Google’s Android developer verification program draws pushback

Google’s planned Android developer verification program, requiring Android apps to be registered by verified developers, is getting pushback, with opponents urging developers not to sign up for the program and to make their opposition known.

An open letter opposing the verification program was posted February 24 at Keep Android Open, a consortium that is fighting the Google verification program. Among the 41 signatories as of February 26 are the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Free Software Foundation, the Center for Digital Progress, and the Software Freedom Conservancy. “Android, currently an open platform where anyone can develop and distribute applications freely, is to become a locked-down platform, requiring that developers everywhere register centrally with Google in order to be able to distribute their software,” said Marc Prud’hommeaux of the F-Droid Android development community in a blog post.

Google could not be reached for comment on February 26. The program was announced August 25, 2026. Starting in September, Android will require all apps to be registered by verified developers before they can be installed on certified Android devices. “To better protect users from repeat bad actors spreading malware and scams, we’re adding another layer of security to make installing apps safer for everyone: developer verification,” said Suzanne Frey, Google’s VP, Product, Trust and Growth for Android, in the blog post announcing the program. “This creates crucial accountability, making it much harder for malicious actors to quickly distribute another harmful app after we take the first one down” she said.

Keep Android Open disagrees. In the open letter, the organization calls upon Google to:

1. Immediately rescind the mandatory developer registration requirement for third-party distribution.
2. Engage in transparent dialogue with civil society, developers, and regulators about Android security improvements that respect openness and competition.
3. Commit to platform neutrality by ensuring that Android remains a genuinely open platform where Google’s role as platform provider does not conflict with its commercial interests.

Keep Android Open wants developers to resist by refusing to sign up for early access, refusing to perform early verification, and refusing to accept an invitation to the Android Developer Console. Instead, the group advises, developers should respond to the invitation with a list of concerns and objections. It encourages consumers to contact national regulators and express concerns.