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Google terminated our business via our Google Play Developer Account

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Re: Google terminated our business via our Google Play Developer Account

#521

Post by danpalmer »

Dayshine wrote: post #482
danpalmer wrote: post #272

This is terrible and I feel for the developers. I trust that they are honest in their description of their side. I also acknowledge that Google have a long way to go in terms of communication. That said, I’ll offer an alternative history... The author hired developers who have previously uploaded malicious code to the Play store, or actively tried to circumvent restrictions on it. That developer uploaded an app, Goog…

>I’d frame it in terms of getting a new account set up Er, that's against the TOS. They will immediately ban that account, and any account they ever make. It would be evidence of you trying to avoid the TOS.

> Er, that's against the TOS. They will immediately ban that account, and any account they ever make.

I'd frame it in terms of "how can I get a new account set up". Yes they have automated systems to prevent that, but I believe that a) the company is "innocent", b) Google want more good citizens on their platform, and taking these two together I think they should be able to find a way to make it work.

Re: Google terminated our business via our Google Play Developer Account

#522

Post by mcv »

noonespecial wrote: post #27

The question I always have with this stuff is this: To attract developers, these platforms make some promises. A "review" process for supposed violations of TOS causing cancellations is always among them. But to me these "reviews" always seem either completely faked or some version of a lowest-level employee simply restating that the algo has made its choice and they are powerless. More incriminating is that every ti…

It really seems publicly shaming corporations is the only way to get justice in this new digital world. That's not the way justice is supposed to work.

Re: Google terminated our business via our Google Play Developer Account

#523

Post by megaman8 »

reaperducer wrote: post #252
SiVal wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Caprices of TOS details, reviews, algorithms, service quality, or whatever are not the real problem. The real problem is when you can't reasonably choose to do business with someone else and move on, as they are free to do with you. Network effects are causing more and more important things to both expand into great significance and to be dominated by a single company (or pair of gatekeepers, both of whom must be app…

The real problem is when you can't reasonably choose to do business with someone else and move on, as they are free to do with you. Something I learned the hard way when I first started out in business is to never make your business dependent on a single entity. Whether it's a supplier, or a publisher, or a telco, or whatever. They are all single points of failure, and unless you're a huge business, one failure can b…

Most media companies effectively have this as a single point of failure: Google Search. And, it's not from lack of trying to diversify. Countless businesses must depend on it, espcially media and content based businesses. I of some very large media companies in existance for over 10 years, and they still get over 50% of their traffic directly from Google. If google decided to ban them, their multi-million dollar business would dissappear almost overnight.

Re: Google terminated our business via our Google Play Developer Account

#524

Post by megaman8 »

Melchizedek wrote: post #111
bdibs wrote: post #50

I actually just got my Google Ads account suspended because I forgot to update my billing address before adding a new card. The suspension was for "suspicious billing activity", tried appealing twice with the correct billing address, and was told the suspension is final (some automated email) both times. They won't take my calls because the account is suspended, which leaves me not being able to advertise on the #1 s…

We really need tech monopolies like Google to be regulated, in order to stop abuses like this.

Regulation isn't a silver bullet. Maybe a little bit for certain things. But, You'll never be able to develop enough rules to make sure everyone is treated fairly.

the best way out of this is to educate users and start getting them to use other search products. we need more diversity of choice.

Re: Google terminated our business via our Google Play Developer Account

#525

Post by megaman8 »

we as users, need to start finding alternatives to Google and Youtube. Not to stop using google/youtube but to diversify. Sure, today, the vast majority of users of Google and Youtube might be treated fairly. But this sort of thing can happen to anyone. No one company should have so much power, the potential for abuse is too large.

Re: Google terminated our business via our Google Play Developer Account

#526

Post by pas »

andrewstuart wrote: post #433
pas wrote: post #333

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would it remain impartial/objective/effective? How is it different from a real call center support that you have to pay to access?

The whole point of an ombudsman is they operate outside the system and have a higher level of authority, vested in them by management. They have authority, more or less, to "get shit done".

How? If the ombudsman is hired and paid by management?

It's just a VP of Support.

Now, if there were a few people chosen from among the users, and they could talk to management. That'd be something. (See EVE online's SMC - a council of players.)

Re: Google terminated our business via our Google Play Developer Account

#527

Post by morpheuskafka »

yjftsjthsd-h wrote: post #185
morpheuskafka wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google Play is not a monopoly! It takes one checkbox in Settings to open the floodgates to any app (or app store) you want, and device manufacturers (such as Amazon) can ship their own app stores pre-enabled if they want.

What percentage of android devices, in the world, have that box ticked?

If you open an APK it prompts you to go right to Settings and enable it. Actually easier than installing Firefox on a brand new Windows Surface, which requires an MS account to enable unknown app sources.

Re: Google terminated our business via our Google Play Developer Account

#529

Post by SZJX »

puranjay wrote: post #413
ajross wrote: post #332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Nowhere in the post does it suggest that the author has contacted them to find out why their account is banned Which, to be fair, is by design. The article admits straight up that it's an attempt to get publicity and embarrass Google into reinstating the account. Giving a complete and forthright accounting cuts against that goal, they want to seem as sympathetic and innocent as possible. And, to be fair, the iPhone…

I get where you're going, but Google has been guilty of similar egregious behavior in the past countless times. The testimony of so many people in this thread alone swings the case in OP's direction, not by virtue of evidence but by virtue of reputation

Yeah this makes sense. This one particular example seems fishy but when so many people have voiced their support it's clear something is really broken with Google's procedures. This kind of thing is always hard to deal with though it seems Google does have it worse than many other similar behemoths.

Re: Google terminated our business via our Google Play Developer Account

#530

Post by on_and_off »

HillaryBriss wrote: post #509
on_and_off wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems reasonable to me as well. So far 99% of the people I have seen complaining about their account being suspended were unwilling to read the ToS, even less to try to comply with them. I am pretty sure that the review process does mistakes as well, but as always bad actors spoil everything for everybody. FWIW, I had 2 apps removed from the play store earlier this month. They were all based on the same codebase (…

> ... when I coded the feature using that permission, it was legal to use it. was it related to SMS?

Indeed !

In retrospect it was a mistake even when it was in the ToS. It needs way too much precautions : warn the user and explain what we do, have them accept the permission, handle the case where some phones need 'phone state' (because no way we ask that one, too frightening and powerful).

If you are not a SMS app, just open the default one (if there is one) with a pre-filled message.

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