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Google bans Podcast Addict app over non-approved Covid-19 content

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Re: Google bans Podcast Addict app over non-approved Covid-19 content

#81

Post by Tepix »

weiming wrote: post #69
kleiba wrote: post #65

I've never lived in China but this immediately sounds like my (naive) idea of what it must be like: you're only allowed to consume what the government has approved. I think this is setting a dangerous precedence.

Except in this case it's not the government, but private corporations taking some kind of political stance. Google in particular has been very "active," not to forget also: https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-will-ban-anything-ag... ("video that 'goes against' WHO guidance on the pandemic will be blocked")

There is a lot of pressure on the large tech companies to stop spreading misinformation. This is one of their measures.

Re: Google bans Podcast Addict app over non-approved Covid-19 content

#82

Post by nisa »

Crosseye_Jack wrote: post #24
ipsum2 wrote: post #3

My favorite (and only) podcasting app. I hope someone who works at Google reads this and flag it internally. This quote really sums up how ridiculous Google is being: > What Google is asking of Podcast Addict would be comparable to Google asking a web browser app to remove references to all the websites and social media posts that reference the coronavirus unless the reference comes from an official government entity…

> asking a web browser app to remove references to all the websites and social media posts Except usually a web browser doesn't include a index of sites, You go to a another site (Google/Bing) for that. If a browser does include "recommended sites" the landing pages of those sites best keep to Google's and Apples rules. For an extreme example, If Firefox was promoting PornHub on the new tab page we could understand w…

YouTube constantly recommends me COVID-19 conspiracy videos since I dared to watch one that was popular here in Germany. Basically on every video I watch I have now german conspiracy videos as recommendations. I did neither like the video or did I subscribe the channel.

It's beyond fucked up what Google is doing.

Re: Google bans Podcast Addict app over non-approved Covid-19 content

#85

Post by Aissen »

Steko wrote: post #25
dannyw wrote: post #6

> In order to get the app restored, Google is asking Guillemane to remove references to COVID-19 and keywords related to COVID-19 from the app. So is this a metadata issue, or a content issue?

Why does a general use podcast app have covid in its search keywords? Scumbag marketing tactic; kudos to google if that’s all this is over.

It auto-recommends (very) popular podcasts. Guess what: many of them have Covid-related episodes.

Re: Google bans Podcast Addict app over non-approved Covid-19 content

#87

Post by huffmsa »

Timing is suspicious, Google is finally beginning the final phase of Play Music shutdown, which means Google Podcasts will be the new way to access podcasts.

Because it makes a ton of sense to move music to YouTube music, but the podcasts to something entirely different.

They're blindly stumbling around making sure the public will think they're pretty deserving of any and all antitrust hammers than swing their way in the near future.

Re: Google bans Podcast Addict app over non-approved Covid-19 content

#88

Post by ryan-allen »

kleiba wrote: post #65

I've never lived in China but this immediately sounds like my (naive) idea of what it must be like: you're only allowed to consume what the government has approved. I think this is setting a dangerous precedence.

Except this time it's a company. I've always wondered why people in the 70s were worried about 'technocracy' and I dismissed it as a bit of a conspiracy thing. I'm not so sure now.

Re: Google bans Podcast Addict app over non-approved Covid-19 content

#89

Post by true_religion »

solarkraft wrote: post #67
switch007 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. It’s badly affected air travel and who knows what changes will result (or what contracts for pointless bio-security theatre have been made) In the UK, a 300+ page law was basically pre-written and enacted very quickly, reminiscent of the early anti terrorism law. We have set up a bio security unit, currently headed by the security services. UK has a “threat level” system for coronavirus similar to the terror…

Do you think it's unjustified? Other countries have acted much more quickly and saved lots of lives.

Personally, I don’t. Terrorism has killed fewer people in the UK than Covid19, despite having. 50+ year head start.

Re: Google bans Podcast Addict app over non-approved Covid-19 content

#90

Post by nikofeyn »

mijoharas wrote: post #8

Wow, obviously an oversight. Pretty sure Google does not want search tools to be responsible for the content of the results they surface...

> Wow, obviously an oversight.

this is google's mantra these days. do they do anything well anymore?

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