F-Droid says Google’s new sideloading restrictions will kill the project

Google plans to begin testing its recently announced verification scheme for Android developers in the coming weeks, but there's still precious little information on how the process will work. F-Droid, the free and open source app repository, isn't waiting for the full rollout to take a position. In a blog post, F-Droid staff say that Google's plan to force devs outside Google Play to register with the company threatens to kill alternative app stores like F-Droid.

F-Droid has been around for about 15 years and is the largest source of free and open source software (FOSS) for Android. Because the apps in F-Droid are not installed via the Play Store, you have to sideload each APK manually, and Google is targeting that process in the name of security.

Several weeks ago, Google announced plans to force all Android app developers to register their apps and identity with Google. Apps that have not been validated by the Big G will not be installable on any certified Android devices in the future. Since virtually every Android device outside of China runs Google services, that means Google is in control of the software we get to install on Android.

According to F-Droid, Google's verification program threatens to break free app distribution. Google claims that attaching real identities to apps reduces the incidence of malware, which it has seen in action in Google Play. Still, the Play Store is not free of bad apps, which F-Droid points to as evidence that Google's moves won't actually eliminate the risks of sideloading.

Google's approach to verification would be a real problem for F-Droid's operation. F-Droid doesn't allow tracking or invasive advertising in the apps it distributes. Each app is provided to the platform in the form of source code, which is verified and then compiled by F-Droid. The site operators say they cannot require devs to register with Google, nor can they "take over" the app identifiers to register for them. Doing so would effectively take over distribution rights from the authors.