The Google change means that every APK has to be signed and linked to a developer with a verified identity.
Unless Google might not be willing to approve this alternative version of Signal, but is there any indication of that? The Signal clients are open source with a permissive license so there's nothing unauthorized about building and distributing a modified version yourself.
The Signal CEO aid that they would pull out entirely from the EU if Chat Control comes to pass.
> Unless Google might not be willing to approve this alternative version of Signal, but is there any indication of that?
In this scenario, Signal will still be allowed to be distributed outside of the EU so you could get it from the Play store hosted out of the EU.
They have no obligation to sign anything, and they aren’t in the business of fighting city hall. Quite the opposite.
They only break the law when it earns them bundles of money.
In this context it isn't EU laws. The upcoming Android change in 2026 will stop anyone installing a non-verified app on their Android devices. This seems to be something Google arrived at "independently". But I would bet the US and EU and whoever else have put pressure on them.