Stand Up to Google and Defend Mobile Freedom

2026-02-20T08:52:37+08:00

Starting in September 2026, Google will require developers to be certified. This is not a remote bureaucratic tweak — it is a structural shift that will profoundly reshape who can publish software that runs on certified Android devices. Even if projects such as LineageOS and GrapheneOS are initially less affected, the policy creates barriers that make broad, grassroots distribution of free, user-respecting software much harder. Google is using its platform dominance to centralise control; we must resist loudly and deliberately.

What does it mean?

Google's verification policy will oblige developers to:

• pay a fee to Google;
• agree to Google's terms, which are unethical and unjust;
• upload their national ID, which is hostile to anonymity and privacy.

This will exclude many independent and individual developers. It will also take away users' freedom to install whatever apps they want. Users will be subject to the centralised control of Google. The predictable result: fewer independent app ecosystems, diminished innovation in niche or privacy-preserving software, and users effectively subject to centralised gatekeeping.

Timeline and enforcement (concrete facts)

Google’s published timeline shows early access beginning in late 2025, verification opening to all developers in 2026, and regional enforcement commencing in September 2026 (initially Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand), with a broader global rollout planned into 2027. The policy explicitly means that after enforcement, certified Android devices will block installation of apps from unverified developers. This is not speculative — it is in Google’s documentation and blog posts.

But Google says it's for security!

No!!! Google's so-called 'security' is just a fig leaf. Security is impossible with proprietary software and is only possible with free software. Security is achieved by auditable code, not by backdoors, surveillance, censorship, telemetry, or similar measures. Google is using the term 'security' to deceive users, mistreating them with massive proprietary software that robs users of security, privacy, anonymity and freedom. The software Google restricts is not malicious to users; rather, it threatens Google’s unethical and unjust profits. Google itself is already distributing extensive malware that ruins users' security, colluding with other proprietary 'unjustware' developers to forcibly promote surveillance, censorship, prisons, tyrants and Digital Restrictions Management to users, while restricting truly user-respecting software that opposes Google's unethical, unjust — and fucking — profits.

Practical consequences of Google’s approach:

• It privileges established commercial actors who already have verified accounts and legal infrastructure, while penalising small developers and privacy projects.
• It encourages vendor lock-in: if critical anti-surveillance or accessibility apps cannot pass Google’s process, users lose options.
• It creates a chilling effect: researchers, whistleblowers and hobbyists who depend on anonymity to publish tools will be incentivised to stop or to move off-platform, reducing public scrutiny.
• The policy can be weaponised politically: regimes or regulators could pressure platform gates to suppress dissenting or minority-language apps.

Please do NOT be deceived by the fucking unethical and unjust pronouncements of the company Google. It has never followed the philosophy of 'don't be evil' — instead it has consistently acted in bad faith, by promoting proprietary malware and spyware, by stealing users' private data, by hiding Android's source code, by withholding Google Pixel vendor blobs, and by colluding with operators to restrict the unlocking of Google Pixel bootloaders.

But people say the restrictions can be bypassed

Maybe — but that misses the point. Freedom should be the default; it should not be something that must be obtained only after following instructions and submitting to Google's restrictions.

The real risks to libre software and the community

Free-software ecosystems depend on a low barrier to entry. Many privacy-respecting apps, ad-blockers, emulator frontends, and accessibility tools are developed by small teams or single authors. Requiring identity verification and imposing fees will reduce the supply of such tools, undermine community trust, and concentrate power in entities aligned with corporate incentives rather than user rights.

What to do now

• If you have a Google Pixel, unlock your bootloader and install GrapheneOS right now. If you have a non-Pixel device but it supports bootloader unlocking, unlock it as well and install LineageOS. If it is not officially supported by LineageOS, look for unofficial builds on XDA. If none are available, install a GSI. Afterwards, show them off on social media. Make your voice heard.
• If you have an Android mobile phone or tablet that unfortunately does not support bootloader unlocking, please do not update your system any more and disable automatic updates. Try to uninstall or at least disable Google Mobile Services from your device if you do not need them.
• Given that you are still dependent on Android, you can give a try to Android ROMs such as LineageOS and GrapheneOS. This may not be a long-term solution for years to come, but it will give you some freedom in the short term. If you still need Google Mobile Services, give microG a try.
• If you can, boycott Android entirely and instead use postmarketOS, Mobian, PureOS, etc. Although Android's future may be promising as a product originating from Google, GNU/Linux is the future of mobile devices for the free-software community. Choose PinePhone, Librem, or other phones designed for running GNU/Linux. If you have a OnePlus 6 you can also give postmarketOS or Mobian a try. Your voice and choices matter: the more users there are, the more the community is encouraged to develop mobile apps for GNU/Linux.
• If you are still a student, or a developer who has never touched Android development, please boycott Android and avoid learning Kotlin and Java. Instead, learn C, C++, Rust, Python, Qt, GTK, and contribute to projects such as postmarketOS to help get GNU/Linux running on mobiles.
• If you are already an Android developer, please do not sign up for Google's early access programme. Instead, express your concerns to Google about the verification requirement. Stick with and support app stores that offer free software, such as F-Droid. If you are also skilled in C++ or Rust, now is the perfect time to switch to GNU/Linux mobile development.
• No matter who you are, visit the website of the 'Keep Android Open' project and follow its instructions to find ways to support mobile freedom, such as signing petitions, participating in protests, and complaining to governments.

Closing — refuse the false choice

The debate is framed as safety vs. openness, but that is a false dichotomy. True safety must be compatible with anonymity, auditability, and user sovereignty. Google’s verification regime shifts power from communities and users to a corporate gatekeeper. If we accept this, we surrender a fundamental layer of digital self-determination. Resist — loudly, legally, and by building alternatives.