February 24, 2026
Papers, please?!
Open Letter to Google on Mandatory Developer Registration for App Distribution
Dev revolt: Google wants IDs to share apps, open letter sparks memes and cynics
TLDR: An open letter urges Google to scrap a plan forcing all Android app makers to register with ID, even for apps shared outside the Play Store. Comments split between fears of gatekeeping and privacy, cynicism about petitions, and security reminders that Google outlined real malware risks in 2025.
A civil-society pile-on just dropped an open letter telling Google to ditch its new rule: every Android app maker must register with Google (upload ID, pay a fee) even if they share apps outside the Play Store. The comments went nuclear. One user snarled, “The undersigned are basically a list of entities Google would like to see disappear,” casting Google as bouncer for the whole phone world. Developers grumbled about friction and lost freedom, with one lamenting it’s “another nail in the coffin” for simple .apk downloads. Memes flew: “Papers, please!” and “Android becoming iPhone.” Eyebrows rose when the letter included Aurora Store, a Play Store bypass tool—cue claims the signatories undercut their own case.
But the thread wasn’t a pure dogpile. Security-minded commenters flagged Google’s November 2025 post describing a real malware path, arguing verification could protect users; see dfabulich’s nod to the blog. Meanwhile, veterans rolled their eyes: “Why do people think open letters move trillion-dollar companies?” The drama boiled down to safety versus openness, IDs versus anonymity, corporate control versus community trust. For everyday users, this matters because it could decide whether you can install apps from anywhere—or only from places Google approves. The vibe: fiery, funny, and divided
Key Points
- •An open letter urges Google to withdraw a policy that would require Android developers to register with Google to distribute apps outside the Play Store.
- •The policy’s verification process would involve agreeing to Google’s terms, paying a fee, and uploading government-issued ID.
- •Authors argue Android already has security mechanisms that do not require central registration and warn of threats to openness, competition, privacy, and user freedom.
- •The letter cites gatekeeping beyond Google’s marketplace and the potential for Google to disable any app across the Android ecosystem.
- •It outlines barriers for small, open-source, privacy-focused, and region-limited developers and raises privacy concerns about a centralized developer database.