F-Droid and Google's Developer Registration Decree

[Posted September 29, 2025 by corbet]

The F-Droid project has posted an urgent message regarding Google's plan to require developer registration to install apps on Android devices.

The F-Droid project cannot require that developers register their apps through Google, but at the same time, we cannot "take over" the application identifiers for the open-source apps we distribute, as that would effectively seize exclusive distribution rights to those applications.
If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open-source app distribution sources as we know them today, and the world will be deprived of the safety and security of the catalog of thousands of apps that can be trusted and verified by any and all. F-Droid's myriad users will be left adrift, with no means to install — or even update their existing installed — applications.

Monopolies must be dismantled.

Posted Sep 29, 2025 10:49 UTC (Mon) by wazoox (subscriber, #69624) [Link] (1 responses)

There is no other solution. Break up Google.

Monopolies must be dismantled.

Posted Sep 29, 2025 11:05 UTC (Mon) by paulj (subscriber, #341) [Link]

Amen. There are a number of tech companies who have gotten far, far, far too large.

At least 3 of the biggest have a tacit understanding between them that each has certain 'territories' or scopes that are theirs, and the others will mostly try avoid encroaching. I.e., search and video, social, and retail/cloud (IIRC). I have heard this understanding spoken of by management at 1 of those big 3.

It's stereotypical protectionism and monopolistic behaviour.