Google’s latest move to tighten control over the Android ecosystem is being met with sharp resistance from the open-source community.
Marc Prud’hommeaux, a member of the F-Droid board, has warned that the company’s proposal to require identity verification for all Android developers would effectively dismantle F-Droid.
He confirmed that the project is seeking regulatory review of the plan and urged both developers and users to press their governments to act before the policy takes effect.
Under the proposal, Android devices certified by Google would only accept apps registered by verified developers, even when sideloaded from outside the Play Store.
The rollout is set to begin next year. Google maintains that this system is needed to combat malware, claiming sideloaded apps carry “over 50 times more malware” than those obtained through its official marketplace.
According to the company, forcing developers to verify their identities would introduce accountability and shield users from fraud.
F-Droid operates on very different principles. The non-profit distributes only open-source software and has no user accounts, a design choice meant to prevent surveillance of its community.
Hellbound and Down 