In an open letter to Google and the Android developer community, Keep Android Open argues that the new policy threatens innovation, competition, privacy, and user freedom.

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Google's planned Android developer verification program, requiring all apps to be registered by verified developers before installation on certified Android devices, is facing significant opposition. The Keep Android Open consortium, backed by 41 signatories including the EFF and Free Software Foundation, published an open letter urging Google to rescind the mandatory registration requirement. Critics argue the policy transforms Android from an open platform into a locked-down one, threatening innovation, competition, privacy, and user freedom. Google framed the program as a security measure to prevent malicious actors from redistributing harmful apps. Keep Android Open is urging developers to refuse early sign-up and consumers to contact regulators.

Google’s Android developer verification program draws pushback