Google’s new policy to verify all Android developers has sparked the ‘Keep Android Open’ movement, as developers and open source advocates warn it could end Android’s open ecosystem.
Google’s plan to make developer verification mandatory for all apps installed on certified Android devices, including sideloaded ones, has triggered a major backlash across the open-source community. The policy, set to begin rollout in March 2026 and enforcement by September 2026 in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, extends Google’s existing Play Store verification to all app installations, consolidating its control over 95 per cent of Android-certified devices worldwide.
The ‘Keep Android Open’ movement, led by software developer and F-Droid board member Marc Prud’hommeaux, has launched a global petition and open letter urging regulators to examine the antitrust implications of Google’s verification scheme. “I am sort of overwhelmed with the amount of support,” Prud’hommeaux told The Register. “I would ballpark estimate that over 90–95 percent of people are somewhere between concerned and outraged, but pretty much everyone is against it.”
The open letter warns that Google’s mandate “represents an unprecedented expansion of Google’s control over the Android ecosystem that threatens innovation, competition, privacy, and user freedom.” The verification process requires developers to pay a $25 fee, submit government ID, verify signing keys, and accept Google’s terms.
Prud’hommeaux argues the move undermines open-source independence and calls the policy “an existential threat to free software distribution platforms like F-Droid.” He also challenges Google’s claim that sideloading poses greater malware risks, noting that “77 malicious apps” were recently found on Google Play.
Regulators in Brazil, four U.S. states, and the European Union are reportedly reviewing Google’s plans as pressure mounts to keep Android open.
