F-Droid says Google’s new sideloading restrictions will kill the project

F-Droid warns that the project will end if Google is allowed to seize control of the entire Android software ecosystem by way of its developer verification program. In addition to gathering personal information from devs, F-Droid says Google will be demanding registration fees from independent developers, many of whom give their apps away for free and would be uninterested in paying Google for the privilege.

Google’s application to test verification does ask if you can pay in USD, suggesting it will charge devs for the privilege of creating Android apps.

Credit:
Ryan Whitwam

Google has been slow to provide details of the verification system. However, you can sign up for the early access program. During that process, Google does ask if you are able to pay registration fees in US dollars, which suggests there will be a cost for developers in the program. We’ve reached out to Google for more information.

A plea for regulation

F-Droid’s position is clear: if you own a device, you should be allowed to decide what software to run on it. To force everyone to register with a central authority is an affront to the ideas of free speech and thought, says F-Droid.

So what’s the solution? In the blog post, Google is accused of using security as a mask for what is really an attempt to consolidate monopoly power over app distribution at a time when its power is being suppressed by antitrust actions. F-Droid is calling on regulators from the US and EU to take a close look at Google’s plans before it’s too late.

Google is currently on the verge of massive court-mandated changes to the Play Store. After losing the antitrust case brought by Epic Games, Google went on to lose the appeal. As it explores further legal maneuvering, the firm may have to begin opening up its app distribution system by promoting third-party stores in Google Play and mirroring Google Play content in other storefronts. This will reduce Google’s monopoly power in Android apps, which is the court’s intention. However, the company’s new goal of locking down sideloading could maintain its central role in Android software.

F-Droid calls on concerned developers and users to contact their government representatives to demand action. Specifically, the site suggests invoking the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) to keep FOSS apps free from Google’s gatekeeping.

While the pilot verification program is set to launch next month, it will be almost a year before unverified apps will be blocked. That will start with a handful of markets, including Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. The restrictions are expected to expand globally in 2027.