Following backlash, Google has adjusted plans to introduce mandatory identity verification rules for developers.
Announced in August, the rules would have forced all Android developers to prove their identities, starting next year. That would have involved providing official ID and paying a small fee, even if their apps were sold or distributed outside the Google Play Store. Apps from unverified developers would then be blocked for installation on certified Android devices.
That kicked off a “Keep Android Open” effort to get regulators involved in the US, Europe, and UK. On Reddit, Android users accused Google of “company greed.” Free Android app store F-Droid, meanwhile, argued that the move was not “motivated by security,” but “about consolidating power and tightening control over a formerly open ecosystem.”
Google said requiring verification would help stop the spread of Android malware—for example, a scam caller convincing people to install a bogus banking app. It has had ID verification in place for Play Store developers since 2023, but these rules didn’t apply to apps installed from outside the Play Store, a practice known as sideloading.
Matthew Forsythe, director of product management for Android App Safety, says Google considered the community feedback and will now build a “new advanced flow that allows experienced users to accept the risks of installing software that isn’t verified.”
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The flow will “resist coercion” and ensure that users aren’t tricked into bypassing these safety checks while under pressure from a scammer, according to Forsythe, who says more details about the feature will be shared in the coming months.
Google will also introduce a “dedicated account type for students and hobbyists, [which] will allow you to distribute your creations to a limited number of devices without going through the full verification requirements.” It’s already started inviting developers, via the Android Developer Console, to test developer verification for apps distributed outside of Google Play.
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