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Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

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Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#421

Post by ummonk »

iamleppert wrote: post #400

In an ironic twist, our app that Google supported via Summer of Code was removed. Whoever came up with this policy and started enforcing it at Google is completely tone-deaf, needs to be fired and publicly called out so we can set an example as a community that this sort of behavior will not be tolerated. We have contacted engineering leadership at Google and they are in the process of figuring out who it is internal…

As crazy as this policy is, firing and publicly shaming an employee is not the right response to a poor decision by an employee.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#422

Post by gsich »

Steltek wrote: post #169
djsumdog wrote: post #138

The Apple/Play stores are essentially a totally broken implementation of something that had existed for over a decade before: package repositories. It's embraced and extended Linux/BSD package/ports trees, except without things like the ability to add a 3rd party repository with other authors signing keys, pin certain versions, etc. https://battlepenguin.com/tech/android-fragmentation/#packag... We could go on about…

Don't conflate Apple's monopoly with Google's store. Anyone can go install F-Droid or Amazon or whatever on their Android phone. The only thing stopping people is satisfaction with the status quo and/or ignorance. However, Apple totally rules their walled garden, with some added gross exploitation to boot (recent "Sherlocking" story for Luna Display).

I can. But it's more a workaround. I have to allow all non-google-appstore apps to do this. Why not just allow this specific store? Similar to how repositories work.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#423

Post by Trellmor »

hanniabu wrote: post #374
dang wrote: post #290

We merged a similar thread, "AndOTP Removed from the Google Play Store Due to Donation Link", into this one. Perhaps we'll update the title to cover both. https://github.com/andOTP/andOTP/issues/396 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21269542

Hmm, any idea how Google automatically catches a donation link? I feel like there's so many ways to do it that they must only be catching a handful.

My app also got taken down some months ago. I had a menu entry called Donation that linked to a web page containing a PayPal donation button. I'm guessing they are just looking for the string Donation in your app.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#424

Post by scarface74 »

diffeomorphism wrote: post #320
scarface74 wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So what is stopping all apps from being “free with a donation”?

The same thing that stops random stores from being "free with a donation"? Laws, tax fraud, etc. .

It’s not “tax fraud” to ask for donations even if you’re not a non profit. A for profit developer can ask for a “donation” to get feature X.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#425

Post by LoSboccacc »

anchpop wrote: post #328
helpPeople wrote: post #298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Completely agree. I do not want to restrict any users. Annoying how hard it is to be independent of FAANG control.

Would it be acceptable to Google if the only perk of buying an IAP was a little icon on the screen saying "contributor" or something? Do they ban all donation verbiage or just IAPs that do nothing?

it's not the verbiage it's the 30% cut that google is missing when using a donation link

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#426

Post by iicc »

krn wrote: post #340
dessant wrote: post #235

Google Play In-app Billing does not support donations [1], so open source developers should be allowed to link to their own donation pages. Google Play policies do not spell out that linking to donation platforms such as Patreon is forbidden. Disallowing developers from using in-app billing for donations, while also barring them from linking to external donation platforms, puts open source projects in a difficult pos…

> Disallowing developers from using in-app billing for donations, while also barring them from linking to external donation platforms, puts open source projects in a difficult position, and appears to be overly hostile towards funding open source development. Google Play has been very clear about this[1]: > Fund solicitations > Examples: Donation solicitations from parties without a valid 501(c)(3) tax exempt status…

>Any individual or business processing transactions with Google payments must adhere to these policies.

Are the developers using google payments for other things/apps? Because in the context of these specific apps they are not using Google payments, so the policy wouldn't appear to be applicable.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#427

Post by zAy0LfpBZLC8mAC »

lm28469 wrote: post #338
zAy0LfpBZLC8mAC wrote: post #315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So? I don't understand your point. Authoritarian solutions are good as long as they are not "the Final solution" because ... ? And what does having to follow the law have to do with any of this? Even "the Final solution" was law, and in a developed country at that, so ... yeah, could you explain what your point is there?

If any rule/law = "authoritarian regime" to you I think we can't stop the discussion now and save us both some time. > And what does having to follow the law have to do with any of this Google is free to handle its playstore as it please as long as it follow the law, I doubt google will pull a genocide anytime soon. Setting boundaries/rules doesn't make you an authoritarian regime. If you want to pull the "this remin…

> If any rule/law = "authoritarian regime" to you I think we can't stop the discussion now and save us both some time.

Can you quote where I said anything about a "regime"?

> Google is free to handle its playstore as it please as long as it follow the law,

Which is true, but completely besides the point? I am free to call you a clueless asshole. But if the discussion is about how to have a constructive dialog, me pointing out that I am free to call you a clueless asshole contributes exactly nothing to the conversation and at best shows that I have no clue what the discussion is about.

> I doubt google will pull a genocide anytime soon.

Your point being? Authoritarianism is good when it's not a genocide, because ... ?

> Setting boundaries/rules doesn't make you an authoritarian regime.

Again: Where did you pull that "regime" from? And also, no, "setting boundaries/rules" does not make for authoritarianism, that is correct. Why did you assume that I wasn't aware of that?

> If you want to pull the "this reminds me of the darkest hours of our history" card you better find something more important than an app removal from a mobile phone app store if you want to be taken seriously.

Why? And no, simply pointing out that one thing is worse than the other is not a relevant argument, that's simply straw manning, because noone claimed that one was as bad as the other.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#428

Post by megous »

kgersen75 wrote: post #411
dTal wrote: post #388

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No thanks. If I'm donating to a good cause, I don't want the App Mafia taking a 30% cut. That just reinforces this bad behavior.

so the App Mafia is supposed to host your app for free? provide the bandwidth to download it for free ? give visibility to your app thru search in the store for free ? at some point someone gonna pay for the datacenters, the wires and all these stuff needed for software distribution. Try running your own site on your own servers and paying for the data traffic and then do the math. 30% is ok

Ok, let's do the math:

Say app has 10MiB, 100,000 downloads is ~1TiB, 1 have a 1GiB/20GiB VPS with that monthly bandwidth which I pay $1/month.

So distributing 100,000 copies costs $1.

I'll give Google $1 for distribution of 100000 copies of my app. Fair?

Yeah, I'll give Google a bit more for payment processing, perhaps. But actual distribution costs nothing really, for most apps.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#429

Post by esotericn »

xyzzy_plugh wrote: post #385
dessant wrote: post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's understandable that they want to process payments only for registered organizations, but that still does not explain why are open source apps being taken down for linking to an external page that lists ways to support projects.

Probably because Google or it's financial partners have compliance programs that require all money flows they enable go through the required regulatory channels. If an affiliated party is breaking regulations, you can often get in trouble by continuing to be associated with them once you're aware, and ignorance isn't a valid defense.

Oh do come off it. This is bureaucratic bullshit at its' finest.

We're talking about a hyperlink in the app. Linking to wireguard.com would be fine.

How about if wireguard.com had a big donate button?

How about if wireguard.com has 'Donate' in bold?

I know you're not the person actually signing off on this - but to the one that is - fuck you. In bold.

No-one is getting sued because of one step being removed in a hyperlink chain to a donate button. If they are it's getting thrown out instantaneously.

Characterising a link to a donate button as being in _any way_ related to aiding money laundering is ridiculous.

Cease this insanity.

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