Ponsel Anda akan segera berhenti menjadi milik Anda sepenuhnya.
Mulai September 2026, 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 September 2026, 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. Setelah September 2026, 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. Dan hingga saat ini, fitur tersebut belum dirilis dalam versi beta, preview, atau canary build mana pun. Fitur tersebut hanya ada dalam bentuk postingan blog dan beberapa mockup.
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 tips@keepandroidopen.org 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
Unified Push unifiedpush.org
/e/ Foundation e.foundation
La Quadrature du Net laquadrature.net
FACiL facil.qc.ca
epicenter.works – for digital rights epicenter.works
Fundación Karisma karisma.org.co
The Calyx Institute calyx.org
GNOME Foundation gnome.org
Associação Nacional para o Software Livre (ANSOL) ansol.org
ARTICLE 19 article19.org
Forbrukerrådet forbrukerradet.no
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) eff.org
F-Droid f-droid.org
Data Rights datarights.ngo
Open Rights Group (ORG) openrightsgroup.org
Digitale Gesellschaft digitale-gesellschaft.ch
Software Liberty Association of Taiwan slat.org.tw
FULU Foundation fulu.org
Digital Rights Watch digitalrightswatch.org.au
Software Freedom Conservancy sfconservancy.org
FOSDEM fosdem.org
Cryptee crypt.ee
Fedimedia fedimedia.it
Techlore techlore.tech
The Digital Rights Foundation digitalrightsfoundation.pk
CryptPad cryptpad.org
Nextcloud nextcloud.com
The Center for Digital Progress (D64) d-64.org
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) beuc.eu
FUTO futo.org
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) ccc.de
OpenMedia openmedia.org
Italian Linux Society ils.org
Vivaldi Technologies AS vivaldi.com
April april.org
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) fsf.org
Rossmann Group rossmanngroup.com
GNU/Linux València gnulinuxvalencia.org
MetaBrainz Foundation metabrainz.org
Proton AG proton.me
Rocky Linux rockylinux.org
GitHub Store github-store.org
Technopolice Bruxelles technopolice.be
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) fsfe.org
iodé iode.tech
Brave brave.com
European Digital Rights (EDRi) edri.org Baca surat terbuka selengkapnya dan berikan apresiasi kepada para penandatangan →
Apa yang mereka katakan
Pers teknologi
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google's Apple envy threatens to dismantle Android's open legacy"
Ars Technica
"Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading"
9to5Google
"Google's Requirement For All Android Developers To Register And Be Verified Threatens To Close Down Open Source App Store F-Droid"
Techdirt
"Google's New Developer Rules Threaten to End the F-Droid Open-Source App Store"
How-To Geek
"Resistance to Google's Android verification grows among developers"
Techzine EU
"Keep Android Open"
Linux Magazine
"Google plans to block side-loading like Apple, declaring war on Android freedom"
Tuta Blog
"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
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"Sideloading is dead for all intents and purposes. The Android you know and love is slowly disappearing."
Android Police
"Android app store provider Aptoide hits Google with fresh lawsuit alleging monopoly and anticompetitive chokehold"
Benzinga
"Google will make you wait 24 hours to sideload Android apps"
How-To Geek
"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 dev registration plan 'will end the F-Droid project'"
The Register
"Google will require developer verification for Android apps outside the Play Store"
TechCrunch
"This will wipe out Android as an actual alternative to Apple's mobile OS offerings."
Hackaday
"Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store"
The Verge
"Sideloading on Android? Soon It'll Be Like a TSA Check for Apps"
Android Headlines
"It effectively makes the Play Store a monopoly without actually mandating that it is a monopoly."
I-Programmer
"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 developer registration 'decree' means the end for alternative app stores"
Cybernews
"Google's Attack on Sideloading Will Rob Android of One of Its Best Features"
How-To Geek
"Google's New Developer ID Rule Could Harm F-Droid"
Reclaim The Net
"Google's new ID requirements could destroy independent app stores"
TechSpot
"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"
The New Stack
"Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy"
It's FOSS News
"Google's new developer rules could threaten sideloading and F-Droid's future"
Gizmochina
"Keep Android Open – Abwehr gegen Verbot anonymer Apps von Google"
heise online
"F-Droid Says Google Is Lying About the Future of Sideloading on Android"
How-To Geek
"Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register"
The Register
"Google is restricting one of Android's most important features, and users are outraged"
SlashGear
"We all know that's a load of bullshit. Adding a goddamn 24-hour waiting period is batshit insanity."
Thom Holwerda, OSnews
"I've been an Android user for almost 15 years -- and Google's sideloading changes are pushing me back to iPhone"
Tom's Guide
"Open-Source Android Apps Threatened by Google's New Policy"
Datamation
"Android's sideloading limits are its most anti-consumer move yet"
MakeUseOf
"'Keep Android Open' Movement Challenges Google's Developer Verification Rule"
Open Source For U
"Open-Source Android Apps at Risk Under Google's New Decree"
TechRepublic
"F-Droid project threatened by Google's new dev registration rules"
Bleeping Computer
"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
"Open letter warns mandatory registration 'threatens innovation, competition, privacy and user freedom'"
Infosecurity Magazine
"F-Droid Slams Google for Misleading Users About Android's App Verification"
Android Headlines
"Google says it's making Android sideloading 'high-friction' to better warn users about potential risks"
XDA Developers
Editorial & analisis
"Google's attempts to make Android 'more secure' are, in fact, increasing the risk for Android users. The more friction you introduce in the name of security, the more likely users will attempt to bypass security completely."
Ken Buckler, Enterprise Management Associates
"Google has 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
"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
"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"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
"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
"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud 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
"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."
LLM Advocates
"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"
fireborn, mataroa.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
"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."
Newsfangled
"Google is turning sideloading from a right into a permission slip, and the open-source community has until September to convince it otherwise."
Reclaim The Net
"Google has 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"Google isn't certifying apps, they're certifying developers. This implies that the company can somehow predict whether a developer will do something malicious in the future."
Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."
MerchMindAI
"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."
It's FOSS News
"This is not about protecting users. This is about control. This is about Google cutting out the last remaining artery of independence in Android."
fireborn, mataroa.blog
"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
"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
"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
"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."
PixelUnion
"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 move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."
Techdirt
"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
"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."
Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog
Organisasi & surat terbuka
"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
"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
"Independent software distribution on Android will now require Google's explicit permission."
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
"While Android used to be praised for its freedom and independence, it will become a closed shop just like Apple."
Tuta
"We are running out of time until Google becomes the gate-keeper of all users devices."
F-Droid
"Your Smartphone, Their Rules: How App Stores Enable Corporate-Government Censorship."
ACLU
"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
"Forcing software creators into a centralized registration scheme is as egregious as forcing writers and artists to register with a central authority."
F-Droid
"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
"MEP Christel Schaldemose formally questioned whether Google's mandatory central registration is compatible with the Digital Markets Act."
European Parliament
"Ultimately, Google's plan will stop you from owning your Android phone."
Tuta
"Nearly 50 organizations published an open letter opposing what they characterize as a 'kill switch for the open ecosystem.'"
Tech-ish Kenya
"Verification just confirms who's behind the app, it doesn't guarantee clean code or rule out malicious behavior."
AdGuard
"Changes would impose barriers to entry for individual developers, small teams and volunteer projects by imposing fees, identity checks and terms that may not align with the principles of an open ecosystem."
Infosecurity Magazine
"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."
Nextcloud
"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
"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
"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
"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 Play itself has repeatedly hosted malware, proving that corporate gatekeeping doesn't guarantee user protection."
F-Droid
"Google will cut off independent developers to Android if they do not register with Google first. This will kill independent platforms like F-Droid and severely impede FLOSS devs from creating apps for Android."
KDE
"Centralised, intransparent security architectures certainly help secure monetization and the market by locking out competitors."
Nextcloud
"This 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
"We unequivocally advise against signing up for this program, now or ever."
F-Droid Open Letter
"Android's biggest strength has always been its openness. That's what attracted developers and users in the first place."
AdGuard
"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
"The European Pirate Party called for proportionate and transparent measures that ensure security without restricting innovation, limiting anonymity, or distorting competition."
European Pirate Party
"When you set up a gate, you invite authorities to use it to block things they don't like. And when you build a database, you invite governments to try to get access."
Electronic Frontier Foundation
"This 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
YouTuber & kreator
"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
"When you download applications, you've simply installed an application. I don't want to use words like 'sideload.'"
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google already can disable malware that they find on your device. It's already a built-in feature. So what is developer registration actually adding here? Is it security or control? You decide."
Techlore – YouTube
"Google decides what's safe for you, and you don't get a say."
fireborn – Blog
"Your device, their rules. The phone you bought and paid for is no longer really yours."
Tuta Blog – Blog
"Google is doing to Android what Microsoft once tried to do to the web. Embrace, extend, extinguish. Just wrapped in a shinier open-source package."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"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
"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
"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
"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
"That's not openness. That is control."
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
"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
"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 isn't testing this in the US or Europe first. They're starting in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Why? Because these are massive growth markets where regulation is weaker. By the time regulators catch up, the damage will already be done."
ChiefGyk3D – YouTube
"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."
Switched to Linux – YouTube
"Imagine Dell told you that you could no longer install any operating system other than Windows on your laptop. That's what Google is doing to your phone."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"This has obvious problems for non-Google operating systems like iodeOS, LineageOS, or BraxOS. Google Android will 'check in' with Google to verify the identity of the app and to validate the operating system."
Rob Braxman Tech – Locals
"If I'm going to be trapped in a walled garden anyway, I'll take the one that's built properly."
fireborn – Blog
"This is an iPhone now. I didn't want to buy an iPhone. I use Android because it gives me freedom. If you are not going to give me freedom with my computer, then why would I buy your stuff anymore?"
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."
Louis Rossmann – YouTube
"Android has become what they set out to destroy."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"Google is removing the one key advantage Android has over iOS."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Developers of privacy-focused tools and emulators will have to dox themselves, making them vulnerable to government agencies or legal action."
SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube
"Google has been carefully watching from the sidelines to see what exactly it is that Apple can get away with."
Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube
"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
"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
Pengembang & komunitas
"The phrase 'sideload' is psychological propaganda we are all best off rejecting."
WaffleMonster, Slashdot
"Brazil government app refuses to operate with developer mode on."
flykespice (developer in Brazil), 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
"The war on General Purpose Computing is the death of innovation and a direct attack on digital freedom."
layfellow, 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
"You have no right telling me what I can and cannot run on my own devices."
MrZander, 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
"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
"For 'security' -- always security with these assholes. They're just building the walls of the walled garden higher."
lynxy, Tildes
"Google's plan to require developer verification would give Google and governments the ability to ban any app."
Zak, 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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"Social engineering is destroyed with education, not with restriction and control. Trading freedom for safety eliminates both."
survirtual, Hacker News
"Google selling Android as both open source and open to running any software you like in order to quickly gain market share, only to break those promises after driving competing platforms out of the market is nothing more than fraud."
GeekyBear, Hacker News
"All the banking and payment apps in India refuse to open if you have developer mode on."
nibbleyou (developer in India), 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
"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
"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
"'Sideload' is like 'jaywalking'; seeks to stigmatize humans being human."
tejtm, Hacker News
"Some time in the future, we will look back to this era and ask ourselves what went wrong."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"Give me liberty or give me Symbian."
masterofn001, Lemmy
"Play store is full of scam apps, F-Droid isn't, but Play Store is considered secure. It's all theatre."
gcupc, Lobsters
"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
"We are talking about something categorically worse than vendor lock-in: Collective vendor lock-in."
anordal, 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
"It took them 17 years to finally pull the cage all the way shut."
Apocryphon, Hacker News
"Google wants the authority of a gatekeeper without the overhead of human accountability."
afferi300rina, Hacker News
"Google seems to actively hate people who develop for their platforms."
hbn, 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
"Signal, VPNs -- they'll have a list of everyone opting out of government-mandated backdoors."
Max-P, Lemmy
"Google now has a flag on my phone they can control remotely to keep me from accessing the apps I want."
vala, Lemmy
"Once deployed, there's a near 100% chance of such a mechanism being used for evil."
Zak, Lemmy
"The open Android I knew and loved is long gone."
girvo, 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
"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
"Modern life practically forces you to put all your eggs into a phone controlled by one of two profit-seeking companies."
koala, Lobsters
"They have stolen a free product and are now actively locking out the people who built it."
TheTearMiser, Lemmy
"We need to start treating phones differently. We're entering a world where we can't choose what we run on them. Their primary purpose is to gather data on us and serve us advertising, they're engineered for addiction, yet engaging in the world is immensely difficult without one."
specproc, Hacker News
"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
"Android is for everyone, provided they submit to Google exclusively."
gumby271, Hacker News
"Can't come at a worse time. People are just learning to make things through vibe coding, and they're gonna want to put their own apps on their phones. And now Google says no."
Serinus, Lemmy
"I buy a device with my own money, which I supposedly then own, but then I need to ask some corporation permission to use it."
askonomm, Hacker News
"It's not cyclic. It's a ratchet and it gets tighter and tighter."
BenjaminRi, Lobsters
"They're boiling the frog -- slowly removing features until all choice is gone."
hn92726819, Hacker News
"Don't beg. Don't get in a position that freedoms depend on the whims of a corporation or willingness of a government to regulate them. Build."
jzb, Lobsters
"Android was never actually open and now they are abandoning even the thin pretense."
Tiraon, Tildes
"Google's own Play Store had over 600 million malware downloads. They keep talking about 'security' but their own store is crawling with fake apps and straight up malware while actual useful stuff gets buried or rejected."
Historical-Employ129 (324 upvotes), Reddit
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
Suara dari petisi
"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
"My property. My rules. "
Steven, change.org
"Android is the mobile embodiment of freedom. Central registration with any organization is the absolute end to that freedom. This must be stopped. "
Elvira, change.org
"If google makes this change i will find any alternative OS and switch to that. "
Ron, change.org
"I do not want Google to get a third monopoly. That is the whole point of this gatekeeping. I'm sick of these corporations doing whatever they want. "
Aidan, change.org
"Literally one of the only things Android has going for it compared to iOS. You want this gone, fine -- then what advantage do you possibly imagine Android would have over iPhones? Do you really think people are going to continue to buy crap Pixels with Tensor chips at the same price as an iPhone? Android has ALWAYS been about uplifting device ownership. You get rid of APK side loading, you kill the damn OS once and for all. "
Jeremy, change.org
"Personal freedom and technology literacy are two things that allowed me to become so interested in technology in the first place around 4 years ago, and neither of those things are possible without the ability to realize what your phone is doing when installing an app, as well as the ability to look at the code of an open-source app to see how it works. It is allegedly about security, but that is a very insignificant byproduct compared to the real reason you were compelled to introduce this change that applies retroactively, server-side, and to everyone with no manual override, and you have abandoned all pretense of even saying "we're just checking for malware in more places". You aren't even lying to us anymore! You already scan all apps for malware and force all users to go through a series of checkboxes to be able to install apps from alternate sources, which is more than enough guardrails for the hypothetical person you want to protect, who is so smart to not just download but install an APK, but so dumb they install malware and don't realize. For what? So 99% of people will notice nothing different about their device while 1% of people will lose everything that they care about? No, it's not about that. You know that you are turning a perfectly guarded town into a police state. There might be less unpunished crime by the citizens, but that comes at the cost of more state-sanctioned crime from power-tripping assholes wanting to do the king's bidding. But we are waking up to this fact. And even besides these dictatorial changes made due to unregulated business practices, these people in power wanting you to censor their opponents will soon be kicked out, and you will face accountability for these actions you have taken to support the worst of the worst when you had the power to do the opposite. Reverse this proposition, and we'll turn the crosshairs to someone else for now. Actively fight against the enshitification of technology itself, either by example or encouragement, and we will welcome you, because our side is correct and improves the human condition, so it will win. "
Cameron, change.org
"First they monopolize the internet, then they banned adblocks, and now they are coming after one of the last truly open platforms people still have. This is not just about Android, it is about the direction the entire digital world is heading. If we do not push back now, there may soon be no open platforms left. "
Maxim, change.org
"Promote Foss and let's talk about the next phone OS "
james, change.org
"There is always the "security" claim, they got so many security tools already, built in the official app distribution, if the user want to experiment on the device they own they must have the freedom to do so, this is how tech should work, freedom is how tech progress "
Roberto, change.org
"This is like Linux changing into Windows "
A., change.org
"This is unreal, time to change to non android, play store devices.... "
Robert, change.org
"Don't become Apple!!! "
Yahya, change.org
"Android used to be all about giving its users freedom over the walled garden approach of iOS. If Google will be following the same path of Apple, they will be losing a major competitive advantage among pro users. "
Freddy, change.org
"Google removing the freedom to install whatever software on MY device that I paid for and own goes against the android ethos. It was built on being an open project that anyone can change and use, this is why I use android over other companys. I use Fdroid for all of my apps and like to make and load my own for my own useage. If this is taken away it will be a great loss to android. "
Perry, change.org
"This seems important not to let Google be the all powerful mega corp "
Adrian, change.org
"Keep android open "
Charlotte, change.org
"Android has always been the mobile enthusiast's dream. Please don't take that dream away. "
Logan, change.org
"I like to have a choice to choose and I understand the risks, that is why I check, Google should not have monopoly over it. "
Rosalie, change.org
"With Google aiming to lockdown Android, what makes it any different than Apple? The only reason I and many others opt for Android is because it's openness! "
Christian, change.org
"I hæv been a lifeloŋ Android user because it offers ðe ability to customize it ænd sideload æpps on it wiþ ease, ænd I'm not lettiŋ google take ðæt right away! Down wiþ Big Broðer! Down wiþ mæss censoršip! Down wiþ age verificašon! Down wiþ mæss surveillance! Down wiþ ðis Digital ID tyrrany! "
∞ANTHONY∞, change.org
"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
"If Android no longer allows me to install what I want, how I want, there is no reason for me to not use Apple products. Your company is already going down the wrong path in so many ways with not properly supporting third-party open source Android variants; do not let this be the final nail in your OS's coffin. "
Peter, change.org
"I am not a developer, just a regular apk user, and the fact that google is trying to remove a vital part of android is crazy "
Gilberto David, change.org
"This is a spit in the face of open-source and Android's userbase. "
Mark, change.org
"Android earned its place in the market because it was open. The ability to sideload applications isn't a loophole — it's a feature, and a promise. It's what set Android apart, attracted developers, and gave users real ownership over their devices. That openness, rooted in the same Linux principles Android was built on, is the reason Google is where it is today. Restricting sideloading would be a profound betrayal of that foundation. It trades user freedom for platform control, and developer trust for gatekeeper revenue. It is, in short, pulling up the ladder after climbing it. I believe many in this community — developers, enthusiasts, and everyday users alike — feel the same way. We chose Android because it respected our autonomy. If that changes, so will our choices. I urge Google to listen to this community and protect what made Android worth building for in the first place. "
Felix, change.org
"Google is not tuff for ts "
John, change.org
""Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Benjamin Franklin "
ethical, change.org
"Android users should be able develop and install whatever software they want on their devices without approval from Google. The promise of Android — and a marketing advantage it has used to distinguish itself against the iPhone — has always been that it is “open”. But Google clearly feels that they have enough of a lock on the Android ecosystem, along with sufficient regulatory capture, that they can now jettison this principle with prejudice and impunity. "
Ray, change.org
"HOW NEXT GENS GONNA INSTALL MINECRAFT?! "
Kyouko, change.org
"Anyone who wants to write an Android app should be fully allowed, and should never be forced to pay for your own program through fees. "
Keiran, change.org
"I should be allowed to download whatever I want onto the phone I paid for "
Celia, change.org
"Many of the apps I use for managing Type 1 diabetes require sideloading. If the hobbyist plan has any restrictions (which it most likely will), it could impact my personal health. We need full transparency about how this will work, or for this to be cancelled. "
1712, change.org
"I refuse to be locked into only the play store. I need to be able to use f-droid and or install my own apk files as I will. It's my comptuer! "
Tom, change.org
"Not everybody wants to be forced into paying a fee to Google, agreeing to their Terms and Conditions, providing a government ID, upload evidence of the developer’s private signing key, or listing all current and future application identifiers. When purchasing an Android, installers like F-Droid served to help with having a widely used open computing platform where you could run whatever software you choose on it rather than having a large tech company like Google control what apps and store fronts you can install from. By making this new change world wide to Android, we're ceding the rights of citizens and their own digital sovereignty to a company with a track record of complying with the extrajudicial demands of authoritarian regimes to remove perfectly legal apps that they happen to dislike. Google actively has been paying other companies like Apple, Microsoft, Mozilla Corporation, and Opera to keep their search engine as the default option either pre-installed or after manual installation. Additionally, we’ve seen Google completely deprecate support for Manifest V2 extensions to intentionally block the use of powerful free open-source tools like uBlock Origin to consolidate control over the browser ecosystem and protect its advertising revenue over privacy and security. Google claims it’s their “job” to do the right thing by “caring” about our customers well-being despite having a track record of being abysmal with both their web browser and account settings. Even down to the way your Google account is setup and the kind of sensitive information required just to make one. To forcefully reject such a drastic and unethical change, I’d highly recommend everyone to use F-Droid and install apps which are either completely unavailable in the Google Play Store or ones that utilize free open-source software with an emphasis on privacy and security. Most of which you’ll find are very useful apps that do everyday tasks without added bloat and even valuable ones which aren’t Google’s proprietary solution. We as humans have every right to use whatever software and hardware is most desired along with retaining a very high standard for both privacy and security respecting applications, tools, and resources. "
David, change.org
"Big G is destroying Android and controlling the narrative. They want to determine everything you see, think, and can communicate. This is completely against the core freedoms that are constantly under attack. Keeping them from this destructive activity is the only thing that can keep millions of people - at least - alive around the world. Being able to load apps from where ever I want allows myself to even function and communicate. "
Jeremie, change.org
"The restrictive policies blocks me to publish My apps cuz I don't have many testers as they force me to have as an individual developer, now they want to cut off the only way that I have to share My creations "
David, change.org
"Android has always been the free alternative to iOS’s restrictions. Without the freedom we’ve come to understand, what’s the draw to this OS? I’ve had some interest in small app development, but if this goes through it will kill that interest dead. "
Katylyn, change.org
"I bought my first Android phone around 2010 era, the Sony Xperia X8 for $160CAD on NewEgg SIM unlocked and I've been hooked on this type of freedom ever since. Flexxing on these iPhone scrubs in high school with my fancy custom rom(CyanogenMod, now known as LineageOS), is where it all started. Just a few days ago, I flashed the newest LineageOS for my device(April 8th, 2026). I don't know where I was going with this, probably to give you some insight on my experience. But it'll be a sad day if Google decides to take away sideloading, so let's try to stop it from happening. Doing my part and signing this petition. "
John, change.org
"Android already provides security tools — Play Protect, install warnings, and permissions. These are the right solutions. A blanket lockdown is not security; it is control! "
Alex, change.org
"My phone, my apps Let me do what I want or else an iPhone will be my phone "
Aaron, change.org
"I've always chosen to use Android because I want to have control of how I use my phone. I know installing something might cause problems, but after all it's my decision and my phone too! If I wanted to be "more safe" I'd buy a phone with iOS. Let the users decide how they want to use their phones at their own risk. "
Nicky, change.org
"Open APK usage is literally the only reason I switched to Android in the first place "
John, change.org
"Developer verification can improve security, but requiring centralized registration for all apps on certified devices risks creating new barriers to competition and innovation. Security shouldn’t come at the cost of openness and choice. "
Caleb, change.org
"They just need to be killed. "
Erich, change.org
"The push toward a mandatory, centralized developer verification program for Android represents a significant departure from the open-source values that originally defined the platform. By requiring independent developers to pay fees, surrender private signing keys, and provide government identification just to share an app—even outside the Play Store—these policies create a massive barrier to entry that threatens to stifle innovation and privacy. This shift doesn't just add friction; it risks dismantling alternative ecosystems like F-Droid and Aurora Store, which have long provided a vital refuge for those seeking software free from big-tech oversight. If we allow the door to close on sideloading and force every developer behind a paywall, we are effectively trading a diverse, free ecosystem for a "walled garden" that prioritizes corporate control over user agency and digital rights. It is essential that the community stands together to keep Android an open platform where developers can create and users can choose without needing a centralized permission slip. "
Andrew, change.org
"android needs to be free and google has to stop controlling what users can do with their phones and devices. they are NOT our parents. we can do what the heck we want!!! "
Carlos, change.org
"The reason why i use android is because of the freedom but if Google lockdown android then there no point on staying and not switching to other ecosystem "
Joel, change.org
"The biggest reason I use Android is because I like the fact that it's open and if I don't like something I can just fix it also I like the ability to have my open source apps which you're trying to kill I guess you're just going to help boost The amount of people that are switching over to a true linux-based phone "
Justin, change.org
"The freedom and flexibility was literally the reason I never owned an iPhone. It's like Google wants me to use Ubuntu Touch or something... "
Katrina, change.org
"Hey Google, remember what you said? "Be together, not the same." "
Christopher, change.org
"Android is and has been the operating system that gives everyone the freedom to install any apps they want. The action of adding in a developer verification is simply redundant, anyone who goes out of the Google Play store to sideload knows its risks and why they are doing it. It is the only mobile operating system that allows us to do so, we won't let Google stop us. "
Yuquan, change.org
"Mandating government identification and a registration fee to share software is a direct violation of the open-source principles and digital privacy that defined the platform. This change creates an unnecessary financial barrier for independent developers and students, effectively stifling global innovation and the creation of niche, non-commercial tools. By positioning itself as the sole gatekeeper of all app installations, Google is stripping away user autonomy and transforming a once-free ecosystem into a restrictive "walled garden." "
Ibrahim, change.org
"The ability to download and install APK's from any source is a choice that should not be taken from users. It's the whole reason Android OS is successful now. Taking away choice will drive users to seek out other software solutions. Keeping Android Open is important to stop corporate overeach, unnecessary tracking and selling of user data, and keeping software available and fair. "
Christopher, change.org
"Google is a giant monopoly that never should have grown to the size it has in the first place. We wouldn’t be here if they were stopped a long time ago when they should have been. "
Tom, change.org
"Might as well be an iPhone at this point. The whole point of Android was customization, and this kills that. Do better Google. "
William, change.org
"I'm not even a dev and I don't agree with this "
John, change.org
"We need to stop the "APPLE-FICATION" of our beloved ANDROID. We have supported Android & Google since it's beautiful inception, to stick it to EVIL BIG CORPS. LIKE APPLE. The act of PREVENTING us from installing APK's or other OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE, is a direct BETRAYAL of us LOYAL USERS of the ANDROID OS. A YUUGE SLAP in the face with 20+ years worth of power behind it. This act maybe not be coming until 2027.... Regardless, this will affect lots of Devs., Users, and others in the ecosystem that prefer to not use the "Play Store" to obtain their apps, and don't Agree with the way that Apple treats it's customers & doesn't want Android to become a company that continually oversteps it's boundaries, & HAS PUT PROFIT OVER PEOPLE SINCE IT'S INCEPTION. ANDROID started as the O.S. of the people, made by an Alliance of Companies, that know how to treat their customers and constantly listened to Android Users, in regards to features and other things that were requested after every update. This is how we have Arrived @ the current version. After countless features added, bug fixes and years of us buying devices with Androids O.S. '27 might be the last year that MILLIONS OF LOYAL ANDROID users turn their backs on the operating system & move on to other Operating Systems that don't want to treat us like children under the guise of "SAFETY".... PLS MAKE SURE TO SHARE THIS WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW AND ASK THEM TO SHARE AS WELL! OUR LITERAL DIGITAL FREEDOM & PREVENTING ANDROID FROM BECOMING EVERYTHING THEY WERE AGAINST IN THE BEGINNING IS IN OUR HANDS. WILL THIS PETITION WORK? WHO KNOWS. THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE THEIR MINDS ON RECLAIMING ALL THE LOST REVENUE FROM FREE APPS, ALT OPERATING SYSTEMS, AND CRACKED APPS/GAMES. Apple has prevented cracked App from the start, that led many ppl to switch to Android after they started bricking JAIL BROKEN iPhones. This might happen with Android as well, nobody wants a bricked Android just because we don't agree with paying between $3 &$9, in order to not get AD's every time that you start a new level on a game, every 3 minutes, every time you open the app, or being restricted from certain functions that only work with the "FULL" Version of the App. PLS ANDROID DON'T TURN INTO APPLE. Remember the motto that you based your whole system on "DON'T BE EVIL"... Leave that to Apple and their sheep users that allow themselves to be controlled by an evil corp. "
Brian, change.org
"This change has nothing to do with security, it wants to remove the power of choice from the user and screw up many developer by forcing them to use the Play Store. Android is all about freedom and will always be. "
Yuri, 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
"Using Android has always meant having the freedom to customize your experience to your hearts content, this would be the end of an era. This would also be the end of many small app developers that can't or won't conform to the what one might say 'invasive' requirements to publish an app. You can say goodbye to FOSS and side loading which is a huge part of Android customization. "
sebastian, change.org
"Google doesn't realise that for many Android users, the ability to install .apk files from unverified developers is the sole reason we don't flock to IOS or another mobile OS. Let's make sure they know. "
Marshall, change.org
"To late to close pandoras box. This is why we have all been android users. Apple sucks don't be apple. "
Jenni, change.org
"It is called installing on devices that I own. I don't need to be hand held under the guise of safety "
Paul, change.org
"Android has one major thing over apple, and that is the ability to download and use whatever software you want on your device alongside the variety of said software. As someone who enjoys finding projects made by other users, or full apps that can alter your experience for the better, we can't just let Google change that. "
Dakota, change.org
"I hope Google returns to its origins. Chrome and Android are open source, just like Google and YouTube are networks accessible to everyone. Limiting this is limiting yourself. Governments can attack individuals, and if there's a monopoly by Google and Apple, you'll be the ones targeted and censored. Don't allow that! We already have restrictions on the main networks like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. New social networks are already emerging. If you limit Android, you'll be shooting yourself in the foot and opening space for competitors to take your place. "
Valberto, change.org
"This does not protect anybody. All it does is restrict an OS that was supposed to be open. This was one of the main benefits of Android over iOS, and now it's being removed. This also kills the open source ecosystem, since alternative app stores cannot function if all developers are required to pay Google and pay a fee. Ordinary users are already protected from malware with Google Play Protect, and app sideloading disabled by default. This does not help anyone. Even calling it sideloading is misleading, since we own the device NOT Google. On a computer, this is called installing software. It shouldn't be different on a phone. This will also allow government censorship of apps that protect privacy. Overall a terrible idea. "
Daniel, change.org
"I will dtop uding Android if this is beeing implemented "
Cederick, change.org
"The biggest reason I love Android is because it's open. I have had ENOUGH of companies trying to decide what I can and can't do with the devices I purchased. If I spent money on it, it is MINE and I should be allowed to do whatever I want with it. Enough is enough. "
Callum, change.org
"This is just another tiny step in the journey to control your device. The more they control the more they extract. "
Michael, change.org
"Android's strength has always been its openness. Closing or limiting this system violates users' trust in the principles that led them (or rather, us) to choose Android as their (our) OS. That's why we urge you to keep Android open and not implement any developer or app registration system. Build bridges and educate your users to venture beyond them, rather than erect walls trying to isolate them. "
Edoardo, change.org
"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
"We should keep Android open. "
Habsir, change.org
"As a normal user, I prefer the ability to sideload my own ADB devices, and to use F-Droid, and to keep my rights, and my freedom to the device. This centralization is a gross attempt to restrict rights and make the system as bad as iOS. This is an attempt to control, resist it people. "
Owen, change.org
"If Android becomes closed like iOS there's no reason to keep using it. "
Emanuel Victor, change.org
"The freedom of android is what makes me not think about moving to another system such as ios, which could be lost depending on what Google decides, the charm of android is this for me. "
José Antônio, change.org
"This change is disastrous for both the privacy of developers and the general health of the open source software community for android. Keep Android Open!! Let us install what we want, without asking for your permission. "
Thomas, change.org
"I find it frankly baffling how Google is trying to erase one of the selling points of their products because of their need to control Android even further. "
Theo, change.org
"Google can not be allowed its voracious devouring of apps and data. Every move builds on its frightening monopoly, quashing any freedom and privacy. "
Kristi, change.org
"I chose to use android for the freedom and customization within its current limits. I have never owned any other type. If this passes, I will be leaving galaxy and Google android devices. I believe in freedom and privacy for all. "
Joel, change.org
"If this doesn't get changed then I'm switching to Apple. "
Julia, change.org
"The best part of android is the freedom to do what we want, downloading fan made apps and such is the freedom we like its kinda only reason people buy androids "
Andrew, change.org
"I am an android user, for personal usage and Emulation purposes. I would like to still install from who I want if I want or need the apps. Android was always about customization. doing this strips users of that because i'm pretty sure there are apps out there for this purpose. "
Andy, change.org
"The world needs more freedom, not less. Nobody said you *have* to use a free APK, but we need to keep the option open for anybody who does. "
Evan, change.org
"As someone who believes in freedom and not being controlled by the big tech companies, we need Google to reverse this decision, otherwise, I'll just switch to a Linux phone. "
Carter, change.org
"Installing mini apps I wrote on my own device is the only reason I chose Android smartphone over dumbphone plus micro laptop. "
Alexey, change.org
"Nobody asked for this. It's the users choice to install apks on their OWN device that they paid for. Stop doing this google! "
Alexander, change.org
"I am concerned for my privacy with this change. I chose Android under the impression that I can customize my device in ways that can help me protect my online privacy. That's something that can't be said for Apple. The decision to change Android to a closed system is going to hurt people like me who care about online privacy. Google, You're not helping your customer base by doing this. Only making them more likely to switch to iphones or flip phones. This is not the Android I've always known, It's another platform falling into the proprietary capitalism that a significant amount of the android customer base has been trying to steer away from since the early days of smartphones. "
Patience, change.org
"As an Android user, I'm really worried about the new requirement for mandatory developer registration that’s supposed to start in September 2026. The openness of Android has always been what sets it apart and offers real benefits to developers, hobbyists, and users. Features like sideloading and direct app sharing are vital for innovation, privacy, and community-driven software. I hope Google reconsiders this policy and makes sure there’s a simple, low-effort way for users to opt out if they want to install unverified apps. "
Vyacheslav, change.org
"You will bury yourselves. "
William, change.org
"Sounds good on paper but will only make things way, way worse. They say the main reason they're doing this is for security since you're reportedly more likely to get a virus outside of Google Play than inside, but honestly, that'll only happen if you're irresponsible enough (you're even warned that it's at your own risk and responsibility if you decide to download something outside of GP). Again, sounds good on paper, problem is, by doing this, you'll be unable to download lots of other, virus-free software that are good or can be useful (e.g. gaming emulators or delisted apps), all because it doesn't come from an "approved developer", which would be a huge pain in the ass for millions of people, including me. In my opinion, L update. "
Mario, change.org
"Google, side loading is one of the few things that made android unique. Bring it back. "
Grayson, change.org
"Goolag, you are destroying Android and becoming the new Apple. Soon, there will be no escape from your lifeless, locked-down, prison-sentence operating system. Anyone who wants to use real Android, with APKs, custom ROMs, actual Material design, will be locked out. Rooting will be impossible, and Android will be gone. No more cuddly bugdroids to open the lock. No more Graphene OS. No more Lineage OS. No more TWRP. Terabytes upon terabytes of open-source projects, all rendered obsolete. Keep Android open. Because nobody will buy your half-baked, Gemini-centered trash, and live in your dystopian agentic world. Your aiPhones will sit on shelves, never purchased. Sideloading bans will not protect anyone. They will only make the Android community collapse. If you are not from Goolag, listen carefully. Get a custom ROM now, and remove everything with the word “Google” from your devices. Use Startpage instead. Install NewPipe and bypass Goolag’s ad revenue. Sabotage Goolag in every way possible. But do it legally, friends! You don’t want to be caught by the FBI for criminally pirating paid software off of sites like Aptoide! "
squooshy, change.org
"I only somewhat recently found open source apps and some of my favorite apps to use for certain services have easily become my favorite ones to use above googles or the play stores apps, and I trust apps from F-droid and other sources more than I would trust apps from the play store or even baked in apps with some that would actually make doing things less easy and enjoyable if suddenly I was unable to use them "
Robert, change.org
"Google should not be able to say what apps we can and can’t download. I use my android to download indie games that are not on the Google Play Store, so this will hurt a lot of indie devs that have their games downloadable as APK’s "
Owen, change.org
"It's not sideloading. It's installing an application on a personal computing device I own and payed for... This move is unacceptable. "
Benjamin, change.org
"Google, this is NOT acceptable. You are NOT the gatekeepers of development. You ARE BEING EVIL. "
David, change.org
"These proposed restrictions by Google are a threat to personal digital autonomy and to app development. "
Daniel, change.org
"What is an android without weird apps installed from a weird website... I'm just kidding but that is what make better android you can make anything that you want. but if you can't install apps from outside of the play store you are going to lose so much content and I don't talk English so well but for this cause I'm did learn... An android without free apps not is an real android. And I'm not talking about like all apps need to don't cost I'm talking of being free of install any thing that you need. That's all thanks for read and remember being free is better than being dreaming. "
Elias, change.org
"Google you aren't trying to protect the kids you are not trying to protect your users you are trying to control them and do only what you want closing android will kill it especially in the United States if android is closed there is no reason to have an android no freedom no enjoyment just an iPhone lite "
Garrett, change.org