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A “Keep Android Open” campaign is pushing back on new rules from Google that will reportedly block unverified users from sideloading apps on Android phones.
It’s unclear who’s running the campaign, but a blog post on the free Android app store F-Droid is directing users to visit the campaign’s website, which urges the public to lobby government regulators to intervene and stop the upcoming restrictions.
“Developers should have the right to create and distribute software without submitting to unnecessary corporate surveillance,” reads an open letter posted to the site.
In August, Google announced upcoming rules aimed at reducing the risk of malware infecting Android devices. It will require that all app installs on certified Android devices only occur if the developer has been verified by Google. For individual developers, this includes submitting an official ID, address, phone number, and paying a $25 fee.
(Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The restriction is designed to eliminate the risk of malware spreading through Android apps hosted on third-party stores or links sent via chat messages. Android users can install such apps via sideloading, which allows them to install apps from third-party stores, not just Google Play.
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Google has described the upcoming change as akin to requiring app developers to go through “an ID check at the airport.” However, F-Droid condemned the new requirement as anti-consumer choice. “If you own a computer, you should have the right to run whatever programs you want on it,” it says. Additionally, the rules threaten third-party app distribution on F-Droid, which operates as a “free/open-source app distribution” model.
In its blog post, F-Droid warns about the impact on users and Android app developers. “You, the creator, can no longer develop an app and share it directly with your friends, family, and community without first seeking Google’s approval,” the app store says.
“Over half of all humankind uses an Android smartphone,” the blog post adds. “Google does not own your phone. You own your phone. You have the right to decide who to trust, and where you can get your software from.”
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(Credit: F-Droid)
Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But the company has been pushing back on some of the backlash. Last month, Google published a blog post of its own that said, “Sideloading is fundamental to Android and it is not going away.”
“Verified developers will have the same freedom to distribute their apps directly to users through sideloading or through any app store they prefer,” the company said. Google also created a special developer account type “that will allow teachers, students, and hobbyists to distribute apps to a limited number of devices without needing to provide a government ID,” or pay $25.
However, the company is refraining from taking immediate action. Instead, Google plans on implementing the new requirements first in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand in September 2026. “At this point, any app installed on a certified Android device in these countries must be registered by a verified developer,” the company wrote in a support page. Google plans to expand the requirements to more markets starting in 2027.
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Michael Kan
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I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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