Google removed my ads-free app for “deceptive ads” • Hacker News Board

Re: Google removed my ads-free app for “deceptive ads”

#11

Post by KirinDave » Tue, Mar 26, 2019, 12:58 AM UTC

echelon wrote: post #8

Can we sue Google when they do things like this? No single entity should wield this much power. And we should rewrite the laws to make this so. Google and Apple wanted to be in the role of gatekeeper, so they should be beholden to the apps on their platform. We had a web where developers were in control of their own deployment. Everything was decentralized and required responsibility and diligence. Now the power is o…

> No single entity should wield this much power. And we should rewrite the laws to make this so.

I think in fact a lot of people do want them to do this. Folks complain the Play store is full of malware and spam, and that there are data leaks and deceptive ads.

Then Google or Apple goes and removes them, and then folks are mad if that process has errors.

It seems like a business where you make everyone mad no matter what you do.

[edit: Just to be clear, I'm not a fan of the practice. But an awful lot of folks seem to think Apple and Google SHOULD wield editorial power, if only to stop outright malware. And of course, certain politicians want to make sure that the internet refuses to show content unflattering to people in power]

Re: Google removed my ads-free app for “deceptive ads”

#12

Post by megy » Tue, Mar 26, 2019, 1:03 AM UTC

I got that too. I had no ads, but I did have a link to other apps that I made that were similar (It was a city travel guide app). That counted as an ad apparently. Yeah, I can see there point, so I changed the link text.

Re: Google removed my ads-free app for “deceptive ads”

#13

Post by voldacar » Tue, Mar 26, 2019, 1:04 AM UTC

echelon wrote: post #8

Can we sue Google when they do things like this? No single entity should wield this much power. And we should rewrite the laws to make this so. Google and Apple wanted to be in the role of gatekeeper, so they should be beholden to the apps on their platform. We had a web where developers were in control of their own deployment. Everything was decentralized and required responsibility and diligence. Now the power is o…

>No single entity should wield this much power. And we should rewrite the laws to make this so.

No single entity, except the laws of course ;)

Re: Google removed my ads-free app for “deceptive ads”

#14

Post by ucaetano » Tue, Mar 26, 2019, 1:05 AM UTC

voldacar wrote: post #13

echelon wrote: post #8

Can we sue Google when they do things like this? No single entity should wield this much power. And we should rewrite the laws to make this so. Google and Apple wanted to be in the role of gatekeeper, so they should be beholden to the apps on their platform. We had a web where developers were in control of their own deployment. Everything was decentralized and required responsibility and diligence. Now the power is o…

>No single entity should wield this much power. And we should rewrite the laws to make this so. No single entity, except the laws of course ;)

OP doesn't like single entities having so much power, so OP increases the power of a single entity.

Re: Google removed my ads-free app for “deceptive ads”

#15

Post by ucaetano » Tue, Mar 26, 2019, 1:07 AM UTC

echelon wrote: post #8

Can we sue Google when they do things like this? No single entity should wield this much power. And we should rewrite the laws to make this so. Google and Apple wanted to be in the role of gatekeeper, so they should be beholden to the apps on their platform. We had a web where developers were in control of their own deployment. Everything was decentralized and required responsibility and diligence. Now the power is o…

> We need similar laws to protect startups, small businesses, and sole proprietors

Yeah, because laws protecting inefficient business are great for society and consumers.

No business "deserves" protection. Consumers do, but not business.

Re: Google removed my ads-free app for “deceptive ads”

#16

Post by echelon » Tue, Mar 26, 2019, 1:10 AM UTC

KirinDave wrote: post #11

echelon wrote: post #8

Can we sue Google when they do things like this? No single entity should wield this much power. And we should rewrite the laws to make this so. Google and Apple wanted to be in the role of gatekeeper, so they should be beholden to the apps on their platform. We had a web where developers were in control of their own deployment. Everything was decentralized and required responsibility and diligence. Now the power is o…

> No single entity should wield this much power. And we should rewrite the laws to make this so. I think in fact a lot of people do want them to do this. Folks complain the Play store is full of malware and spam, and that there are data leaks and deceptive ads. Then Google or Apple goes and removes them, and then folks are mad if that process has errors. It seems like a business where you make everyone mad no matter…

> I think in fact a lot of people do want them to do this.

I, the engineer, do not want them to do this. Before Google and Apple, I didn't have this problem. I didn't have to pay their tax or march to their beat.

You might argue that it's their platform and that's the cost for us to pay. But it wasn't always this way! These companies leveraged their advantages to steal eyeballs away from an open web and lock them in their own platform.

They could have spent money making the open web work better on mobile. Or designing a portable app framework and runtime for all devices. But we know why they didn't and what the outcome has been.

I want them to pay back the negative externalities they've leveraged onto us.

Re: Google removed my ads-free app for “deceptive ads”

#17

Post by adjagu » Tue, Mar 26, 2019, 1:11 AM UTC

godelski wrote: post #5

jeremydeanlakey wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry about the error. I noticed and flicked the "enable https" shortly after posting. I flicked it off again for now.

I am still experiencing an error in FF65 (Secure connection failed)

I am running Firefox Developer Edition 67.0b4 and did not have this issue. I noticed that you are using Firefox 65. Maybe updating to Firefox 66.0.1 (current version) would resolve this?

Re: Google removed my ads-free app for “deceptive ads”

#18

Post by craftyguy » Tue, Mar 26, 2019, 1:15 AM UTC

echelon wrote: post #16

KirinDave wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No single entity should wield this much power. And we should rewrite the laws to make this so. I think in fact a lot of people do want them to do this. Folks complain the Play store is full of malware and spam, and that there are data leaks and deceptive ads. Then Google or Apple goes and removes them, and then folks are mad if that process has errors. It seems like a business where you make everyone mad no matter…

> I think in fact a lot of people do want them to do this. I, the engineer, do not want them to do this. Before Google and Apple, I didn't have this problem. I didn't have to pay their tax or march to their beat. You might argue that it's their platform and that's the cost for us to pay. But it wasn't always this way! These companies leveraged their advantages to steal eyeballs away from an open web and lock them in…

> I, the engineer, do not want them to do this

Eh, you are but one person, amongst billions. There's a good chance that what you don't want != what others want.

Re: Google removed my ads-free app for “deceptive ads”

#19

Post by ocdtrekkie » Tue, Mar 26, 2019, 1:16 AM UTC

KirinDave wrote: post #11

echelon wrote: post #8

Can we sue Google when they do things like this? No single entity should wield this much power. And we should rewrite the laws to make this so. Google and Apple wanted to be in the role of gatekeeper, so they should be beholden to the apps on their platform. We had a web where developers were in control of their own deployment. Everything was decentralized and required responsibility and diligence. Now the power is o…

> No single entity should wield this much power. And we should rewrite the laws to make this so. I think in fact a lot of people do want them to do this. Folks complain the Play store is full of malware and spam, and that there are data leaks and deceptive ads. Then Google or Apple goes and removes them, and then folks are mad if that process has errors. It seems like a business where you make everyone mad no matter…

The problem is the process is largely automated, both for approval and removal. If trash wasn't let into the Play Store in the first place, there wouldn't be so many issues with pulling content back out of it. Consumers and developers alike would be far better off dealing with a properly human-curated store with actual customer service, even if it meant there were less apps in it.

Re: Google removed my ads-free app for “deceptive ads”

#20

Post by sercand » Tue, Mar 26, 2019, 1:16 AM UTC

When you receive that email from Google you can only fill a generic form given at the bottom of the email. You can't contact a human being to understand why it is rejected/removed. Problem is not written clearly and it doesn't include a screenshot as apple does. Google is terrible at support on Play Store (and some more of its services).