Android dev groups push back on Google’s verification plan • The Register
Android dev groups push back on Google’s verification plan • The Register
https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/24/google_android_developer_verification_plan/
Publish Date: 2026-02-24 14:09:00
Source Domain: www.theregister.com
Soon, developers who just want to make Android apps for sideloading will have to register with Google. Thirty-seven technology companies, nonprofits, and civil society groups think that the Chocolate Factory should keep its nose out of third-party app stores and have asked its leadership to reconsider.
The signatories, including Article 19, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Free Software Foundation, F-Droid, Fastmail, and Vivaldi, on Tuesday published an open letter to Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, founders and board members Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and Vijaya Kaza, general manager for app and ecosystem trust, to voice their opposition to the plan.
“While we do recognize the importance of platform security and user safety, the Android platform already includes multiple security mechanisms that do not require central registration,” the letter says.
“Forcibly injecting an alien security model that runs counter to Android’s historic open nature threatens innovation, competition, privacy, and user freedom. We urge Google to withdraw this policy and work with the open-source and security communities on less restrictive alternatives.”
In August 2025, Google announced that apps installed on certified Android devices would need to be tied to a verified developer account. Developers must complete identity checks, with a $25 one-time fee for standard distribution accounts.
“Starting next year, Android will require all apps to be registered by verified developers in order to be installed by users on certified Android devices,” the company said. “This creates crucial accountability, making it much harder for malicious actors to quickly distribute another harmful app after we take the first one down.”
The verification scheme [PDF], in early preview since November 2025, opens to all developers in March 2026….
