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Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

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Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#451

Post by gre »

KirinDave wrote: post #358
oehpr wrote: post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not deeply versed in Gab's history... But lets hypothetically say that Gab was not created for that purpose, but for precisely the purpose it claims it was created for: To be an open platform for free speech, no censorship. Wouldn't it have ended up in the exact same state it is now? Any service that guarantees no censorship is going to have the majority of its userbase be the runoff from other major websites. Wh…

Gab bans people openly and credulously discussing marxism. I have experimented with and experienced this directly. So, it fails my litmus test for "an uncensored platform." And it's a bit comical, because Gab as a community experience is much smaller (in my perspective) from even weird sites like minds or funky social blockchain plays. Why they felt the need to ban discusions of marxism or a general strike is beyond…

You can discuss marxism and general strikes on the lemmy instance https://chapo.chat

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#452

Post by sixothree »

rootsudo wrote: post #215
brightball wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The is what I believe is the goal of placing restrictions on people based on “mental health”. It’s so open ended and not easily verifiable that it becomes a sliding scale.

Would lacking spirituality or belief in a higher existence make you mentally healthy or unhealthy? I agree, the sliding scale only strengthens whomever is in power. In Florida, the baker act is used like this.

The persecution faced by doubters and non-believers is always surprising to me. I guess nothing should surprise me in the deep south though.

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#453

Post by api »

humanistbot wrote: post #47

The 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.

Guess they should ban Chrome, since hate speech appears on the web. All these Fediverse things can be accessed via web apps and progressive web apps (PWAs) too.

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#454

Post by Retric »

ascorbic wrote: post #303
Retric wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Censorship is allowed under the first amendment on obscenity or national security grounds. Private organizations just have more freedom in this area. EX: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCC_v._Pacifica_Foundation

They don't "have more freedom in this area": they're not bound by it at all. They can ban whatever they want from their own platforms.

That’s not always true. Ex: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-time_rule

While it’s been revoked the FCC fairness doctrine was considered constitutional: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Lion_Broadcasting_Co._v._F...

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#455

Post by [deleted] »

ng12 wrote: post #43
humanistbot wrote: post #21

The 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.

[deleted]

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#456

Post by bjl »

KirinDave wrote: post #358
oehpr wrote: post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not deeply versed in Gab's history... But lets hypothetically say that Gab was not created for that purpose, but for precisely the purpose it claims it was created for: To be an open platform for free speech, no censorship. Wouldn't it have ended up in the exact same state it is now? Any service that guarantees no censorship is going to have the majority of its userbase be the runoff from other major websites. Wh…

Gab bans people openly and credulously discussing marxism. I have experimented with and experienced this directly. So, it fails my litmus test for "an uncensored platform." And it's a bit comical, because Gab as a community experience is much smaller (in my perspective) from even weird sites like minds or funky social blockchain plays. Why they felt the need to ban discusions of marxism or a general strike is beyond…

> Why they felt the need to ban discusions of marxism or a general strike is beyond me.

Because it was built to be a fascist recruitment channel, and the talk of 'free speech' is just a smoke screen that they don't care about at all.

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#457

Post by nybble41 »

masukomi wrote: post #366
croes wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a clever trick. Make the medium you want to censor a private property than it's legal.

not really. it's just saying "this is mine, it's not public property or a public service, and thus i get to manage it how i want." I think MOST people would agree that that's a reasonable approach. just because a lot of people rely on the google play store doesn't mean it's a public service in the legal sense. It's a very private piece of software that is NOT open source and is very obviously owned and managed by a s…

> just like you get to choose who you let in your house. they get to choose how their software is used.

The first instance is property rights. The second is copyright, a privilege granted by the government at the expense of others' property rights. When a private party leverages copyright to conduct censorship it's ultimately the government that is responsible for violating the victim's freedom of speech. Google certainly has the right to grant or deny access to their services as they please, but that is not the same as having a natural right to decide how the software they develop is used after it has already been released to the public.

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#458

Post by gargron »

fluidcruft wrote: post #78
humanistbot wrote: post #21

The 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.

Similar things happened to some android reddit clients a few years ago and it was resolved by removing certain subreddits from menu of pre-filled subreddits. So maybe these apps just need to remove any problematic pre-filled servers.

Subway Tooter does not come with any pre-filled servers, let alone problematic ones.

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#459

Post by api »

mc32 wrote: post #95

It always starts like that. People agree to very sensible things. Like hate speech is bad and it’s not censorship if it’s not mandated by the government. Eventually the definition of hate or whatever it is that’s offensive is very removed from the original meaning, and now we all bear the brunt of the sensible people who with best intentions wanted to make things better.

Censorship always starts with unpopular speech. Historically it's been raunchy porn, religious blasphemy, and direct opposition to the state. Hate speech seems to be a new one that works well to sell censorship to liberals (who should know better).

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#460

Post by notyourday »

mc32 wrote: post #95

It always starts like that. People agree to very sensible things. Like hate speech is bad and it’s not censorship if it’s not mandated by the government. Eventually the definition of hate or whatever it is that’s offensive is very removed from the original meaning, and now we all bear the brunt of the sensible people who with best intentions wanted to make things better.

> People agree to very sensible things. Like hate speech is bad and it’s not censorship if it’s not mandated by the government.

I'm paraphrasing what was here a few days ago:

Our banking partner is uncomfortable that the realistic sex toys modeled after magical creatures have the colors that strongly represent human organs. You will either have to change the colors or we will not be able to continue providing you with our services.

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