PSA: Android will require "developer verification" and will no longer support third-party app installation, effective September 2026.
For more information, see the following link:
Advocating for Android as a free, open platform for everyone to build apps on.
An example script for Google's feedback forum and a meme to help spread the word are under the cut.
"Developer verification," to a person who cares about their technological freedoms, is another term for censorship and excessive corporate control of consumers' devices.
This practice creates barriers to entry for developers by requiring them to pay both money and data to Google and by forcing them to sign a ToS. This is likely to increase prices in the Play Store, lowering quantity demand. In addition, it could also destroy quality apps just because their developers weren't certified.
For consumers, this removes access to third-party app vendors like F-Droid, which are considered to be of higher quality than the Play Store because they do not hold ties to a large, controlling company or charge money for their apps. Additionally, apps from these stores rarely ever invade user privacy in any way, including via ads and tracking, and many of them are open-source, which allows anyone to read the code, assist in bug fixes, and hold developers accountable for any poor decisions that may occur.
For Google, this removes a massive advantage that Android has over Apple's iOS: its openness. Android has long been favored for allowing anyone to install any app they want, and this is a deciding factor for many consumers. Restricting installation could decrease sales of Android phones, granting them instead to Apple. This loss of profit, of course, is not good for Google.
In conclusion, the developer verification program is unlikely to help Google and guaranteed to hurt Android users and developers. The sole benefit of this program, the possibility of increased security, is far outpaced by its harms and is also matched or exceeded by options contrary to Google's current decision. I, as a user of Android and advocate of technological freedom, believe that restricting app installation and development is a horrible idea on all fronts and urge Google to repeal it as soon as possible.
