Google's move to restrict Android sideloading could face EU pushback

The European Commission officially launched the public consultation (Digital Fairness Act) and call for evidence on 17 July 2025, and it will stay open through 9 October 2025, giving a 12-week window for feedback.

https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14622-Digital-Fairness-Act_en

Google has been moving toward prohibiting app installs outside the Play Store. If that becomes the default, users lose choice and developers lose a distribution channel.

This consultation is open to everyone, not just EU citizens.

Submissions that highlight how sideloading and alternative app stores matter for competition, open source, and digital ownership could influence the next round of legislation.

14 points | by nativeforks 3 days ago

3 comments

  • mikewarot 2 days ago
    Let's stop using that propaganda term, and call it what it is. Google doesn't want people to be able to freely run programs on their own computers.
  • palata 2 days ago
    I am convinced it won't go anywhere. It is not prohibiting app installs outside the Play Store: it's enforcing that apps installed on certified Android devices are signed by a valid Play developer account.

    If I understand it correctly, it means that you could get a valid developer account and never put your app on the Play Store. Instead people could sideload it.

    [-]
    • Disposal8433 1 day ago
      It is prohibiting in a few ways: relying on a company in a foreign country, and no alternative if your account gets randomly banned. Also what would happen to developers in embargoed countries?

      Those are unacceptable to developers outside of the USA.

      [-]
      • palata 1 day ago
        Those are good point!
    • haute_cuisine 2 days ago
      This sounds very similar to mac apps that should be signed by valid apple dev account.
  • chistev 2 days ago
    Why did that not happen with Apple?