Currently, developers who create “sideloaded” Android apps are exempt from Google’s verification requirements.

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.

With claims that sideloaded apps are 50 times more likely to contain malware, Google is tightening restrictions for developers distributing apps outside the Play Store.