Google plans developer identity checks for Android, risking sideloading and stores like F-Droid. Critics warn security may come at the cost of openness.
© A. Krivonosov
Google is drafting new developer registration rules that could sharply curb sideloading and effectively undercut independent app stores such as F-Droid. The proposal would tie every app to a verified developer identity, giving Google leverage over software distribution even beyond its own storefront. The company frames the move as a security upgrade, while F-Droid argues it threatens user choice, open-source development, and the very ethos of Android’s openness. For a platform long defined by flexibility, that’s a notable turn.
Android’s hallmark has been freedom: the ability to install apps directly from websites or via alternative marketplaces set it apart from iOS. Now that freedom is at risk. Under the plan, developers would have to provide Google with identity documents, app identifiers, and signing keys—effectively positioning the company as the ecosystem’s central gatekeeper. F-Droid warns the rules could end F-Droid and other open app sources as users know them today.
Critics point out that the Play Store has hosted malicious apps despite existing checks. Android already includes Play Protect, which scans and removes harmful software, while open-source projects lean on code transparency and community review. Tightening Google’s control could discourage independent developers unwilling to share personal data, and that, in turn, may thin out the selection beyond the Play Store—especially privacy-minded and niche tools that rely on alternative channels. The balance between safety and openness has always been delicate; tilt it too far, and the ecosystem risks losing the diversity that made it vibrant.
The rules are also likely to draw scrutiny from regulators, particularly in Europe, where the Digital Markets Act requires preserving the ability to install software from alternative sources. In the United States, Google already faces antitrust investigations around app distribution, and stricter identity checks for developers will only amplify criticism that Android’s ecosystem is being pulled toward monopolization.