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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

#941

Post by Dylan16807 »

avivo wrote: post #506
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.

This sort of decision by Google does make me rather uncomfortable (the entire situation is uncomfortable... https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/12/20691957/mastodon-decentr... ). But it's worth understanding why the situation may be a bit more complicated than is described above. What seems to be happening is not an absolute ban on Fediverse apps , but a ban on specific implementations that make it easy to join specific…

Define "easy to join".

Because if it's "user types in the server URL and tries to log in", blaming the app is ridiculous.

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

#942

Post by Dylan16807 »

Stubb wrote: post #801
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.

I prefer the term "hated speech" since it's in the eye of the beholder.

That's needlessly confusing. Half the posts on https://www.reddit.com/r/TIHI/ are "hated speech" while being miles away from anything that would get called hate speech.

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

#943

Post by cycomanic »

djsumdog wrote: post #806
baddox wrote: post #789

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That example is a crowd intimidating people with the intent to compel speech, of course, and they’re using the slogan “silence is violence.” But those are two different things. You could pick any slogan you want and have a mob recite it while intimidating people into agreeing. That’s not an indictment of the slogan.

That slogan specifically promotes this: https://twitter.com/KunkleFredrick/status/129834428507983872... and this https://twitter.com/rawsmedia/status/1298055028213678082 It's not just a slogan. That is the actual end result of such an ideology. Silence is not Violence. Silence is the opposite of violence. Silences is stopping, thinking, looking at all the evidence, carefully evaluating and coming up with a sound deci…

In Germany instead of the "silence is violence" slogan people often use the famous Niemöller quote/poem but I have always understand the slogan to express the same sentiment.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

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

#944

Post by [deleted] »

chromatin wrote: post #311
valvar wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really don't get that logic. Of course, everyone agrees that hate speech is bad (and so are a lot of things, but I digress). But how is it not censorship when one of the world's most powerful companies does it? Do they get a free pass because they are governed by shareholders and make a lot of money? I can see how it's not censorship if Bob does not want people to post things he disagrees with on his cat picture fo…

> Of course, everyone agrees that hate speech is bad That sounds like an unjustified premise. _Note to the casual downvoter not critically examining my argument: I am not saying that I personally do not think hate speech is bad._

[deleted]

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

#945

Post by passerby1 »

tachyonbeam wrote: post #502
noworriesnate wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get what you're saying, but I don't think this is because Google cares about hate speech. Google is simply using hate speech as an excuse to get rid of apps that it doesn't like. Deciding which apps you like and which you don't isn't that hard of a line to draw.

Google is politically very very left. I'm guessing that someone at Google may have browsed these apps, decided they didn't like what they saw, and pressured to have the apps banned. Obviously they can't do that to large players like Facebook, but small apps, they can easily crush, and nobody's going to do anything about it. Image if Google decided to just block certain websites on Chrome, or if big tech got domain re…

What prevents Google from stopping resolving some domains at 8.8.8.8?

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

#947

Post by dependenttypes »

ehsankia wrote: post #670
zelly wrote: post #522

Richard Stallman was right. The computer (smartphone) for millions of people has become a prison. The smartphone has been a tragedy for the human species. "Oh it doesn't matter they went after people I disagree with" Okay wise guy, what happens if the other side takes power? Think that's never happened historically? Then they'll come after you and I. How about we just not give this kind of power to anyone and let peo…

It has been shown time and time again that giving unrestricted uncensored access to billions will lead to the worst ideas proliferating. Look at QAnon and conspiracy theories running wild. Look anti-vaxxers and how America, one of the most advanced countries in the world, is now having Measles outbreaks after decades of having nearly 0 cases. Look at how simple things such as wearing a mask has become a controversial…

[dead]

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

#948

Post by vertis »

kube-system wrote: post #680
vertis wrote: post #602

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or another trick, just place it in another country and then you don't have to worry about the 1st amendment at all, and no I'm not talking about China. UK or Australia will do just fine.

This is not true at all, and neither is the comment you responded to. The constitution doesn't apply to a location or a medium, it applies to an actor: the US government (and state/local subdivisions). The US government has to follow it everywhere, and nobody else has to follow it anywhere .

My comment was a bit tongue-in-cheek, as I think the parent was as well.

Americans do tend to run around quoting their first amendment rights like the whole world has them. As you say, it's strictly a US government thing.

While Australia for the most part enjoys free speech, it is not enshrined in the (AU) constitution. The government will occasionally order censorship[1], usually around whistle-blowing, investigations and court cases.

There was a protest in the major Australian papers last year about the erosion of press freedoms[2].

[1]:https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/world/australia/australia... [2]: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50119559

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

#949

Post by efreak »

young_unixer wrote: post #738
grahoho wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A reminder that F-Droid banned Gab from their store. https://reclaimthenet.org/f-droid-bans-gab-app/

I didn't know about this. I'll stop recommending F-droid.

Anyone who wants to, including the gab maintainers, can create an Fdroid repository containing any apps they want it to, including gab, with or without the permission of the app maintainers. I run a few Fdroid repositories myself for apps that aren't on the play store or in the main Fdroid repository. The Fdroid server tool is open source. You can host your repository on GitHub or gitlab, and update it using their ci/actions/etc. It doesn't require much technical knowledge.

    pip3 install --user fdroidserver # or install with package manager.
    fdroid init # first run only. Now edit URLs and descriptions in config.py
    cd fdroid/repo
    wget gab-latest.apk
    cd ..
    fdroid update # on first run, add --create-metadata and then edit the files in the metadata folder and run update again.
    git add repo archive
    git commit -m update

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

#950

Post by viking1066 »

coldacid wrote: post #861
djsumdog wrote: post #690

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Free Speech Extremist. Shitposters Club. No Agenda Social. Lets all love Lain. There are ton of instances which much of the Fediverse blocks, but if you set up your own server and follow people on those instances, it's not 80% hate speech and racism as others would have you believe. Yes there is some of that, but there's also weebs, and anime and political discussion and weird gaming discussion and videos not posted…

TYFYC.

Tyfyc2!
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