Keep Android Open

Everyone

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

Developers

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

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

• Talk other developers and organizations out of signing up.
• Add the FreeDroidWarn library to your apps to warn users.
• Run a website? Add the countdown banner.

Google employees

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

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

Tom's Guide

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

Android Headlines

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

Bleeping Computer

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

Benzinga

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

Slashdot

"Keep Android Open"

Linux Magazine

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

It's FOSS News

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

Techzine EU

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

I-Programmer

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

TechRepublic

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

TechSpot

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

heise online

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

Datamation

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

How-To Geek

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

Gizmochina

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

Tuta Blog

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

The Register

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

How-To Geek

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

Hackaday

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

TechCrunch

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

Techdirt

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

Ars Technica

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

Android Headlines

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

Thom Holwerda, OSnews

"Google Clamps down On Android's Openness"

Internet Freedom Foundation (India)

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

MakeUseOf

"An 'existential' threat to alternative app stores"

The New Stack

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

How-To Geek

"Google's Android developer verification program draws pushback"

InfoWorld

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

Cybernews

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

9to5Google

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

Open Source For U

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

How-To Geek

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

The Register

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

The Verge

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

The Register

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

How-To Geek

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

SlashGear

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

XDA Developers

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

Infosecurity Magazine

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

How-To Geek

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

Ars Technica

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

Android Headlines

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

Reclaim The Net

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

Android Police

"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

"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

"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

"What student is going to upload their passport to a trillion-dollar surveillance corporation just to share their weekend project?"

fireborn, mataroa.blog

"One US corporation is placing itself between every Android developer and every Android user on earth."

PixelUnion

"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

"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

"Every additional bureaucratic hurdle reduces diversity in the software ecosystem and concentrates power in large established players."

Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog

"Google's story that this move is motivated by security is obviously bullshit. The idea that Google can improve Android's safety by certifying developers, rather than code, is obvious bullshit."

Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic

"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 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

"The requirement extends Google's gatekeeping authority from its own Play Store to every alternative distribution channel on Android."

LLM Advocates

"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 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

"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

"This could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on certified Android devices."

It's FOSS News

"Android does not just warn anymore. It enforces."

Youssef Mabrouk, Ostorlab

"Google has not removed Android's openness, but it is turning openness from a default right into a conditional, attributable, and tiered capability."

MerchMindAI

"Google's move is not credibly about 'security,' but actually about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem."

Techdirt

"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

"Centralizing the registration of all applications worldwide gives Google newfound powers to completely disable any app it wants."

Mikhail Korotaev, Nextcloud Blog

"Android wasn't supposed to be 'safe.' It was supposed to be free."

fireborn, mataroa.blog

"Innovation may be the biggest casualty in all of this. This new rule erodes your right to make informed decisions about your own devices."

MakeUseOf

"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 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 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

"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

"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

"This is a form of malicious compliance with the court orders stemming from its losses to Epic Games."

Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic

"Android is no longer the scrappy rebel. It's just another empire tightening the drawbridge."

Newsfangled

"Google isn't certifying apps, they're certifying developers. This implies that the company can somehow predict whether a developer will do something malicious in the future."

Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic

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

Tech-ish Kenya

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

Tuta

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

Infosecurity Magazine

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

KDE

"Developers who build privacy-first browsers, encrypted messaging apps, VPNs, Tor-based software or tools for journalists and activists would be required to upload government ID to Google. These developers are unlikely to trust Google and might stop developing for Android."

Brave

"A policy that forces every Android developer to hand their identity to Google, regardless of whether they use Google's services, makes Android a less-open and less-private platform."

Brave

"Google'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

"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

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

ACLU

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

Nextcloud

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

AdGuard

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

F-Droid

"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

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

Tuta

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

F-Droid

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

European Pirate Party

"Unilaterally consolidating power to approve software into the hands of a single unaccountable corporation is a threat to digital sovereignty everywhere."

Nextcloud

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

AdGuard

"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

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

European Parliament

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

AdGuard

"This invasion of privacy of developers is not just an overreach of Google's authority over Android, but also jeopardizes developer safety."

Software Freedom Conservancy

"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

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

F-Droid Open Letter

"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

"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

"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

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

F-Droid

"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

"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

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

Osservatorio Nessuno

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

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

"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

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

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

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

Tuta Blog – Blog

"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

"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

"This represents the last real safe place for free and open-source software in the entire mobile ecosystem. Once it's gone, it's gone. And we're going to spend the next decade trying to claw it back."

Techlore – YouTube

"Google 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 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

"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

"Every single time a company takes away your ability to do what you want with what you bought and paid for, every single time they twist a knife, we have to point it out."

Louis Rossmann – YouTube

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

ChiefGyk3D – YouTube

"The fact of the matter is, this is my device. I paid a lot of money for it. I should be able to do with it what I want."

Switched to Linux – YouTube

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

fireborn – Blog

"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

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

Linus Sebastian, LMG Clips – YouTube

"I 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 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

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

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

"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

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

SomeOrdinaryGamers (Mutahar) – YouTube

"Independent application distribution and creation is incredibly important and is one of the core reasons that I use Android over Apple devices. It's fine to prefer users access apps from a controlled "safe" store, but eliminating the possibility of installing outside applications is definitely not okay. There's no reason for this other than greed both monetary and data Creed. This is not okay for Google to do. "

Brandon, change.org

"Google needs to stop this. Collecting data in general is terrible "

Wojciech, change.org

"The reason I use Andoid is because of its openess, I would not be using a Samsung or Google device if it didn't mean I could download and boot my own OS or developp my own apps for fun without having to jump through hoops. I also use APKs on the regular because they allow better backwards compatibility with older versions of Android and ease of installation. FOSS for the win. "

Nico, change.org

"Android is freedom. Plain and simple. Android let's us the users decide what we want to do with our devices. I have only ever used android because it is open and free. "

Drew, change.org

"Android has always been the more free-range mobile OS. Had this not been the case, I would have switched to Apple long ago. Open-source, third-party software has driven the Android ecosystem and app development. It's no coincidence this is coming at a time when surveillance and squashing opposition is rising parallel with fascism. "

Kahina, change.org

"The ability to install APKs are a core feature in Android's open nature. It also helps developers to freely test and debug their apps. Installing APKs should be completely free and allowed. Thanks to everyone who made me see this project. Do you want me to draw this as a support material? Thanks. "

Emir, change.org

"I'm repulsed by enshittification and the tightening grip of corporate oligarchs who bring nothing of worth to the table and therefore can only increase shareholder value by continuing to worsen their products "

Nicholas, change.org

"One of the things that makes Android special is the freedom it gives developers and users, I hope it doesn't go away. "

Chris, change.org

"Android's open nature is extremely important to the mobile space and limiting it would be actively detrimental. Educate users instead of taking away options. "

Bradley, change.org

"keeping android open enables far more indie studios to continue to operate on android, and thats what i love, i love finding the most random game, and not having to worry about if its on one store or the other, i can just download it keep it open, please "

Evan, change.org

"I moved from iOS to Android, to get back the freedom of using my phone according to my wishes. I have a lot of friends who did too. We all condemn this attempt by Google to enshittify Android. Protection and imposition are not the same. Google, don't be evil. "

Max, change.org

"Ts need to be stopped "

danilao, change.org

"we pay for these devices and maintain them. we should be able to do anything we want with them. Locking us out is just greed. Like buying a car. then having to pay ever month to use the heated seats that are already in the car. if anything, let us put a different system on the phone. "

David, change.org

"#NoMoreCensorship "

Russell, change.org

"We want Android as it was intended and created to be, free and for everyone, not a cheap reskin of iOS. "

TARS-, change.org

"Android is supposed to be open, as a dirrect counter to Apples closed system. If you continue down this road, we will just make something else. Open source is a powerful community "

Serissa, change.org

"I have always used android for this exact reason. For the freedom to do whatever I want on my device that I paid for. "

Juan, change.org

"I am sad to see this is the way the world is going. We are slowly giving away our rights and freedom and nearly no one is noticing. Liberty dies when no one is looking "

Jacob, change.org

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

Jeff, change.org

"Locking down android will create incredible friction to open source and 3rd party application stores. Imagine if you could only install PC programs from Microsoft Store. "

Andres, change.org

"Removing the ability to side load apps is taking away owners right to their own devices. As one of the best phones I've owned this is disheartening. I might as well buy an iPhone "

Kamau, change.org

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

Jorja, change.org

"Keep android app development open! "

Samuel, change.org

"If I purchase a device, such as a smartphone, and I am not under a contract, I should be able to alter it how I want. It is MY device. There are certain features I want to disable, certain ways I want my phone to operate. With a "walled garden" such as an Apple device, I cannot do that! That is the reason I have used Android since my first Android phone, Dell Streak 5. If Google locks things down, I'll just switch to APPLE. What's the point of keeping Android? "

Rusty, change.org

"This is bad for the consumer "

Swargin, 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

"This is clearly a descision taken by Sundar Pichai for the financial profit of Google, it has literally nothing to do with security or safety of the users like Google claims, if it were so, there were many other ways to do this. I think people like me will just switch to iPhone at this point, as Google has decided to just kill Android's only major advantage. Such a shame. Android used to be a symbol of freedom and openness. "

Aurelian, 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

"We own the devices that we buy with our money. We should have the freedom to do with them as we like. This includes the installation of apps from any developer without some rediculous google verification. "

Edwin, change.org

"One of the big reasons I've always loved Android over iOS is that I was given more freedom to do stuff like this with my own device. Taking this away from the Android community leaves not much reason to even stick around on Android IMHO. Just another tech corporation taking away more features "for your benefit". "

Sawyer, change.org

"I switched to android specifically because I felt like it was truly a device I OWNED. I used Apple in the past but hated the amount of features that were gate kept. Having the ability to download open source apps on my android device has reshaped the way I use my phone and has made my workflows significantly better. This new change will not only completely destroy the open source ecosystem I've become accustomed to, but will actively turn away myself, and Android's main user base. What's the point of ruining your reputation and the only real reason to own an android device? "

Steven, change.org

"Android has always been about freedom. I've always loved side loading an app made by a line developer to complete a niche task/feature. My music player and compass app were side loaded from F Droid and I think it's super cool to be able to install custom versions of stock phone apps. I've side loaded a modded version of my camera app that brought Google Pixel's photosphere to my phone. How else would I have been able to do this without side loading?? There's no reason Android has to go this direction, it may just as well be called mock iOS if all the reasons I chose Android are taken away. May customization, freedom of how I use my phone, and innovation reign once again in the heart of Google's Android! PLEASE 🙏 "

YAIR RAFAEL, change.org

"As a young developer, you need to stop! What you re doing will prevent anyone below the age of 18 from developing apps for their own purpose and installing on their device, which they payed for, imagine giving a toy to a kid, then putting it into a box that they can't open, that is what you are doing right now. "

Alex, change.org

"Personal freedom and technology literacy are two things that allowed me to become so interested in technology in the first place around 4 years ago, and neither of those things are possible without the ability to realize what your phone is doing when installing an app, as well as the ability to look at the code of an open-source app to see how it works. It is allegedly about security, but that is a very insignificant byproduct compared to the real reason you were compelled to introduce this change that applies retroactively, server-side, and to everyone with no manual override, and you have abandoned all pretense of even saying "we're just checking for malware in more places". You aren't even lying to us anymore! You already scan all apps for malware and force all users to go through a series of checkboxes to be able to install apps from alternate sources, which is more than enough guardrails for the hypothetical person you want to protect, who is so smart to not just download but install an APK, but so dumb they install malware and don't realize. For what? So 99% of people will notice nothing different about their device while 1% of people will lose everything that they care about? No, it's not about that. You know that you are turning a perfectly guarded town into a police state. There might be less unpunished crime by the citizens, but that comes at the cost of more state-sanctioned crime from power-tripping assholes wanting to do the king's bidding. But we are waking up to this fact. And even besides these dictatorial changes made due to unregulated business practices, these people in power wanting you to censor their opponents will soon be kicked out, and you will face accountability for these actions you have taken to support the worst of the worst when you had the power to do the opposite. Reverse this proposition, and we'll turn the crosshairs to someone else for now. Actively fight against the enshitification of technology itself, either by example or encouragement, and we will welcome you, because our side is correct and improves the human condition, so it will win. "

Cameron, change.org

"I want Android to remain an open operating system and platform. "

Eric, change.org

"This won't make Android surpass Apple - it'll just speed up its demise "

ching, change.org

"We should be allowed to do what we want with the tools that we buy. "

kevin, change.org

"If you break android in this way, we will go elsewhere, and more code will be written, more avenues gone down and new ways to sidestep your control and ditch your software will emerge. You can't win, but you can lose. "

Daniel, change.org

"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

"We live in a declining society where it is becoming ever more apparent that those in power wish to hoard & guide technologies to enrich themselves more. Enough! Proprietary systems are no different than a safe, one you may use only in the manner that those with enough wealth & influence to have the safe's combination are willing to allow its usage. Such systems are a net negative to wider societal growth & stability. Meant to lock out new talent & stifle overall creativity which could massively improve the system overall. Just another example of a tech company's massive overreach. It should 100% be stopped. "

Aaron, 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

"There is no valid reason to do this except greed and control. If someone installs malicious software on their own device thats their issue. "

Jonathan, change.org

"Open Source change my life, and it's really awesome, not just for the Android ecosystem, for the tech industry in general "

abel, change.org

"Please dont let die the FOSS community and github hobby projects. "

Nondibianno Ambar, change.org

"This is the entire point of many people using Android in the first place, you take this away and something new will come along and replace you. "

Jacob, change.org

"Genuinely fr "

Hanifinio, change.org

"I only use android because of the freedom. This change would make android as restrictive as iPhones. "

Skyler, change.org

"Android, if you are going to be just like Apple, I think many might as well just switch to Apple devices..... Please reconsider "

Kaleonahe, change.org

"LEAVE ANDROID ONLY PLEASE "

Chapo, change.org

"The whole reason I choose Android over iOS is because of the choices I have when I purchase the device. Android make me feel that I own the device. However, if Android takes iOS's walled garden approach there's little reason to select Android over iOS. "

Tyler, change.org

"Ready and willing to move to iOS permanently if this move to mandatory developer verification is not FULLY retracted by September 2026. "

Do Not, change.org

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

Nicolò, change.org

"Keep android open! "

Giuseppe, change.org

"Keep android open the main reason I got android is because it's open sourced do not close off android "

Patrick, change.org

"hell yea stop google "

Lewis, 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

"Open source is not a trivial matter for the regular user of technology nowadays. However, its importance should be taken seriously if we want a future where we will (still?) have access and some level of control over the technology we are too deeply dependent on for our daily activities. It is not necessary that everybody learn how to program smartphone or computer applications! But it is necessary that everybody know that it is important that big tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and (in this specific case) Google don't close these doors. Be it for their customers or others trying to figure out what they're doing with our personal information. "

Ricardo, change.org

"Wasn't the whole point of android the freedom to do anything you wanted because it wasn't a locked down system? "

snot, 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

"Please don't let Google screw us over with this now! I hope we win and they don't do this! "

Saul, change.org

"If this update is released, I will switch to iPhone. "

Miguel, change.org

"Fight for internet freedom/anonymity! "

m, change.org

"To move forward with the developer verification process is both anticompetitive and counter intuitive. Google stands to lose it's only incentive to attract users and developers. To build from a foundation of open source/free software to this is simple greed. Without such foundations Android wouldn't exist today, nor would modern technology. This process will simply hurt consumers, developers, and Google as a company. It will bring forth a new competitor who cares about digital freedom and open source software. Please reconsider. Don't be evil. "

Davy, change.org

"Don't make daddy Torvalds mad what you did with his kernel "

Silas, change.org

"I use a lot of free and open source software on my android phone, especially from F-Droid, often because it uses more limited permissions than the Play Store equivalent and because I prefer to customise my phone. Now this freedom is going to be rendered unuseable?! Imposing fees on developers and requiring them to become authorised developers feels authoritarian and restrictive. Leave us the ability to side load apps please! "

Tom, change.org

"Oh great and wise corporate overlords, I come to you a mere peon, a cog in your profit machine, to implore you to keep Android open to small or niche developers. If you implement the proposed changes you will have turned a thriving app ecosphere into nothing more than a reskinned iOS. Your commitment to Open Source and the availability of Android-.apk-but-not-via-Google are on the line here. Many of the most compelling use cases for my Android device would cease to exist under the proposed regime. If that happens I might as well switch to iOS devices, at least they are pretty. "

Michael, change.org

"Trying to avoid strangleholds and controlling policies like this is literally the exact reason i use Android over Apple products, this is a massive step backwards for Android that sets a major precedent for censorship and monopolization that i absolutely loathe, this WILL make me significantly more likely to avoid Android and use other brands in the future if gone through with. This isn't protecting anyone, it's just a sickening bid for even more power and control. "

Grace, change.org

"As a regular user of Android, I've always loved the freedom that Android gave me when it came to downloading apps and APKs. I've never had an issue with Android up until now. This policy is going to be restricting and a violation of the digital rights of both consumers and the creators. This does not protect anybody in the equation, and if this policy goes through then I will not use Android services anymore. Google, please hear our voices and do not go through with this. You will lose many supporters if you do. "

Simon, change.org

"In this day and age, most of the rich and powerful are attempting to restrict the choices normal people have, and Google attempting to limit the open-source nature of Android is just one more example of this. What Google is doing is not protecting anyone and only serves to limit what we are allowed to do, and I don't want to idly stand by as the rich become richer. "

Joseph, change.org

"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 this is Android's future then it's time for Linux phones! My device my rules. "

Juan Antonio, 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

"Keep it open source! "

Brad, change.org

"This will be the end of the android power user base, and will likely completely fracture things as open source os developers will be forced to do a complete fork. "

Matt, change.org

"Turning Android into Google is pathetic "

Scott, change.org

"Google, this accomplish two things: 1/ This will limit privacy respecting apps to those of us who run degoogled OSs. 2/ More people will flash degoogled OSs onto their phones. Do you really want less data coming in to monetize? Your call. "

Scott, change.org

"Talk about the definition of "hypocrite", nice job Google! "

Thomas, change.org

"As someone who regularly uses apk files on my phone to help fight loneliness and to prevent myself from taking my own life, DO NOT TAKE AWAY OUR FILES!! "

Eric, change.org

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

Allen, change.org

"I switched to Android for my freedom to install apps. Now that the threat of app verification is looming over us, If this goes through, Android will no longer have a place in my life. Continue to allow (free and fair) APK installs! "

Sebastian, change.org

"Hope all Android devices keep free on apk sideload and Bootloader unlock "

Hanzhang, change.org

"I figured out how to play Minecraft Java Edition on my phone, and Google is trying to take that away from me? Besides that, there are probably dozens of unverified apps on my phone that I would REALLY like to keep, and Google requiring verification will basically turn my phone into a little YouTube machine. I hate that and you should too. "

David, change.org

"Android is about freedom, not control this change will ruin android forever "

Eli, change.org

"We will not let Google apply the closed ecosystem to apks. I just want an open system and freedom of apks on Android. An open ecosystem for us to download apks whenever we want. I want Google to get screwed and there will be a rain of lawsuits against this greedy monopoly company called "Google"😠🤬🗡🛡 "

rhyansamuel, change.org

"I’m not even a developer, but this whole Google lockdown thing ticks me off. The reason I went with Android was freedom — being able to choose where I get my apps, try stuff from outside the Play Store, and actually use my phone how I want. Now Google’s trying to turn it into another Apple-style cage. If they force everything through the Play Store, it’s not just developers that get screwed. We do too. Prices will go up because Google takes its cut, and half the cool niche or indie apps will disappear. I shouldn’t have to beg permission to install something from GitHub or F-Droid. It’s my phone, I paid for it — not some rental Google gets to control. This isn’t about safety or quality, it’s straight-up greed. Android was always the “open” option, and Google’s throwing that away. "

Jared, change.org

"WE WANT CHOICES! "

Cindy, change.org

"Liberdade ao Android! "

Guilherme, change.org

"The war on freedom is beginning. Let's keep fighting back. "

Rafael, change.org

"I've been using APKs for years; games, apps, software. So many people might quit from this, and that can't be allowed. "

Bruce, change.org

"Google, this would absolutely destroy android. Seriously, one of the only reasons people get Androids over iPhones (aside from them being cheaper) is that they can sideboard apps from the factory. Limiting that would be a huge blow to the Android market. "

Christopher, change.org

"As a regular user of Fdroid and other app stores, I want to be able to continue using my devices that I paid good money for to use the apps that I want to use! Stop this locking down of Android immediately! "

Jolene, change.org

"I use many open source apps, and I do not want to lose any of them! "

Jayden, change.org

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

Patrick, change.org

"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

"Keep the Android ecosystem free. "

Gabriel, change.org

"I value Android OS as the one alternative we have to the walled garden that is the Apple and its iPhone. Android phones have always been the phones of freedom--the phones you could do anything with, the phones you could customize and tailor to your exact needs. I depend daily on open source android projects run by dedicated volunteers. I'm not a programmer by any means, but even I've written a few small custom programs to run just on my own phone, something I could never do with iOS. To have all this taken away and to make Android as much of a prison as iOS would be a massive blow to consumer freedom, consumer privacy, and, by extension, our ability to communicate freely with those whom we love. "

Daniel, change.org

"Android has always been known for side loading. Android has always been better than IOS because it has side loading. Now, if Google keeps with this plan, our side loading rights will be gone. We can NOT let this happen. I have side loaded apps for years now, getting indie games and apps, getting modded apps, and so much more. I love to emulate, and there are many emulation apps that are approved on the play store. However, apps like Winlator and GameNative are not, and I would be revoked of using these apps. These apps have provided so many hours of fun to me, and without them, I wouldn't even be able to play PC games. Sign this petition to keep the freedom of Android that we should always have. "

Blake, change.org

"It started with apple restricting our freedoms to software due to their desire to control their users. Now that same desire to control us has reached android a platform built on freedom. This is the final stance we can take against a future where you own nothing in the name of safety. "

Barrett, change.org

"Android ain’t doing this if we can help it. They CEO types always getting greedy. Let’s keep Android as Android "

Nathanael, 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