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FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

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Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#31

Post by legrande »

App ecosystems can't work properly if they're weakened by LEAs. People would just not use them if they know they're being watched. I'm not saying the majority would switch to Linux phones either (like Librem 5 & Pinephone), simply that the two dominating app-stores (Play & Apple Store) would be phased out and people would probably fund independent FLOSS app stores to replace them.

In the end, the people will speak out and respond to back-doors. In-fact we need FLOSS app stores right now (Similar to F-Droid[0], but baked in as the default store), and they need to be funded properly & they need sound economic incentives to continue. No more 'free' apps where you pay for them with your data. It's possible to have FLOSS apps that are not gratis where people pay for them with money, not their data.

(The reason I suggest we switch to FLOSS app stores is that the apps can easily be checked for back-doors or malicious code since the code is open source. It makes the apps readily available for audits too)

[0] https://f-droid.org/

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#32

Post by sintaxi »

maxwell wrote: post #12
Andrew_nenakhov wrote: post #3

This is outrageous. Google definitely lived long enough to become a villain. It is incredible how much goodwill they've lost in the past decade. When was the last time they did anything good ?

I was glad they walked back on Dragonfly and (effectively) killed AMP. In the process they did lose me as a user of their free products though. And they lost me as a developer, I no longer opt for building with their tools, including Chrome, Android, Angular, GCloud, etc.

AMP failed.

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#34

Post by zozbot234 »

From looking at the report, I'm not sure I understand this decision. The referenced policy is about in-store or in-app purchases, primarily of digital content, and a free donation is not "purchasing" anything.

(Even taking this precedent at face value, it could impact any app that prominently features links to websites where donations are asked for, which seems quite unreasonable.)

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#35

Post by jonas21 »

Andrew_nenakhov wrote: post #3

This is outrageous. Google definitely lived long enough to become a villain. It is incredible how much goodwill they've lost in the past decade. When was the last time they did anything good ?

> When was the last time they did anything good?

Oh I dunno... how about that time they solved protein folding?

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03348-4

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#36

Post by [deleted] »

maxwell wrote: post #23
pengaru wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and (effectively) killed AMP err, what? I still regularly get AMP links from news.google.com

I was referring to https://plausible.io/blog/google-amp Discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27192685

[deleted]

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#37

Post by josephcsible »

squarefoot wrote: post #18

Tell Google how you feel about that by searching "google app store alternatives", then installing Aurora Store. https://auroraoss.com/ https://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS From the Aurora Store FAQ: What is the difference between Aurora Store and Google's Play store? Unlike Google's Play Store, Aurora Store doesn't track your downloads or the apps you use. We respect your privacy. Aurora Store is also unaffected by Google ma…

How does this help? The Aurora Store is just an alternative Play Store client. If Google removes an app from the Play Store, it'll be gone from this too.

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#38

Post by rvz »

aboringusername wrote: post #7

This is absolutely outrageous and disgusting from Google. I cannot believe how at the rate the world is changing (pace wise, with each new technological breakthrough) the law simply cannot keep pace. We've allowed AI systems unfettered, unrestricted access to our lives. AI is being deployed with absolutely no oversight (Apple's CSAM comes to mind), I'm not even sure there are any laws at all. How can apple just deplo…

> This is absolutely outrageous and disgusting from Google

This is Google. At this point this is expected behaviour from one of the Big Tech Tyrants, Over [0] and over [1] and over [2] again [3] multiple [4] times [5]. Unless we seriously break it up, they will never change and the suspensions will continue.

Like Facebook, when you are banned by their AI moderation tools, there is little redemption and it's unlikely they will give the account back; since you don't even own it.

Once again, these tyrants are NOT your friends.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26488655

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25693679

[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22334537

[3] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24984408

[4] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24304275

[5] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25964226

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#39

Post by Siira »

whocares2345 wrote: post #25

Is there any particular reason the author paying rent via donations is different from any of us paying rent from our work? You decided to use Googles distribution platform and infrastructure while not sharing the revenue - fully knowing it is illegal in the Play Store to accept payments outside of the platform. Basically you attempted to steal the efforts Google invested in creating and promoting Android, it’s develo…

Donations are voluntary, in-app purchases unlock features (traditionally).

Besides, Google has to maintain the App Store to keep their OS afloat.

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#40

Post by CogitoCogito »

itake wrote: post #21

The developer is asking people to optionally pay for his app. From a tax perspective, the dev would owe taxes on this income, since he is not a not-for-profit legal entity. Since these payments are considered taxable income, I am not sure why they would think they could avoid Google's rules just because they are a "small one-man shop". The simple solution here is to add in-app purchases like every other "small one-ma…

I'd never heard of them, but judging by their website it looks like they produce apps for iOS, for Android and also have a webapp. Should they be required to remove an optional donation link from their website even though it might not have anything to do with Android at all? How does this involve Google exactly?
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