Block Google's Android Developer Verification Before It Kills the Open Web

Block Google's Android Developer Verification program before it takes effect in September 2026. Starting then, every Android developer — teenagers, hobbyists, open-source volunteers — must pay Google a fee, hand over government-issued ID, and agree to Google's terms just to share software. Apps from unregistered developers will be silently blocked on every Android device worldwide. That's not a security measure. It's a kill switch. This policy creates a centralized database of every Android developer's real identity, accessible to governments. The EFF calls app gatekeeping "an ever-expanding pathway to internet censorship," and they're right. F-Droid, home to thousands of free and open-source apps, says this decree will end their project entirely. Google Play has hosted over 600 million malware downloads — so the "safety" justification doesn't hold. Seventy-one organizations across 23 countries have signed an open letter opposing this, and over 100,000 people have petitioned against it. I bought my phone expecting to control what runs on it. Google should not be allowed to retroactively change that deal.