Platform Registration as App‑Store Gatekeeper

Requiring all Android app developers to register with the dominant platform (including ID and a fee) functions as an indirect gate: it lets the platform control who can publish software even when courts or laws require third‑party app stores. That policy can neutralize alternative distribution channels (example: F‑Droid) by breaking multi‑signature workflows, raising costs, and centralizing accountability and surveillance. — This reframes technical developer‑verification rules as an antitrust, free‑speech, and privacy issue with global consequences for software freedom and digital sovereignty.