mocą wsteczną zablokować miliardy urządzeń, które zostały sprzedane jako otwarte platformy, każdy producent sprzętu na świecie uważnie to obserwuje.
Przyjęta została zasada: to producent decyduje po zakupie, jakie oprogramowanie możesz uruchomić na urządzeniu. W świecie oprogramowania, nazywane jest to "rug pull" (dosłownie: wyciąganie spod kogoś dywanu), ale zawsze można było zainstalować konkurencyjne oprogramowanie. W przypadku sprzętu jest to fakt dokonany, który pozbawia Cię możliwości wyboru i sprawia, że nie masz wpływu na kaprysy pojedynczego, nieodpowiadającego przed nikim strażnika dostępu i skazanego monopolisty.
Otwartość Androida nigdy nie była tylko cechą. Była obietnicą, która odróżniała go od iPhone'a. Miliony wybrały Androida dokładnie z tego powodu. Google teraz jednostronnie wycofuje się z tej obietnicy w odniesieniu do urządzeń, które już są w kieszeniach użytkowników, ponieważ uznali, że mają wystarczającą dominację rynkową i wpływ na organy regulacyjne, aby uszło im to na sucho.
Ars Technica: "Zazdrość Google'a wobec Apple'a grozi zniszczeniem tradycji otwartości Androida."
Ale chwila, czy nie...
"...chodzi po prostu o bezpieczeństwo?"
Argumenty dotyczące bezpieczeństwa to tylko przykrywka. Usługa Google Play Protect już teraz skanuje aplikacje w poszukiwaniu złośliwego oprogramowania, niezależnie od tożsamości twórcy. Wymóg posiadania dokumentu tożsamości wydanego przez państwo nie zwiększa bezpieczeństwa kodu. Sprawia, że programistów można zidentyfikować i kontrolować. Twórcy złośliwego oprogramowania mogą się zarejestrować. Niezależni programiści i dysydenci często nie mogą. Oragnizacja EFF mówi wprost: kontrola dostępu oparta na tożsamości jest narzędziem cenzury, a nie zabezpieczeniem.
"...jest to wciąż instalacja z innego źródła?"
Dziewięć kroków, 24-godzinny okres oczekiwania, ukryte w Opcjach Programisty, dostarczone przez własnościową usługę, przez którą Google może wycofać dostęp kiedykolwiek będzie chciało. To nie jest instalacja z innego źródła. To jest mechanizm odstraszający stworzony, aby upewnić się, że prawie nikt go nie ukończy. Dzięki temu, że działa on poprzez Usługi Google Play a nie system operacyjny, Google może go zaostrzyć albo po cichu wyłączyć.
"...jest to tylko problemem jeśli masz coś do ukrycia?"
Pierwszymi ofiarami będą sygnaliści, dziennikarze i aktywiści działający w krajach rządzonch przez reżimy autorytarne. Kolejną grupą będą osoby doświadczające przemocy domowej. Wszystkie te grupy mają uzasadnione powody, aby rozpowszechniać lub korzystać z oprogramowania bez przekazywania swojej tożsamości do baz danych Google'a. Anonimowy wkład w rozwój oprogramowania otwartoźródłowego to tradycja starsza niż samo Google. Niniejsza polityka położy jej kres na Androidzie.
"...jest to przypadkiem to samo co robi Apple?"
Apple od samego początku funkcjonowało jako zamknięty ekosystem. Ludzie wybierali Androida właśnie dlatego, że był inny. Twierdzenie „Apple też tak robi” to wyścig ku upadkowi i słaby argument typu tu quoque (tj. "oni też"). A pod wpływem presji regulatorów (Akt o rynkach cyfrowych) nawet Apple zostało zmuszone do otwarcia się. Natomiast Google podąża w przeciwnym kierunku: próbuje jeszcze bardziej umocnić swoją pozycję kontrolną.
"...jest to po prostu 25 dolarów i jakaś papierologia?"
Może jeśli jesteś programistą w Stanach Zjednoczonych z kartą kredytową i prawem jazdy. Spróbuj jednak postawić się w sytuacji studenta z Afryki Subsaharyjskiej, dysydenta z Birmy lub wolontariusza utrzymującego aplikację służącą lokalnej społeczności. Koszt nie jest tylko finansowy: oddajesz rządowy dowód tożsamości i dowody posiadania kluczy podpisujących firmie, która rutynowo stosuje się do żądań od rządów dotyczących usuwania aplikacji i ujawniania tożsamości programistów.
Walcz
Wszyscy
- Zainstaluj F-Droida na każdym urządzeniu jakie posiadasz z systemem Android. Alternatywne sklepy mogą przetrwać tylko, jeśli ludzie będą z nich korzystali.
- Skontaktuj się z organami regulacyjnymi. Organy regulacyjne na całym świecie są naprawdę zaniepokojone monopolem i centralizacją władzy w sektorze technologicznym i chcą poznać opinie bezpośrednio od osób, których ta sytuacja dotyczy i które są nią zaniepokojone.
- Udostępnij tę stronę. Wstaw wszędzie, gdzie możesz link do keepandroidopen.org.
- Nie daj się zmanipulować fałszywym aktywistom. Grupy typu "tak właściwie to..." są teraz bardzo aktywne. Nie pozwól im dyktować tonu dyskusji.
- Podpisz petycję w serwisie change.org i dołącz do ponad 100 tysięcy osób, które wyraziły swoje zdanie.
- Przeczytaj i udostępnij nasz list otwarty
- Powiedz Google'owi, co o tym myślisz przez ich własną ankietę o weryfikacji programistów (choć nie wiadomo, czy to cokolwiek da).
Programiści
Nie rejestruj się. Nie dołączaj do programu, rejestrując się w Android Developer Console i akceptując ich nieodwołalne Warunki korzystania z usługi. Nie potwierdzaj swojej tożsamości. Nie wchodź w to.
Plan Google'a zadziała tylko jeśli programiści się do niego zastosują. Nie rób tego.
- Zniechęcaj innych programistów i organizacje do rejestracji.
- Dodaj bibliotekę FreeDroidWarn do swoich aplikacji, by ostrzec innych użytkowników.
- Masz własną stronę internetową? Dodaj poniższy baner z odliczaniem w dół.
Pracownicy firmy Google
Jeśli wiesz coś na temat wdrożenia technicznego programu lub jego wewnętrznych założeń, skontaktuj się z nami pod adresem [email protected] z komputera niebędącego komputerem służbowym i z konta innego niż Gmail. Gwarantujemy całkowitą poufność.
Wszyscy, którzy są przeciwni...
71 organizacji z 23 krajów podpisało list otwarty
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
GitHub Store github-store.org
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
April april.org
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
Proton AG proton.me
Cryptee crypt.ee
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Brave brave.com
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
FUTO futo.org
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
UnifiedPush unifiedpush.org
FACiL facil.qc.ca
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
Techlore techlore.tech
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
iodé iode.tech
F-Droid f-droid.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
OpenMedia openmedia.org
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
CryptPad cryptpad.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
FOSDEM fosdem.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
FULU Foundation fulu.org
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au Co mówią inni
Prasa techniczna
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"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 Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"Google's dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"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
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"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
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"
InfoWorld
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"Android, Epic, and What's Really Behind Google's 'Existential' Threat to F-Droid"
Slashdot
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Over 67 groups urge the company to drop ID checks for apps distributed outside Play"
The Register
"F-Droid says Google's new sideloading restrictions will kill the project"
Ars Technica
"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 Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google's developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"
Internet Freedom Foundation (India)
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"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's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
Artykuły redakcyjne i analizy
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"This policy represents a dramatic departure from Android's decades-old tradition of openness, in which developers could build and share apps freely without first submitting to a centralized authority."
Biometric Update
"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
"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
"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"This is not a developer account sign-up. This is comprehensive surveillance of the software development ecosystem."
PixelUnion
"Freedom of choice is being reframed as a 'security risk.'"
Newsfangled
"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
"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
"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
"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 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
"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
"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
"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
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
"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
"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 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
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"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
"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."
Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab
"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 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
"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 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
"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 not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
Organizacje i listy otwarte
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"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
"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
"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 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
"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
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
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
"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
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today."
F-Droid
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"This 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 Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"Remember: It's your phone, your data, your freedom. Don't let Google take it away."
Tuta
"Google will cut off independent developers to Android if they do not register with Google first. This will kill independent platforms like F-Droid and severely impede FLOSS devs from creating apps for Android."
KDE
"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
"Google is turning Android into a walled garden monopoly. We must prevent it."
Osservatorio Nessuno
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"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
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"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
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"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
"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
YouTuberzy i twórcy
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"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
"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
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"A world where two tech companies from the same city that dominate all of our mobile devices both require centralized developer registration is a world with one more lever for surveillance, one more checkpoint for censorship."
Techlore – YouTube
"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"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
"That's not openness. That is control."
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
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"This means you can't sideload an app from an unofficial source. But it could also be used to lock the ecosystem so we're forced to install only Google apps on approved Google OS versions."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"Google 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
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"This is an iPhone now. I didn't want to buy an iPhone. I use Android because it gives me freedom. If you are not going to give me freedom with my computer, then why would I buy your stuff anymore?"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"The widely-circulated narrative that Google already backed down from this is false. They didn't, and that misunderstanding may be the most dangerous part of the story right now."
Techlore – YouTube
"F-Droid is basically saying that the new Google developer registration process will likely kill the open-source app store entirely."
The Linux Experiment – YouTube
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
Programiści i społeczność
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, 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
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, 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
"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
"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
"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
"Google has no right to be my parent. As long as I can't reject paternalism, I don't believe for a second this is done with the well-being of scam victims as the main priority."
gspr, Lobsters
"There's an entire genre of scamming where the scammers spend months building rapport with their victims before cashing out. One day is nothing."
free_bip (on the 24-hour wait defeating scammers), Hacker News
"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
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
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
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"Computing is infrastructure. Personal computers are a means of expressing agency. This is like banning people from moving furniture around their house without approval from mortgage lenders."
wervenyt, Tildes
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"This isn't just a competition between app stores; it's a struggle for choice and dignity. Your phone shouldn't be a cage carefully constructed by others, but an extension of your own will."
renshijian, Hacker News
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, 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
"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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, Lobsters
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, 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
"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
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, 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
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), Hacker News
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, 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
"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
"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
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"Don't beg. Don't get in a position that freedoms depend on the whims of a corporation or willingness of a government to regulate them. Build."
jzb, Lobsters
"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
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), 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
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"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
"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
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, Hacker News
"After 15 years of professional development on Android I too am now thinking about switching my focus to something different. And it sucks."
MrDresden, Hacker News
"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
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, 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
"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
Głosy z petycji
"Google is heading down a dangerous path by trying to block or restrict APK installations from unofficial sources. This is a direct attack on one of the core reasons people chose Android in the first place: freedom. Android was supposed to be the alternative to locked-down ecosystems, not a copy of them. Let’s be honest about what this looks like. This is the same model used by Apple Inc. with iOS, where users are forced into a single app store, developers are squeezed by high fees, and anything outside that system is treated as suspicious or outright blocked. Android was never supposed to be that. Copying the worst parts of iOS defeats the entire purpose of Android existing at all. Sideloading APKs is not some fringe feature for hackers. It is essential for developers, for users in regions with limited access to official stores, and for anyone who values control over their own device. Taking that away is not about safety, it is about control. It is about deciding what users are allowed to install and where developers are allowed to distribute their work. Yes, security matters. But using “security” as an excuse to lock down the platform is lazy and dishonest. Users can handle informed choices. Warnings, permissions, and transparency already exist. Removing freedom entirely is not protection, it is restriction. If Google continues down this road, Android will lose what made it different and valuable. At that point, it becomes just another closed system pretending to be open. And if users are going to be treated like they have no control over their own devices, then there is no real difference left. People are not asking for less security. They are demanding the right to choose. And that right should not be taken away. "
Keep, change.org
"Google, side loading is one of the few things that made android unique. Bring it back. "
Grayson, change.org
"People originally went to Android way back in 2008 because of the open source nature of Android. It's what still attracts so many people to use Android. It's what keeps people on Android. Google owes so much to the open source community, from app developers to OS developers like the CyanogenMod/LineageOS teams, the CalyxOS team, and the DivestOS team among others all the way to the people who have used XDA's forums since the days of the HTC Dream. I realize Google wants to go into the 3rd stage of "Embrace, Enhance, Extinguish" but that will drive more people to Linux phones. "
Draken, change.org
"The reason I chose Android is for the openness of the software. If Android isn't going to stay that than myself and millions more will find other phones to use and own. Choice matters. "
Andrew, change.org
"Google shouldn't be able to restrict something that made us purchase the phones in the first place! "
Yousef, change.org
"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
"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
"Aaaaaaaaae "
Sharon, change.org
"Google wanna eliminate biggest advantage of Android over iOS "
Misa, change.org
"This move is a step backward for the Android ecosystem for so many reasons, but most of because all Google claiming this is for "security" is very disingenuous. Malware already exists on the Play Store, and restricting independent, open-source software does not make users safer, it only makes the ecosystem more closed and worse off. This is anti-consumer to a tee and should not be allowed to happen. "
Teemu, 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
"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
"This is crazy. Stop this madness. We pay for our devices and should have the right to install whatever software we like without verification. Keeping us safe with regulation is not the answer. Stop the madness and keep android open. "
Steven, 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
"I like Android because it feels like a computer. I can administrate my own files, download niche little hobby projects made freely by others off of GitHub. I don't want it to become a walled corporate garden like iOS. If it does, well, might as well switch to the higher-quality walled garden, huh? No point in using a droid anymore. "
Maxima, change.org
"This is a blatant attack on freedom, and I cannot just stand by and watch it come to pass. If we allow the likes of Google to take such steps, they'll clear a whole staircase. "
Emir, change.org
"This will eliminate a large number of users from the Android platform, most will leave because they are being restricted, and the others like myself will leave purely on principle. Teaching people to use technology in a smarter way will always be better than restrictions, and all of this will just be the beginning of censorship and control on a global scale, as is already happening with other Google applications. "
Bradley, 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
"let's go, ! Keep Android alive! "
jorge, change.org
"The best part of android is the freedom to do what we want, downloading fan made apps and such is the freedom we like its kinda only reason people buy androids "
Andrew, change.org
"I 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
"Keep Android Open. We are not letting you form a monopoly, Google. It's OUR devices. If you continue with this, you'll remove one of the only reasons most people are not with Apple: freedom. So think about it. "
Bruno Leonel, change.org
"Device freedom shluld not be limted and the whole appel of android is device freedom taking that away defeats the whole point terrible change hope this doesn't go through "
Logan, change.org
"I switched for freedom - not this. "
Harrison, change.org
"This is like Linux changing into Windows "
A., change.org
"I have been avoiding iPhone and using Android specifically for this reason. Why would Google change something that is working for them? Why ruin something good? Short sighted and stupid move. "
Will, change.org
"No reason to own a google device if I am limited in what I can do with it. "
Salvatore, change.org
"whatever happened to actually owning something you bought? like seriously stop with this nonsense. I should be able to install things onto my phone as I see fit. "
Eric, change.org
"I switched to Android OS because apple's OS is closed. There will be no upsides to Android once it is closed. I will switch back to iPhones in a heartbeat so I can be on the same system as the rest of my family. "
devin, change.org
"Sideloading is not a term. It is called installing. Do not take our choices away. Isn't America proud of their freedom, so don't take ours freedom away. Our device, our decisions "
Quoc Huy, change.org
"Sideloading does not exist. I bought the device, I own it and will use it as I see fit. I'm sure Sundar wouldn't appreciate his gardener telling him what grass he's allowed to grow. "
Eric, change.org
"The whole point of Android was it was an os that gave you the freedom to use your phone the way you wanted unlike apple this ruins it's whole purpose "
Cem, change.org
"It isn't safe to bottleneck every human user to obey a s>ngle companies whims. This will be fought in court, I'm sure. But in the meantime I will fight this disagreeable motion. This is a freedom of privacy and speech, in the enar future if you have an unsavory opinion, towards Google or other, you will be targeted. "
Kosta, 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
"Its my phone im doing as i please with it "
Brayden, 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
"Literally the only reason I swapped to android years ago was because it had freedoms that iPhones didn't. I may as well swap back if this is how things are going. "
Robert, change.org
"As an android user I love the way I want to use my phone and which app to install. Apps that are being developed my developers that are not on the play store tends to be even better than those on the play store. The freedom which developers have to develop and distribution of apps has changed on how we use the android devices, giving us more option and great experience with the device. "
Josphat, change.org
"Let's fight for our freedom. "
Juan, change.org
"Having moved to the Google platform due to limitations on Apple devices, it would be a huge shame to see this implemented. "
Christo, change.org
"I own the hardware and will choose the software to suit my needs. not the needs of big tech. "
stuart, change.org
"My phone, my apps Let me do what I want or else an iPhone will be my phone "
Aaron, 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
"Apple would be the only entity to benefit from this change. The ability to side load apps and to support (and greatly benefit from) the FOSS community are the only meaningful reasons that anyone would choose to have an Android phone. "
Jake, change.org
"The only reason I use android vs ios is due to a nonlocked system. If google locks down apps as planned, ill more than likely move to ios. Ill happily recycle my pixel 9 "
Travis, change.org
"Changes like this severely limit fledgeling development. While you promise easy ways to register for free, any barrier can be enough to stop someone from making their first app. Additionally, anonymous publishing should be available for applications that may go against the will of those in power. This change limits freedom as well as killing the developer community. "
Jack, change.org
"I buy android to be able to customize my phone as I please. If you do this you lose a loyal customer of over 20 years. "
Jamell, change.org
"I am tired of massive corporations limiting us. I love using android because it is a modified linux kernal and I love using linux. I want android to stay open, android has not right to call itself linux if it will not stay open. "
Charlotte, 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
"Apk's are the best part of Google so � "
Nick, change.org
"We can stand together to save Android and keep downloading what we love on our Android devices! "
Austin, change.org
"In a time when a few big companies are controlling everything, having access to open source alternatives is more important than ever. We don't need more restrictions and less access. Right now you can come up with a great idea, create said idea, then share it with other android users. The only barriers are your own willingness to learn. But google is trying to destroy what makes android great! Don't let it happen. Sign the petition, make noise on social media, boycott if it comes to it. Don't let the people at the top continue taking away and restricting things we love and need. It can feel like they're untouchable. But they rely on us for that power and control. If enough people resist they will revert the planned changes. Because in the end we're the consumer and all they care about is "the numbers go up". They need us for that. "
Anthony, 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
"ts bullshit fr fr ive been tinkering with Android for a long long long time now and its part of the reason im even into tech so much. the sheer amount of freedom Android allows is truly amazing and so help me god if they take it away "
silly, change.org
"Android is the operating system for those who want freedom, and to take away our ability to install what we wish, is the start of Google trying to take further control over us. The internet is already falling apart with attempts to "protect" people, but in reality, the internet isn't a place for big companies to try and protect people against their will. "
Dino, change.org
"Open source has always been foundational to everything Google and Android have accomplished. But locking off local installation will hurt open source development on the Android platform. I personally have apps I won't be able to use anymore. Please don't do this to us, we don't want to have to change platforms yet again. "
David, 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
"The restriction of an end-user's ability to control what they can and cannot do with their device that they legally own is inherently malicious and should be illegal. Google is pushing and overreaching in a way that is invasive and threatening to users' privacy and freedom. "
Weston, change.org
"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
"Remember when google was cool? "
Andrew, change.org
"Literally the best part of android devices is sideloading APKs "
Michael, change.org
"The reason people have Android is not only because it's cheap ,but because of the freedom The OS has... taking away this freedom ,is like taking away someone's heart "
Ayrton, change.org
"Android has been the bastion for users who did not want to accept companies deciding what we do with our devices, it is imperative that users are granted the freedom of choice to install any software they wish, and to develop software to innovate and solve issues that Google or its partners decide is not worth their time. "
Hassan, change.org
"Android's freedom of choice is what made me switch from apple. I find that limiting that those freedoms such as sideloading an obnoxious spit in the face of all who use and enjoy this operating system. If I wanted an anti consumer product id buy from apple. "
Link, change.org
"Google should calm down "
Pablo, change.org
"https://c.org/ztGgdyG2f4 "
Rosita, change.org
"If android truly blocks what are some of my favorite apps from developers I trust, I will no longer be using "smart" phones without root. It'll be graphine or flip phones, I promise you. "
R, change.org
"Google, don't make me get the spray bottle. "
Skipps, 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 internet should be free for all "
Ev, change.org
"Keep the Android Open Source Project... Open Source "
Raymond, change.org
"The selling point of Android has always been freedom, in contrast to Apple's centralized ecosystem. I use Android because it allows me to tailor my experience to my wants and needs rather than what a big corporation decided that I need. I like supporting small creators and developers, which will be made increasingly more difficult with such a barrier to app creators. If you turn into Apple, there is no more reason to choose Android. You will just be another form of unnecessary censorship and limitation. "
Jackson, change.org
"I've been an Android user since 2.1 on my LG Ally in 2010. In all that time I've used a single iOS device and ran straight back to Android for one major reason: Control. Android offered a level of control over my own device that Apple simply did not. Unfortunately, over the last several years Google has decided it prudent to strip away the "privelage" of using my device how I see fit. With each new update, Android becomes more similar to the locked-down iOS platform that I shied away from. With this detestable update, why would I stick with Android? If Android becomes a less privacy-focused iOS, why would I not simply migrate back to Apple's platform? "
Nathaniel, change.org
"I am a long-time Android user that heavily relies on sideloaded apps for my everyday phone usage. I ask that you reconsider the decision to make app sideloading impossible as it would be a slap in the face to everything Android has represented for all these years. Freedom to use apps from varying sources has always been a huge selling point for Android -- and it's a big reason why many don't involve themselves in Apple's ecosystem. In addition, forcing developers to lose their anonymity for the promise of greater security does not seem to be an appropriate tradeoff. I ask that you consider an alternative course of action for the sake of your user base. "
Chris, change.org
"The only reason I've stuck with Android all these years has been its open ecosystem. If that's removed, I'd switch to Apple in a heartbeat. "
Anjali, change.org
"There are games, apps, that are FREE, because the authors want it that way, no charge. WHY SHOULD GOOGLE WIN MONEY WITH THEM??? "
Ana, change.org
"We want digital sovereignty for democracy! "
Kelly, change.org
"APKs are extremely useful for downloading as a learning app developer in highschool. If you ban this, I will not have phone to use as a sandbox and resort to virtual systems to do my development on as a unverified user You are SIGNIFICANTLY reducing the amount of people who will buy your products, and I guarantee, I, as well as many other android users will be switching to Apple as a result. This is on of the ONLY reasons for us to purchase your devices and use your OS. Do not kill your golden goose "
Logan, 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
"This would severely limit any reason I have to use a google certified android phone. Without the ability to easily support open source developers and tinker with my own projects -- the android phone would cease to be my "daily driver". These are our computers, and we should be able to install what we want on them. It's disrespectful to take that right away. Please reconsider removing your hardware's greatest and most consumer friendly strength in the mobile market. "
Kedryn, change.org
"Google's promise was that Android would remain an open ecosystem allowing developers to freely play in an open sandbox and build applications without requiring a central authority. Users are capable of determining and accepting risk on their own, and the barrier to sideloading is high enough to keep most general users safe. It's been shown that even Play Store's security reviews are not perfect and that malware makes its way onto the platform, so there is no basis for this change other than greed and overreach. "
Cameron, change.org
"I completely disagree because it is a form of Android dictatorship taking away the freedom to download apks like MT manager Play Story already gives an error when downloading and installing it, so please share this so that Google stops it. "
Ezer, change.org
"Open Android was a promise to devs and users. Now Google tries to turn Android into a closed shop. That is disapointing. "
Marc, change.org
"a recently convicted monopolist extorting developers and committing further anticompetitive behavior? not in my pocket it's not. "
Marc, change.org
"Google will lose so much money from this, and frankly, we know money is all they care about. Not only is this an obvious nosedive into fascism, it's anti-consumer and I hope Google suffers for it. "
Darien, change.org
"I have been using Android since I was a wee little lad and for the simple fact that it was mine and I had control over what and who I allowed on my devices. Using the iPoor (iPhones) always had the intrinsic "we at Apple know what's best for you" type of user experience and never got behind it. This cannot pass in in any country. "
Moe, change.org
"Please call your Reps and Sens to vote NO on legislation that would mandate online age-verification systems, digital ID requirements, or repeal or weaken Section 230. Including proposals like the KIDS Act package and KOSA, the SCREEN Act, Section 230 sunset bills, and COPPA 2.0 if it is used to expand surveillance-style age checks "
Evan, change.org
"Be better than IOS, this is not the way "
Kai, change.org
"I used APK's to play tons of games I loved, like angry birds star wars and I don't wanna see it taken from me. It has always been easier then apple (I know because I sideload all the time) and doesn't help anyone. You're moving customers away. Do better. "
Jane, 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
"As someone who writes and uses my own APKs to make my device even more useful to me, this lockdown would be a deal breaker for my use of the Google Android platform "
Luke, change.org
"Sideloading is what keeps Android as a different thing compared to iOS. Taking that away is like making it the same. Worst, decision, ever. "
Marcos Eloy, change.org
"This errodes competition by giving Google more control over what content is easily allowed. Fundamentally, this is anti-competition and a way for Google to cement their ability as the "taste maker" for Android devices. "
David, change.org
"Google, as a US based company, is trying to seize control over who can and who cannot create applications for Android. If you purchase a phone, you should be able to use it however you see fit. But now, if you want to develop a simple app for your daily use or for a small project that doesn't strictly align with Google or the US government's agenda, you could be denied the right to install it and even persecuted or doxxed. "
Ivan, change.org
"The biggest edge Android has had is choice, control, and openness, which is sorely lacking in competitors like with Apple's operating systems. This is the exact opposite of what consumers, developers, and contributors to AOSP want. This is a gross overstep. "
Jordan, change.org
"Fight for internet freedom/anonymity! "
m, change.org
"Google has shown a lack of respect for user privacy their entire existence. You own your device, you spent hundreds of dollars/Euros for it. It was not a loan by Google, it is yours, and you should control what you use it for. People who want to use only Google verified apps are free to do so without having to infringe on the rights of the people knowledgeable enough to make the decision to use apps from outside Google's Play store. Google and others have long criticized Apple for this exact thing, to the point that they're in a lawsuit for it. For Google to try this shows a complete lack of respect for the customer, a lack of integrity, and complete and utter hypocrisy. If I want to make a personal app to control a toy I made and programmed, why should I have to give Google my personal information, jump through extra hoops, give them my code, and PAY them for the privilege of doing my own work? It's ridiculous. It's pure corporate greed. More than that, it's an attempt from Google to control your device. Yet another avenue for censorship, surveillance, and the road towards a world without any freedom, all under the guise of "safety." This is not just an attack on you and your device. This is an attack on your freedom as an individual and your right to your privacy and choice. This shouldn't just be a petition, this needs to be nonnegotiable. "
Paul, change.org
"Please don't do this, I have always been opposed to the apple mentality, I view this as my device and have loved the openness of the android ecosystem. I used to root my phones and load my own os, replace boot animations, design my own UI. Those are my fondest memories of owning an Android phone, I no longer do those things but I still occasionally side load an app, or go to FDroid, Amazon's app store, if you revoke my ability to do these things I can no longer argue against owning an iphone, as my biggest argument now is Google's android open ecosystem versus apples closed ecosystem. Don't be Apple, be Google, be better. "
Jake, change.org
"Android needs to remain about choice not a locked down OS like Apple, that's the reason I and so many others choose android "
Sean, change.org
"As a regular user and a small developer, I find this measure deeply concerning. When I choose to buy an Android phone, it is with the expectation of having control over how I use it, not to face restrictions or censorship. Tools like Knox and Play Integrity are already frustrating enough, and now it seems that even downloading applications from F-Droid or other nice Stores should be checked ?! This undermines both user freedom and the open spirit that originally defined Android. We have ( well we have to take it back) the right to create, modify, and use apps—and to communicate online—without being forced to give up anonymity. It is up to users to educate themselves about potential risks, not for GAFAM to decide on our behalf. "
naknak, change.org