In August 2025, Google announced that as of September 2026, it will no longer be possible to develop apps for the Android platform without first registering centrally with Google. This registration will involve:
Paying a fee to Google
Agreeing to Google’s Terms and Conditions
Providing government identification
Uploading evidence of the developer’s private signing key
Listing all current and future application identifier
You’re correct, but what will affect f-droid ai if their developers dont register their customer base will deninish. There a lot billions of more users of open source apps that rely on open app stores to provide alternative apps that will not have access to open source app stores. Google is creating a closed eco system like apple.
And developers will be shut out and left with a very small number of devices that have installed likes of graphene, iode, lineage , /e/ oses.
Absolutely agree its not good but its like a lot of things its a losing war, whether it be this battle or next. Linux phones could do with being much better than they currently are, but it again, comes down to audience and developers having a point to develop on the platform. Be lovely if theres enough pushback that we don’t have to worry about this for a couple more years though
Good to have this as an early warning. So the privacy and humanity oriented community is able to take sides and prepare accordingly. The lazy ones stay with the evil satanists while we will advance with the new opportunities using AI like bright.learn to be free.