For a long time, the Google Play Store felt like a bazaar: trusted big-box stores sat next to masked vendors offering unregulated loans or medical advice. If a loan app scammed you, the “developer” could disappear with nothing but a deleted Gmail account. Now, Google is ending this. As part of a sweeping policy change starting in 2026, developers of sensitive apps—like banking, VPNs, health trackers, and government services—must register as verified organizations. The era of hidden solo developers managing your credit card data is over.
The ‘Blue Checkmark’ for Apps
It’s basically ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) for software developers. Previously, entry barriers were minimal: pay a fee, upload an APK, and you were live worldwide. Now, Google wants a paper trail. For apps such as crypto wallets or symptom checkers, you must provide a D-U-N-S number (a unique business identifier) and proof of legal entity status. The relationship has shifted from users trusting code to users trusting companies. This increases liability; if an app misuses data, a registered address and legal structure can now be held accountable.
Why the Change?
The most likely catalyst is the plague of predatory lending apps and fake crypto exchanges infesting Android in emerging markets. These apps demand intrusive permissions, spam users, and break local financial laws. Forcing an ‘Organization’ tag sets up a filter in Google. Scammers prefer to stay fluid and undocumented. This change adds friction by requiring incorporation, a D-U-N-S number, and address verification. It won’t stop all scams, but it stops the lazy ones.
The Developer Squeeze
Though a win for user safety, these rules squeeze indie developers and small startups. For example, a solo coder working from home develops a groundbreaking VPN to help users protect their online privacy. Under the new rules, they could face new barriers. Becoming “Doe Technologies LLC” is allowed; using “John Doe” is not. This burdens innovation with administrative costs and bureaucracy. As a result, the Play Store may become a rich person’s playground, while open-source hobbyists could be pushed to sideloading on platforms like F-Droid, an open-source app repository.
A Necessary Evil?
This marks a milestone in the mobile economy’s maturity. With our financial lives now on a slab of glass, the software behind it can’t be conjured by ghosts. Our data needs a chain of custody. Google acts as regulator of its own private nation-state, saying: to do business in its town square, show your face. It’s more ‘Gated Community’ than ‘Wild West’—less thrilling, harder to exploit, but much safer for residents.
