Keep Android Open

src/feed/posts/2026-04-16-keep-android-open.md

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+---
+layout: feed_post
+title: "The call is coming from inside the house. Keep Android Open."
+slug: 180fce21-460a-4cd6-a2b3-f22466422747
+date: 2026-04-16 11:30:00
+tags: feed
+permalink: /feed/2026-04-16-keep-android-open/
+feedtags:
+  - Open Letter
+---
+
+Google have announced that, starting September 2026, they will silently update every Android device to block apps from 3rd-party sources.
+
+They will become like Apple. If you want to create an app for Android phones, you will pay Google for the privilege. Never mind that they're taking it away.
+
+Make no mistake: destroying third party app stores (like F-Droid) and locking down devices **we own** is not about "security" -- it's about control.
+
+We paid for these devices _because_ Android is less restrictive than iOS, not in spite of it. This non-consentual change is a betrayal and a fundamental broken promise of the Android ecosystem.
+
+I've been a loyal Android user and supporter since its early days. This support was never based on "I like Android's UI better." It was the open platform. As a broke middle-school student, I could actually build things for Android.
+
+Destroying that is a race to the bottom that benefits no one in the long-term, not even Google.
+
+I fully agree with this [open letter](https://keepandroidopen.org/open-letter/) signed onto by many of the biggest names in the open-source community.
+
+Learn more at [Keep Android Open](https://keepandroidopen.org/).