Google’s recently announced new developer verification rules have sparked a major debate within the Android ecosystem. This new regulation has raised concerns, particularly about the future of APK files and alternative app stores. Well-known independent app stores like F-Droid are warning users that these rules could restrict user freedom.

Alternative app stores could become a thing of the past

According to the new regulation, every app installed from outside the Play Store must be linked to an account belonging to its developer and verified with an official ID.

This change now allows Google to officially identify its developer, regardless of whether the app is on the Play Store or not. Furthermore, this rule gives the company the ability to remotely disable any app it chooses.

Google maintains that security is the primary reason for this move. The company states that sideloaded apps are 50 times more likely to contain malware than apps on the Play Store.

However, experts point out that despite Google’s security justification, these new rules allow the company to establish dominance not only over the Play Store but also over the entire Android ecosystem. This situation deeply damages the “free” platform image Android has maintained for years.

This has raised serious concerns, particularly among privacy-conscious users and developers who advocate for access to open-source applications. The requirement for verification presents a formidable obstacle for independent developers seeking to publish apps anonymously without collecting personal data.