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Google has unveiled new security and regulatory policies aimed at bolstering the Android ecosystem's safety. These measures, set to take effect next year, include limiting access to sensitive permissions and requiring all Android developers to undergo official identity verification. While these changes are intended to enhance security globally, they pose significant challenges for Iranian developers due to the country's unique circumstances and existing sanctions. The new policies could hinder local app markets and create unprecedented obstacles for independent developers.
What Are Google's New Security Policies?
To combat financial fraud, Google plans to block apps installed from outside the Play Store (sideloaded apps) from accessing sensitive permissions by default, such as reading SMS messages or utilizing accessibility services. Users will need to navigate multi-step processes in their phone settings to enable these permissions. This deliberate barrier aims to prevent user errors and increase security. Additionally, Google will mandate formal identity verification for all Android developers, a transparency measure that adds another layer of oversight.
For Iranian developers, these policies exacerbate existing barriers imposed by sanctions. The primary issue lies in the identity verification requirement, which Iranian developers cannot easily fulfill due to international restrictions. This effectively blocks their participation in the Android ecosystem, making competition harder for local app stores and potentially isolating Iran's tech community further while stifling innovation within domestic applications.
Impact on Local App Markets: Uneven Playing Field
The first noticeable impact of these policies will be a tougher competitive landscape for third-party app stores. Alireza Sheikhani, Strategy and Operations Manager at Myket, told Digiato that Google's new rules are likely designed to reinforce Play Store's dominance while making it harder for competitors.
"Google's new policy will undoubtedly negatively affect third-party app markets," Sheikhani said. "Both domestic platforms like Myket and Cafe Bazaar, as well as international stores like APKPure or Aptoide, will face greater restrictions." According to him, smaller and student developers will bear the brunt of this shift since they lack the technical expertise or financial resources needed to comply with Google's regulations. Consequently, fewer new apps will enter the ecosystem, reducing its diversity.
Sanction Tax on Iranian Developers
The most critical challenge for Iranian developers is Google's mandatory identity verification, a process they cannot complete directly due to sanctions against Iran. Sheikhani explained that this requirement applies universally to all Android developers regardless of where their apps are published.
One foreseeable yet troubling consequence of Google's verification mandate is the emergence of intermediary businesses offering solutions to bypass these restrictions, for a fee. As Iranian developers cannot use Iranian documentation for direct verification, this gap will likely be exploited by foreign entities or intermediaries.
Sheikhani predicts that these intermediaries may charge fees for processing identity verifications on behalf of Iranian developers. "Those unwilling or unable to pay these costs will effectively be excluded from the Android app development ecosystem," he added. "This mirrors what we've already seen in Iran's iOS ecosystem." This extra expense acts as a 'sanction tax,' disproportionately impacting small and independent teams while favoring larger companies with greater financial resources.
Although users may not notice immediate changes since major developers are likely to comply with these requirements initially, Sheikhani warns that long-term effects could include a sharp decline in new apps and innovation within Iran's application ecosystem.
Potential Solutions and Domestic Actors' Role
As conditions grow more challenging, some Android developers may turn toward Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). While Sheikhani sees this trend as plausible, he emphasizes that PWAs cannot fully replace native apps requiring access to hardware sensors or features like notifications.
In this context, domestic regulators have an increasingly critical role to play. One strategic solution involves negotiating pre-installation agreements with international smartphone manufacturers to include local app markets on devices sold in Iran, a strategy requiring extensive collaboration.
Sheikhani also clarified that Myket’s business model does not rely on circumventing sanctions; thus, it cannot assist developers with international identity verification processes. "Our role is focused on facilitating app presence within Iran’s local market and pursuing solutions such as pre-installation agreements," he concluded.
