Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

My app just got removed with no prior warning

javierantonsblog.blogspot.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 129 posts

Re: My app just got removed with no prior warning

#111

Post by otrahuevada »

p_j_w wrote: post #89
otrahuevada wrote: post #70

Just wantend to ask, in light of Google pulling an Apple in a couple months and preventing users from installing random APKs, is anyone working on a sideloading mechanism of some sort? I'd like my apps to remain out of their capricious, purposefully labyrinthic and failure prone stewardship for as long as possible

>Google pulling an Apple in a couple months and preventing users from installing random APKs This is the first I've heard of this, unless you're confusing this with the idea of them requiring developers to upload Android App Bundles instead of APKs to the store. Do you have a source?

Can Android App Bundles be installed unsigned? And are they not the official standard from here onwards?

Re: My app just got removed with no prior warning

#112

Post by dsr_ »

dyeje wrote: post #87
dsr_ wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't take legal advice from Internet lawyers; don't take business advice from your competitors. Hire somebody knowledgeable to review your privacy policy and terms of service.

Have you ever hired a lawyer to review a privacy policy / ToS? It costs thousands of dollars.

Do a cost/benefit analysis. Choices:

1. Write good docs and get them reviewed.

2. Write good docs (as far as you know) and skip review.

3. Copy docs off the net from someone else, get them reviewed.

4. Copy docs off the net, no review.

5. Write "Coming Soon!" for each doc and don't do anything about it until you have customers to justify it; then pick another option from 1-4.

Re: My app just got removed with no prior warning

#113

Post by gmiller123456 »

At least you got an explanation. The last day I ever wrote a line of code for iOS was when I realized they removed my app without notification of any kind, no explanation. I didn't bother asking for an explanation. I was already displeased with Apple's treatment of developers, and it was only from constant requests from friends for some of my apps on iOS that I finally gave in and jumped through all of Apple's hoops like buying a Mac and iPod for development. At least now I can tell them the type of company their giving their money to.

Granted Google isn't a lot better. When I first got an Adroid phone one of the first apps I tried to download was a flashlight app. I found it quicker to just write my own than to wade through all of the existing apps that were out right spyware asking for permissions to everything on the phone. So that was my first app added to Google Play. Years later I get notified it's been removed because it didn't have a privacy policy. Yet all of those other "flashlight apps" requiring access to your full browser history, text messages, e-mails, etc. are fine because they have a privacy policy that essentially states their policy is no privacy.

By the time that happened, most phones had a built in flashlight app, but I wanted to see what it would take to satisfy Google. Just adding "this app doesn't collect any data" wasn't good enough, it had to be a legaleaze document to guarantee no one would read it. No privacy policy generator I found had a "I don't collect anything" option, so I ended up with one stating I may collect data when I don't.

Re: My app just got removed with no prior warning

#114

Post by Decker87 »

tantalor wrote: post #97
fasteddie wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I once used a very dumb feature flag set up to get around a rule an Apple reviewer told us were breaking, just for review period. The supposed rule violation was around for a year and no one had flagged it except for this one reviewer, and they were clearly interpreting the policy wrong. Easier to make a flag to appease then try and work up the management review chain. This wasn't malware or anything like that, but g…

That's unethical.

It's as unethical as blowing through a broken traffic light stuck on red.

Re: My app just got removed with no prior warning

#115

Post by p_j_w »

otrahuevada wrote: post #111
p_j_w wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Google pulling an Apple in a couple months and preventing users from installing random APKs This is the first I've heard of this, unless you're confusing this with the idea of them requiring developers to upload Android App Bundles instead of APKs to the store. Do you have a source?

Can Android App Bundles be installed unsigned? And are they not the official standard from here onwards?

I don't have a very in-depth knowledge of Android App Bundles, but my impression was that the developer is that the developer uploads the AAB and Google generates an APK from it and delivers that to the user. From what I recall, there was never an announcement that sideloading APKs was going away.

Re: My app just got removed with no prior warning

#116

Post by rchaud »

OJFord wrote: post #79
rchaud wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The actual question is why Google or Apple's App Store is special? Why can a bank pick and choose who they give loans to but the app walled gardens are in the wrong. I think we probably have the same general idea about this question, but I don't have a really solid answer. Because they have spent untold millions since 2008 buying ads telling consumers that apps are the only way. Flash is dangerous. PWAs are dangero…

What? Google spends (idk how much) money promoting PWAs. Just look at https://web.dev Sure, maybe the Android division has a strategic preference for Android apps, but.. what would you expect, really?

I think we both know that just because Google has a website about something, doesn't necessarily mean that they invest time, resources and organizational will into making it succesful.

When Google was courting developers to build for Android, they threw every possible financial incentive at them to get those app store numbers up. There are no such incentives for PWAs.

Re: My app just got removed with no prior warning

#117

Post by ehutch79 »

rchaud wrote: post #64
gameswithgo wrote: post #12

A lot of hackernews seems really dedicated to the idea that Google and Apple should decide what software we get to make and sell. Why are people so gung ho to be under the corporate boot like this?

A lot of people agreed with that Steve Jobs letter about Flash in 2010. Some of that feeling may still linger. In retrospect, that darn letter and the usual Jobs media fawning was probably the first domino that led to the web being completely marginalized on iOS in favour of Apple-approved apps.

flash is not the open web. it was a proprietary plugin.

Re: My app just got removed with no prior warning

#118

Post by collaborative »

heavyset_go wrote: post #110

Consider contacting your state's Attorney General office, and the US Attorney General office. Many states' AG offices have antitrust divisions[1]. The US Dept. of Justice also has an Antitrust Division[2], along with a page that details how and why[3] to get in touch with them: > Information from the public is vital to the work of the Antitrust Division. Your e-mails, letters, and phone calls could be our first alert…

Thank you

I will review all these and submit them if appropriate

Do you know if these apply to me? My jurisdiction is the UK, even though I guess the app is distributed globally

Re: My app just got removed with no prior warning

#119

Post by heavyset_go »

collaborative wrote: post #118
heavyset_go wrote: post #110

Consider contacting your state's Attorney General office, and the US Attorney General office. Many states' AG offices have antitrust divisions[1]. The US Dept. of Justice also has an Antitrust Division[2], along with a page that details how and why[3] to get in touch with them: > Information from the public is vital to the work of the Antitrust Division. Your e-mails, letters, and phone calls could be our first alert…

Thank you I will review all these and submit them if appropriate Do you know if these apply to me? My jurisdiction is the UK, even though I guess the app is distributed globally

In the UK there's the Competition and Markets Authority[1].

I think it's still worth it to file reports or complaints with the US federal government's antitrust divisions for a few reasons:

- Multiple bodies of government have been gearing up to take on this issue and issues like it, and any evidence of anticompetitive behavior can be used in investigations, legislation and enforcement of antitrust laws.

- While Google is an international company, it's based in the US and if regulators enforce existing antitrust laws in the US, it's more likely that policy will affect how Google does business internationally versus just in the UK.

- There are antitrust laws that US-based companies must follow internationally[2], and the FTC is generally the body that enforces those laws.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/competition-and-...

[2] https://www.natlawreview.com/article/does-what-happens-outsi...

Re: My app just got removed with no prior warning

#120

Post by collaborative »

gmiller123456 wrote: post #113

At least you got an explanation. The last day I ever wrote a line of code for iOS was when I realized they removed my app without notification of any kind, no explanation. I didn't bother asking for an explanation. I was already displeased with Apple's treatment of developers, and it was only from constant requests from friends for some of my apps on iOS that I finally gave in and jumped through all of Apple's hoops…

It's depressing, isn't it?

All the hard, honest work doesn't count. Users are hypnotized by these mega corps and will do as told. They will straight up abuse us developers for not measuring up to the insane hoops they make us jump through. Did you see the comments at the top suggesting I siphon sensitive data without the user's consent? Absolute madness

If this has changed anything in me is that from now on, I will spend 1,000,000% more effort into advocating users to not use Google Play. No legitimate, long-term app can afford to rely on it

As for iOS, we'll have to pray things change because there isn't an an equivalent F-Droid in the Apple world

Anyway, it's nearly 2AM, my app is still removed, and I feel I shouldn't be posting this

Thanks for sharing

Post reply on HN