TL;DR: Apple and Google banned a Russian voting app due to local laws. Telegram has to follow rules set by Apple and Google in order to remain available to users on iOS and Android.
Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app
111–120 of 179 posts
Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app
#112At least we can sleep peacefully knowing that Tim Cook will make another million by improving the lives of oppressive governments thwarting change by knee-capping the only modern tool of communication.
Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app
#113Apple pushing requirements on apps is also (supposedly) why a lot of apps (such as Instagram, which had explicitly come out to blame Apple for this) banned content of women breastfeeding, as Apple (due to Steve Jobs: there is some interesting stuff you can find on this) is so puritan. You can also find tons of other examples of Apple's influence making decisions about what large numbers of people can experience, ofte…
This is it. If you build the machine of tyranny it will inevitably be used to impose tyranny. Building open systems that center software freedom is a moral imperative.
Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app
#114> First, without support from Apple and Google, any fight with a local regulator is lost before it starts.
More evidence of the problem plaguing our current era. These two companies simple should not be authorities above all local regulators.
Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
Remove it and replace it with what exactly?! Telegram remains the only mainstream free speech platform on the web today, with the least amount of censorship and the most resiliency against being taken down.
there is matrix, the best option, both secure and reasonably well made(element and alternative clients), but it miles behind telegram in terms of UI/UX even though it's on par with whatsapp/signal/etc
The grandparent said mainstream and Matrix is far away from that. You _might_ count Signal, but its market share is still way behind and in an area with so many network effects, this is everything.
Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yesterday I could only make two posts on HN before HN temporarily banned me with the message "Please slow down. You are posting too fast." This kind of ban is only for a few hours. I don't know if this ban is automatically triggered or mod initiated but believe the trigger for it is when some comments of mine receive high upvotes and downvotes (perhaps "flagging" the comment as "controversial / inflammatory"). And I…
Hacker News caps scores at -4.
What I noticed was that an attempt is made to keep the comment from gaining points and to keep it at 1 or 0 (this is what I meant when I said I saw a comment gaining points, and losing it just as fast). This is perhaps to ensure that vote brigading is not obvious.
Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app
#117What I don't get is why not make the blocked channel available for sideloaded APKs only? Telegram could then show an explanation on how to sideload the app and still comply with Google rules.
Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app
#118shame.
Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app
#119This is at least partially bullshit. I have a sideloaded version of Telegram for Android, which is capable of auto-update itself and promoted as even more free speech compared to stores version. I also have a Windows desktop client, which works normally with adult content blocked on iOS client.
Both of those clients blocked Smart Vote bot because my phone number is in Russia. At the same time all my non-Russian friends was able to freely use the bot all of the time.
Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
Except that law does not apply for these elections that last several days https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4800223 The law allowing campaigning was passed in May 2021.
tangential and not against your point, but isn't this proof that relying on applications provided by private companies for politics and public sensitive matters, is the best way to end like this? especially when the only way to get the app is through a bunch of privately held "stores"
A directly downloaded versions of the app for Android and Windows are much more relaxed on the censorship. For example, they are able to access adult content blocked on iOS version. But they were unable to access voting bot.