The tech giant stresses that this does not mean developers can’t distribute outside of the Play Store through other app stores or via sideloading — Android will remain open in that regard. However, developers who appreciated the anonymity of alternative distribution methods will no longer have that option.

Android developer verification is largely targeting commercial developers, with Google saying that it’s “committed to keeping Android an open platform” for student and hobbyist developers. Google is creating a separate Android developer console to facilitate this, which will place restrictions on the number of apps and installs.

"Android will require all apps to be registered by verified developers in order to be installed by users on certified Android devices," the company said. "This creates crucial accountability, making it much harder for malicious actors to quickly distribute another harmful app after we take the first one down."