Google Plans To Exempt Sanctioned Nations From Android Developer Verification (arstechnica.com)
(Saturday August 01, 2026 @11:00AM (BeauHD)
from the what-to-expect dept.)
- Reference: 0184795212
- News link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/26/07/31/2315254/google-plans-to-exempt-sanctioned-nations-from-android-developer-verification
- Source link: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/07/google-plans-to-exempt-sanctioned-nations-from-android-developer-verification/
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica:
> We are a month away from the [1]initial rollout of Google's Android developer verification system, and the company contends this policy does not impinge on the platform's open nature. Still, the restrictions will be a big change, and there are still some unanswered questions. An issue that has come up repeatedly in the run-up to verification is what will happen to devs who can't verify because of where they live. It turns out that Google has a cryptic answer for that buried in an FAQ. Developer verification will soon [2]block the installation of apps from unverified developers on any Android device running Google services, which is functionally all Android phones outside Russia and China. Developers who want to keep releasing software, even if it's not in the Play Store, have to provide Google with their ID and pay a small fee.
>
> But what if you're an Android developer living in a sanctioned nation? Currently, the U.S. sanction list includes Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and occupied areas of Ukraine. Given the current uncertain state of US foreign policy, that list could change in the future. Google doing any business with developers in those places is a thorny issue, and it seems like the company has [3]decided to just leave them hanging . A rather [4]lengthy FAQ a few levels deep on the Google developer site addresses various issues around dev verification. Smack in the middle is this: "How does this program impact developers in sanctioned countries? Devices in sanctioned countries will be excluded from Android developer verification checks. This allows any developer to continue distributing apps in these regions without verification, though users there won't benefit from the enhanced security benefits of the program."
>
> [...] A Google spokesperson has expanded on the FAQ and confirmed to Ars that people living in sanctioned nations will not be allowed to go through the verification process. That means they will not be able to effectively distribute software through any channel internationally. Today, someone making an app in, say, Cuba can distribute it freely around the world, as well as at home. Anyone can install it and see their work in action after tapping through a few sideloading alerts. In the coming months, that will no longer be the case. These unverified apps will only be easily installable in the sanctioned countries where verification doesn't exist.
[1] https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/08/25/1716213/google-to-require-identity-verification-for-all-android-app-developers-by-2027
[2] https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/08/25/1716213/google-to-require-identity-verification-for-all-android-app-developers-by-2027
[3] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/07/google-plans-to-exempt-sanctioned-nations-from-android-developer-verification/
[4] https://developer.android.com/developer-verification/guides/faq
> We are a month away from the [1]initial rollout of Google's Android developer verification system, and the company contends this policy does not impinge on the platform's open nature. Still, the restrictions will be a big change, and there are still some unanswered questions. An issue that has come up repeatedly in the run-up to verification is what will happen to devs who can't verify because of where they live. It turns out that Google has a cryptic answer for that buried in an FAQ. Developer verification will soon [2]block the installation of apps from unverified developers on any Android device running Google services, which is functionally all Android phones outside Russia and China. Developers who want to keep releasing software, even if it's not in the Play Store, have to provide Google with their ID and pay a small fee.
>
> But what if you're an Android developer living in a sanctioned nation? Currently, the U.S. sanction list includes Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and occupied areas of Ukraine. Given the current uncertain state of US foreign policy, that list could change in the future. Google doing any business with developers in those places is a thorny issue, and it seems like the company has [3]decided to just leave them hanging . A rather [4]lengthy FAQ a few levels deep on the Google developer site addresses various issues around dev verification. Smack in the middle is this: "How does this program impact developers in sanctioned countries? Devices in sanctioned countries will be excluded from Android developer verification checks. This allows any developer to continue distributing apps in these regions without verification, though users there won't benefit from the enhanced security benefits of the program."
>
> [...] A Google spokesperson has expanded on the FAQ and confirmed to Ars that people living in sanctioned nations will not be allowed to go through the verification process. That means they will not be able to effectively distribute software through any channel internationally. Today, someone making an app in, say, Cuba can distribute it freely around the world, as well as at home. Anyone can install it and see their work in action after tapping through a few sideloading alerts. In the coming months, that will no longer be the case. These unverified apps will only be easily installable in the sanctioned countries where verification doesn't exist.
[1] https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/08/25/1716213/google-to-require-identity-verification-for-all-android-app-developers-by-2027
[2] https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/08/25/1716213/google-to-require-identity-verification-for-all-android-app-developers-by-2027
[3] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/07/google-plans-to-exempt-sanctioned-nations-from-android-developer-verification/
[4] https://developer.android.com/developer-verification/guides/faq
Last Android? (Score:2)
by Shakes Fist ( 10502847 )
I only upgrade my phone if it sounds better (Black Shark 5 for 4 years now) and I've disabled/uninstalled a ton of pre-installed apps.
The idea of having to go through this all over again is bad enough that I've pretty much dropped the idea of looking for a new phone. Coupled with this additional nonsense? The next phone will be dumb or 2nd-hand.
Exempt from verification? (Score:2)
by PPH ( 736903 )
How can I move to North Korea?
Re: (Score:2)
by uncle slacky ( 1125953 )
See here: [1]https://www.reddit.com/r/Movin... [reddit.com]
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/MovingToNorthKorea/
Re: Exempt from verification? (Score:2)
by liqu1d ( 4349325 )
Just try crossing the border. They'll send a welcoming committee and even provide free accommodation for an indeterminate time.
Sanctions working as expected (Score:2)
You can't help it that your country is sanctioned, but this is what sanctions mean... It's a very broad weapon and hits indiscriminately.
You can hardly blame Google for that. What you can blame them for is being a monopoly which, if remedied, would also possibly make the sanctions less useful.