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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

#221

Post by ripdog »

katktv wrote: post #130

I just noticed that this is the same shit right wing organization that conveniently protects alt-right stuff when it gets banned from somewhere. Can we please not promote this kind of stuff here? Edit: to back myself up. Here is this website standing behind authoritarian right-wing government doing antisemitic dogwhistles: https://reclaimthenet.org/hungarian-government-facebook-over... Here it is protecting conspirac…

Really disturbing that I had to scroll right to the bottom of the page to find someone questioning the source of this.

While obviously Podcast Addict does not deserve a ban, the sheer number of people in this thread advocating unrestricted speech around COVID-19 is thoroughly disturbing. This despite the carnage that the disease is wreaking in the US and UK right now, and the fact that conspiracy theories spread on Google and Facebook platforms have certainly added significant fuel to the fire of COVID-19.

Even down here in NZ we're dealing with cell towers being set alight due to batshit conspiracy theories spread on Facebook and Youtube. I'm generally very much pro-free speech, but this is one thing that needs to be stamped down on fast, mainly due to more and more americans gathering in large protests and spreading the virus.

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

#222

Post by Dylan16807 »

laumars wrote: post #177
solarkraft wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Insane stuff Google is actually applying the same standard in this case (or at least attempting to). They're also fighting conspiracy theories on YouTube.

It's a great pity all the factual comments about YouTube's COVID-19 video removal policy (or "censorship" depending on your viewpoint) are being down voted while all the anti-Google rhetoric is floating above it. I get it's cool to hate Google these days and I'm not saying I agree with the removal of the podcast app, however the removal of that app is consistent with how Google have been maintaining some of their oth…

It's a great pity that you treat legitimate disagreement as mindless anger.

"They are removing content on youtube." is a true factual statement.

"They are applying the same standard." is not.

The motivation may be the same, but the types of removal are very different. As long as their own podcasting app is up in its current form, there is a very good argument that they're not being consistent.

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

#225

Post by pcdoodle »

smt88 wrote: post #48
bbarn wrote: post #13

COVID-19 is the terrorism of this generation. It's the anything goes, doesn't matter how fair, as long as it's because COVID.

Terrorism became a US obsession because a little over 3,000 died on our soil. Covid-19 will kill 100,000 or more. The fear is justified and the extreme prejudice against Covid-19 misinformation (most of which has an agenda behind it) is warranted. This particular case may go too far, but that has no bearing on whether the other efforts against misinformation are too extreme.

This just shows how bad our reaction was. We spent years looking for WMDs and came up empty handed. We should have done nothing, just like this situation. People are getting sick of this s*.

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

#226

Post by shadowgovt »

john_minsk wrote: post #213
heinrichhartman wrote: post #211

This is the result of out-sourcing juristic work to private companies: If we treat Android, Window, Twitter, Facebook, as public spaces/goods, then private companies should not have a say in what is allowed/not-allowed on their platforms. This is work for the courts and police to decide and enforce. If we treat those platforms as private. Then we are playing in s/o's backyard. You are totally at their mercy. They hav…

If they want to be private someone will take them to court for advertising drugs or something like that. They should have stayed neutral.

If they do nothing, someone will take them to court for promoting false information about COVID-19 that gets someone killed.

There is no win-win scenario on policy enforcement when a company gets big enough.

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

#227

Post by jimmydorry »

john_minsk wrote: post #213
heinrichhartman wrote: post #211

This is the result of out-sourcing juristic work to private companies: If we treat Android, Window, Twitter, Facebook, as public spaces/goods, then private companies should not have a say in what is allowed/not-allowed on their platforms. This is work for the courts and police to decide and enforce. If we treat those platforms as private. Then we are playing in s/o's backyard. You are totally at their mercy. They hav…

If they want to be private someone will take them to court for advertising drugs or something like that. They should have stayed neutral.

Nothing will come of this though, and the masses will continue to bleat about them being private entities that are allowed to do this.

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

#228

Post by mantap »

perf1 wrote: post #154
nisa wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

My feeling is they pushing the extra crazy ones though. Watching a clearly not well Person argue crazy theories isn't very convincing to healthy people anyway. On the other Hand people like Dr. Erickson get censored, because they simply dare to question the lock down and argue that there is no evidence supporting it's effectiveness in saving lives.

It might have been correct to say there's no evidence in March (which is not a reason to not do something, we would still be in the Stone Age if every action we took required evidence.). There's plenty of evidence now as we have data for both going into and coming out of lockdown.

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

#229

Post by beshrkayali »

This is exactly why we should stop those megalomaniacs at Google (or other) from taking over Podcasting... We don't want to repeat the same RSS mistake again.

If you respect and enjoy podcasts, don't use google apps.

Edit: my recommendation is AntennaPod. I used to use and love PocketCast until NPR effed it.

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

#230

Post by sp332 »

laumars wrote: post #212
sp332 wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But they're not asking the podcast hosts to remove the content. They're penalizing a podcast player app, which has no ability to remove bad content.

Again, I didn’t say I agree with the apps removal, just that Google we’re at least being internally consistent. With regards to the app removal, do we know it is a Google management decision and not the work of an overzealous app reviewer or an algorithm (the latter being the way Google usually operate)? The reason I talk about internal consistency is because it is hard getting the right balance between removing stuf…

I disagree that they are being consistent. An almost-equivalent move would be suspending the entire YouTube app, and making a new entry in the Play Store after they have removed all offending content. But at least YouTube has some ability to remove content, so that would actually make more sense than suspending Podcast Addict which plays third-party-hosted media.
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