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Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store
51–60 of 996 posts
Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store
#52Does anyone know the US case law on the 1st amendment being applied to corporate actors? I see the argument often that things like this are a free speech violation but the 1st amendment says “Congress shall pass no law...”. It doesn’t apply to actors other than the state. I’m not defending Google’s actions here but I also don’t think it’s technically a free speech violation at least as the amendment is written, so I’…
It's not a 1st amendment violation, but it's still anti-free-speech. There's more to free speech than just the one sentence.
Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store
#53> Holy crap, google is apparently taking down all/most fediverse apps from google play on the grounds that that some servers in the fediverse engage in hate speech.
Good thing you can't find any hate speech on Play Store–promoted corporate behemoths Twitter and Facebook!
Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store
#54Does anyone know the US case law on the 1st amendment being applied to corporate actors? I see the argument often that things like this are a free speech violation but the 1st amendment says “Congress shall pass no law...”. It doesn’t apply to actors other than the state. I’m not defending Google’s actions here but I also don’t think it’s technically a free speech violation at least as the amendment is written, so I’…
There's the first amendment and there's the concept of free speech. This absolutely violates free speech but does not violate the first amendment.
The only current framework to protect freedom of speech from private companies is to designate them as common carriers, e.g. phone companies legally cannot police what is said over their wires.
Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store
#55The rationale they gave is that hate speech appears on these apps, because some of the microblogging sites that can be accessed via Fediverse have this kind of content. Based on this rationale, I look forward to Google Play removing Chrome, Firefox, and all other web browsers from the store as well.
Well, we asked for this. We demanded Twitter and FB censor their content, we applauded Cloudflare* for deplatforming websites. Now those monopolies can use the precedent to control more of the web.
Well, we didn't. Did we say that apps that give ubiquitous access to generally positive content should be removed? No, not really. Did we say that apps that contain user content should consider a bit what behaviour they enable and promote? Yes, and they have done so for a long while, remember, there's illegal content other than what people would call "hate speech".
Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store
#56This is a hint that the next step maybe blocking certain websites in Chrome.
Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store
#57The rationale they gave is that hate speech appears on these apps, because some of the microblogging sites that can be accessed via Fediverse have this kind of content. Based on this rationale, I look forward to Google Play removing Chrome, Firefox, and all other web browsers from the store as well.
There is a specific exception to web browsers, so Mastodon app(s) could probably classify as one by prominently displaying the web url of a post above the post.
Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store
#58Without getting into the details of this - yeah I disagree with it - but, Android allows side loading. Isn’t that what everyone wanted from Apple? On a higher level, what’s the problem and what should be changed? Google has a policy that people don’t like, Android can side load, isn’t that exactly what people want?
Sorry to go off-topic, but the entire existence of the word 'side-loading' is some 1984-level language manipulation. As if installing applications without getting the permission of some abstract corporate owner is the weird thing. No, having to get permission is the weird way to install things.
You can call of whatever you wish. But how did loading from any untrusted source work out for the average consumer for the last 30 years? Viruses, malware, ransomware, etc?
Yes outside of the little HN/geek bubble, it’s way too easy for the average consumer to install malware on their computer.
HN users have been whining about not being able to side load on iOS devices for years. What they really seem to want is to force the app stores to carry anything.
Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store
#59The rationale they gave is that hate speech appears on these apps, because some of the microblogging sites that can be accessed via Fediverse have this kind of content. Based on this rationale, I look forward to Google Play removing Chrome, Firefox, and all other web browsers from the store as well.
The only way they can define and enforce "hate speech" policies is by torturing the language, the definitions, and hoping no one looks closely at the resulting policies.
In the US, beyond explicit calls for illegal behavior (usually illegal) and kiddie porn (always illegal), we don't have many restrictions or even a legal definition of "hate speech." But even those laws aren't consistently applied. For the most part, it's up to the judgement of the viewer or based on the "reasonable person" rule and "reasonable people" seem to be getting rarer and rarer..
Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store
#60They should ban Gmail too, what if some asshole sends me a death threat via email?
Wait, Gmail is made „by us” and not „by pesky them”. Gmail is sure ok.