1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Starting September 2026, Google is planning to require third-party Android app developers to complete government identity verification and pay associated fees to continue developing apps for the platform. Google's stated rationale is to combat scams and malware. ng privacy issue. The practical effect, however, is to give Google greater control over who can distribute software through its ecosystem by requiring verification and fee s. While this may be for security and simplicity, this is a betrayal of trust between consumers and current Android companies, in addition to a concerni While there is still time to make measures to maintain the current technology economy and ecosystem, stop Google from going through with this risky and i mpactful plan. Everyone, from journalists and activists, to people in domestic abuse situations, to the everyday consumer, has legitimate reasons to dist ribute or use software without placing their legal identity in a Google database. ware development than many competing ecosystems. Anonymous open-source contribution is a tradition older than Google itself. Historically, Android has been more open to independent and pseudonymous soft The upcoming policy ends that established understanding on Android. Requiring a government ID doesn't make any code or process safer. Malware authors can register. Indie developers and dissidents often can't. Keep Android Open. Never let it close.