Google‘s New Android Security Policy Sparks Digital Sovereignty Concerns
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – A new Google policy restricting sideloading on Android devices, set to roll out in 2024, is facing widespread criticism from developers, privacy advocates, and open-source communities who warn it threatens digital sovereignty and stifles competition. The policy requires developers to verify their identities with Google and digitally sign their apps, impacting not onyl the Google Play Store but all Android-certified devices, including those utilizing alternative app stores like F-Droid and the Epic Games Store.
The core of the dispute centers on Google’s justification for the changes – a claim that sideloaded apps pose a significantly higher malware risk.Google cites internal analysis stating malware is found “50 times more” in internet sideloading sources than in the Play Store.Though,F-Droid,a repository for free and open-source Android software,disputes these figures,calling them ”unfounded” due to a lack of access to the underlying data.
Recent incidents further undermine Google’s narrative. In 2023, 224 malicious apps were removed from the Play Store due to ad fraud campaigns, and another report revealed a malicious app had been downloaded over 19 million times through Google’s own platform. Critics argue these instances highlight the need for Google to improve its existing security systems rather than restrict user choice.
the policy is viewed as part of a broader trend of increasing control by Google over the Android ecosystem. Previous moves, such as the 2024 introduction of Manifest v3 for Chrome – which weakened ad-blocking functionality – and the secretive, private development of Android Open Source Project (AOSP) verification infrastructure in 2025, have fueled concerns.
“This verification system acts as an existential threat to free software distribution platforms such as F-Droid and commercial competitors on the Play Store,” states F-Droid. The association has publicly rejected the mandatory system.
Users can voice their opposition through the keepandroidopen.org campaign,and developers are advised against participating in Google’s Developer Enrollment Program. Advocates emphasize that Android users, comprising over half of the global smartphone market, “own the device, not Google,” and retain the right to choose where they obtain software. The debate underscores basic questions about digital freedom and the balance between security and user autonomy in the mobile landscape.
