Not sure where #Google asked for feedback about their developer verification program, but they surely didn't talk with #FLOSS devs, civil society, privacy organisations or their #Android users
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@fdroidorg will F-droid still be available via sideloading when Google's developer verification kicks in?
@wittyuniversity Nope, we will not be verified developers!
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@fdroidorg @marcprux
I hope that Google changes its mind, but as a shareholder company, they aren't a community. So I don't hold out too much hope.But what I do hope is that AOSP eventually forks from Google, and other Open source mobile OS's start growing their market share away from Google. Its time for these options to go mainstream. We need F-Droid to be there for this.
Eventually we need an OpenAPK standard to build around that is not reliant on Google.
@adventure_tense Non-stock Android will continue to work just fine (well until Google locks-down AOSP), but suddenly 3.9 billion devices won't be able to install good apps.
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@fdroidorg @marcprux Right from the start I would look up an app and then find a place I could download the apk file and install it myself. All you have to do to is find the android setting that says, "install from other sources" and yer set.
@Rick_d_card That option will not be available, do read our post and the two linked past posts.
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@wittyuniversity Nope, we will not be verified developers!
@fdroidorg time to turn off automatic updates then
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Not sure where #Google asked for feedback about their developer verification program, but they surely didn't talk with #FLOSS devs, civil society, privacy organisations or their #Android users
#FDroid did since September, and interacted with folks in the Fediverse, forum, email and in person
They all voiced one opinion: "developer verification must be stopped"
@marcprux has written an open letter, signed by likeminded organisations who want to #keepandroidopen
Click: https://f-droid.org/2026/02/24/open-letter-opposing-developer-verification.html
@fdroidorg FFS! Plan B is to take another look into @postmarketOS
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@fdroidorg @marcprux Didn't google announce that they'll still allow unsigned apps but you'd have to jump through some more hoops to do so?
@Idaho We talk about that in the post, right?
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@adventure_tense Non-stock Android will continue to work just fine (well until Google locks-down AOSP), but suddenly 3.9 billion devices won't be able to install good apps.
@fdroidorg Totally understand. I'm just expressing my frustration of Google. I'm on GrapheneOS, and I know Google will come after AOSP next.
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Not sure where #Google asked for feedback about their developer verification program, but they surely didn't talk with #FLOSS devs, civil society, privacy organisations or their #Android users
#FDroid did since September, and interacted with folks in the Fediverse, forum, email and in person
They all voiced one opinion: "developer verification must be stopped"
@marcprux has written an open letter, signed by likeminded organisations who want to #keepandroidopen
Click: https://f-droid.org/2026/02/24/open-letter-opposing-developer-verification.html
@fdroidorg Would this new policy apply to F-Droid on /e/ OS and LineageOS? Both of those are 'de-googled' so I'm curious how far that goes.
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@fdroidorg China already has many stores. And all are subject to their regulation Google is now copying.
https://www.androidpolice.com/china-regulations-app-registration/
@ohir @fdroidorg It would be good to have more info about that. I don't know much about how things work in China, but isn't Free Software viewed as as good thing there?
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@LeelaTorres @hongminhee I meant the blog post from @fdroidorg as well
@liaizon @LeelaTorres @hongminhee @fdroidorg Translation for f-droid.org is easy, you can contribute to the Korean translation of the posts here:
https://hosted.weblate.org/projects/f-droid/website-posts/ko/ -
@fdroidorg Would this new policy apply to F-Droid on /e/ OS and LineageOS? Both of those are 'de-googled' so I'm curious how far that goes.
@txtx Degoogled means freedom
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@Rick_d_card That option will not be available, do read our post and the two linked past posts.
@fdroidorg Thank-you for your reply. I guess I was reading too fast and came to a wrong conclusion.
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@ohir @fdroidorg It would be good to have more info about that. I don't know much about how things work in China, but isn't Free Software viewed as as good thing there?
@guardianproject @fdroidorg There is plenty of Chinese proxy agencies publishing howtos (and of course advertising their paid support on this bumpy way). IDNK current tightened regulations well. Eight years ago you as an indie developer was expected to give a whole lotta of personal info, and some percentage of your app "core" source code. Then you had to have agreement with local app-shop sites, then some 11 iirc. From article quoted I see now they added the 49% share requirement.
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Not sure where #Google asked for feedback about their developer verification program, but they surely didn't talk with #FLOSS devs, civil society, privacy organisations or their #Android users
#FDroid did since September, and interacted with folks in the Fediverse, forum, email and in person
They all voiced one opinion: "developer verification must be stopped"
@marcprux has written an open letter, signed by likeminded organisations who want to #keepandroidopen
Click: https://f-droid.org/2026/02/24/open-letter-opposing-developer-verification.html
@fdroidorg @marcprux - Also sign the petition at change.org. The more of us that speak out against it the better chance we have of getting Google to back down. https://c.org/kRnMMnS9LP
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