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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

#51

Post by qwertox »

itake wrote: post #26
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…

Can you please elaborate why you would think this is a mistake and Google should side step the app store rules applied to all businesses? This income is clearly taxable. The play store offers a 50% discount for small apps. Is it because the payment is optional (and doesn't unlock new features) that make you think this should be except from Google's rules (and potentially taxes?)?

What does Google have to do with taxes related to Patreon?

This clearly isn't Ubisoft.

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

#52

Post by suprfsat »

rbx wrote: post #9

Would Google also be able to negatively influence such an app if the app was a PWA? Publishing PWA on Play Store might still lead to the same outcome, but what if it is just an independent PWA and is "installed" through the phone's browser? Of course you would loose some discoverability though, but are there other disadvantages? (provided the app is even feasible as a PWA)

They could make Chrome experience deliberately bad, if you believe they're not doing that currently.

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

#53

Post by oauea »

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…

You do realize that Google is not the government? What do taxes have to do with anything?

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

#55

Post by hdjjhhvvhga »

croes wrote: post #48
hdjjhhvvhga wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sorry for being nitpicky but have you even skimmed the article? It has nothing to do with AI: a human visited their website and decided asking for donations there violates the Play Store ToS. I mean your comment is perfectly fine, it simply has nothing to do with the article.

Could still have been an AI that automatically visits all sites and subsites in an App and scans for certain keyword and makes screenshots

I bet most of the people reading these comments could actually write such a script in under 30 minutes, it has nothing to do with AI.

Edit: To be fair I can't imagine a situation where it would ever make sense. The link-depth in this case was 2. This is just bad behavior on the part of Google.

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

#56

Post by young_unixer »

sgtfrankieboy wrote: post #5

I really hope Epic wins the lawsuit against Apple and that the laws being announced in the US Senate/House get passed. I also hope the EU start pushing against this kind of stuff more. Apple and Google have too much control.

I can also see how legislation would worsen the situation by eliminating incentives for people to use alternative mobile stores and operating systems.

"Why use another store, when Google and Apple are required by law to have all apps?"

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

#57

Post by jfrunyon »

itake wrote: post #26
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…

Can you please elaborate why you would think this is a mistake and Google should side step the app store rules applied to all businesses? This income is clearly taxable. The play store offers a 50% discount for small apps. Is it because the payment is optional (and doesn't unlock new features) that make you think this should be except from Google's rules (and potentially taxes?)?

"Purchases that require Google Play's billing system: Digital items, Subscription services, App functionality or content, Cloud software and services"

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ...

"Developers charging for apps and downloads from Google Play must use Google Play's billing system as the method of payment. Play-distributed apps must use Google Play's billing system as the method of payment if they require or accept payment for access to features or services, including any app functionality, digital content or goods."

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ...

Can you explain which of those categories this payment ("The app doesn't provide any special features to people who donate; it's just a way to help support the project.") falls under?

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

#58

Post by sgtfrankieboy »

young_unixer wrote: post #56
sgtfrankieboy wrote: post #5

I really hope Epic wins the lawsuit against Apple and that the laws being announced in the US Senate/House get passed. I also hope the EU start pushing against this kind of stuff more. Apple and Google have too much control.

I can also see how legislation would worsen the situation by eliminating incentives for people to use alternative mobile stores and operating systems. "Why use another store, when Google and Apple are required by law to have all apps?"

The laws are about being able to provide alternative payment methods and stores.

They aren't going to force Google and Apple to have all apps?

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

#59

Post by danShumway »

itake wrote: post #26
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…

Can you please elaborate why you would think this is a mistake and Google should side step the app store rules applied to all businesses? This income is clearly taxable. The play store offers a 50% discount for small apps. Is it because the payment is optional (and doesn't unlock new features) that make you think this should be except from Google's rules (and potentially taxes?)?

I don't think anyone is saying this has anything to do with the payment being optional or the app being Open Source. Google's interpretation of its rules (assuming that this isn't just a mistake) is that an app can't link in-app to any source or page if there's a way to get from that page to a payment processor.

Imagine if you went into Walmart, bought an Android phone, and then when you turned the phone on Google wasn't allowed to show you any links in the Android OS to their support pages because technically you can navigate from the support pages to the online Google store and then buy another phone from them directly without giving Walmart a cut.

I don't think Google would call that a reasonable restriction, I think Google would call that anticompetitive.

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

#60

Post by EvanDotPro »

0x426577617265 wrote: post #45
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…

These aren't payments. The user isn't purchasing anything.

Only one of these two statements is true.
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