Techlore Talks Google’s New Policy is an “Extinction Event” (F-Droid Interview)
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Dec 10, 2025 
Join Marc Prud'hommeaux, a software developer and F-Droid board member, as he delves into the catastrophic implications of Google's new Developer Registration Program. He highlights how this policy threatens open-source app distribution and the very existence of F-Droid. Marc shares concrete actions individuals can take to combat this change and why all users should care about the fight for openness in app ecosystems. His insights on the balance between security, user privacy, and corporate control offer a compelling look into the future of mobile app distribution.
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Google’s New Developer Registration
- Google plans a global Developer Registration Program that centralizes developer identity and app verification.
- Marc Prud'hommeaux warns this will require personal ID, fees, and signing-key evidence from all app authors.
Malware Rationale Is Limited
- Google frames the change as a malware-prevention measure but it only blocks repeat offenders who re-register with new signing keys.
- Marc argues this narrow technical benefit doesn't justify the broad privacy and access costs.
F‑Droid’s Trust Model Is Incompatible
- F-Droid's model relies on developers publishing source and either F-Droid building and signing or using reproducible builds with developer-signed APKs.
- Google's verification would break that trust model and could make F-Droid-distributed apps stop running on certified devices.