F-Droid says Google’s Android developer verification plan is an ‘existential’ threat to alternative app stores

Google plans to require all Android developers to register with Google starting September 2026, even those not using the Play Store, with a $25 fee and government ID. This policy will roll out first in Brazil, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand before going global. F-Droid, the open-source Android app repository with ~5,000 apps and millions of users, calls this an existential threat because Google's plan enforces a single app signature, breaking apps distributed through alternative stores like F-Droid. F-Droid has launched a public campaign via keepandroidopen.org, gathered an open letter signed by EFF, FSF, KDE, Brave, and TOR Project, and collected over 64,000 petition signatures. Regulators in the UK, Philippines, and some US states have shown interest but are slow to act. A source speculates the move may be Google's strategy to retain indirect control over Android app distribution amid its ongoing legal settlement with Epic Games. F-Droid is urging developers not to join Google's early access program and to spread awareness.