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Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

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Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#51

Post by m-i-l »

IshKebab wrote: post #33
dessant wrote: post #8

It's unfortunate that the developer resubmitted the app without the donation link, open source projects having a donation link in their apps does not violate Google Play policies. > Here are some examples of products not currently supported by Google Play In-app Billing: > One time-payments, including peer-to-peer payments, online auctions, and donations. https://play.google.com/about/monetization-ads/

My app was also removed a few months ago for this. In the email they say you have to use Google Play In-app Billing, however: > Donations to 527 designated tax exempt organizations are also permitted. So if Wireguard becomes a proper tax exempt organisation it would be ok. If you want donations but aren't tax exempt there is basically no way to do it. However you could easily work around it by offering something triv…

I was going to suggest this too. According to the Android dev site "Google Play Billing can be used to sell the following types of in-app products: One-time products: An in-app product requiring a single, non-recurring charge to the user's form of payment. Additional game levels, premium loot boxes, and media files are examples of one-time products."[0] So could you have buttons to buy a "bronze supporter badge", "silver supporter badge" etc. (trying to avoid using the word donation in case it triggers something), perhaps even enabling a "Show my supporter badges" page that shows the ones you've purchased? Kind-of unnecessary extra dev, and as you say Google will take their hefty cut, but might be better than nothing.

[0] https://developer.android.com/google/play/billing/billing_ov...

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#52

Post by AlexDragusin »

IshKebab wrote: post #33
dessant wrote: post #8

It's unfortunate that the developer resubmitted the app without the donation link, open source projects having a donation link in their apps does not violate Google Play policies. > Here are some examples of products not currently supported by Google Play In-app Billing: > One time-payments, including peer-to-peer payments, online auctions, and donations. https://play.google.com/about/monetization-ads/

My app was also removed a few months ago for this. In the email they say you have to use Google Play In-app Billing, however: > Donations to 527 designated tax exempt organizations are also permitted. So if Wireguard becomes a proper tax exempt organisation it would be ok. If you want donations but aren't tax exempt there is basically no way to do it. However you could easily work around it by offering something triv…

> Google take their 30% cut.

AKA follow the money.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#53

Post by bipson »

dessant wrote: post #23
zx2c4 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It indeed is unfortunate. But what other recourse did we have? The first objective, before we even consider donations or anything, is to make our software available and functional to our users. So we had to resubmit. And it's not like the resubmission process is instantaneous; as of writing, the app still isn't back in the store. But anyway, now what? Let's say things return to normal, but we still want to put the si…

Donations are not supported by in-app purchases, and I'm sure this doesn't mean open source apps are not allowed to sustain themselves by showing a donation link. Or if that is Google's unwritten policy, people must make their voices heard, this abusive behavior cannot be accepted. I would resubmit the app with the donation link and continue to document and share what happened. Please do not allow them to set a prece…

I think what you are proposing is to make an ideological fight out of this issue, that is exactly what the author describes as "a huge time-drain that does not make the app better" and exactly the opposite of what he meant with "choose your battles".

Let me say that I think you're morally right, but it is probably not a reasonable choice of actions for the author and the users of the app.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#54

Post by netsharc »

na85 wrote: post #49
oh_sigh wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can almost guarantee you that a googler who reads hn has submitted this issue to an internal mailing list and you will get special treatment for this problem.

It's fucking infuriating that the only way to get the attention of a human at Google is to know someone or to frontpage HN.

Time for HN to branch out.. "HN Eyeballs, submit your gripe with Google, we'll show it to Googlers based on their IP address".

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#55

Post by zo1 »

phoe-krk wrote: post #7
supergilbert wrote: post #6

When is an alternative Android play store coming? To all the entrepreneurs reading this: please create one. To all the VCs reading this: please fund one. It's badly needed. I heard Huawei is working on one but I wouldn't bet on it.

F-Droid already exists.

F-droid only hosts free and open-source software, which is a very small portion of the app market.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#56

Post by hnarn »

> Sorry for the inconvenience. I'm sure many users are just as annoyed as I am. In the interim, luckily F-Droid has our app.[1]

Thank heavens there's an alternate way of distributing apps on Android. Say what you want about Android vs. iOS, but at least there's an alternative if you as a consumer have a beef with Google Play.

[1]: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.wireguard.android/

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#57

Post by unnouinceput »

Quote: "They said it was because we're in violation of their "Payments Policy", presumably because we have a link inside the app that opens the user's web browser to wireguard.com/donations/"

C'mon people, is Google we talk about, you know, those who bow to might $$$ only. You should've made a donation link INSIDE google, so they can charge their 30% before you get the money, that's how you keep your app in their store .

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#58

Post by dessant »

bipson wrote: post #53
dessant wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Donations are not supported by in-app purchases, and I'm sure this doesn't mean open source apps are not allowed to sustain themselves by showing a donation link. Or if that is Google's unwritten policy, people must make their voices heard, this abusive behavior cannot be accepted. I would resubmit the app with the donation link and continue to document and share what happened. Please do not allow them to set a prece…

I think what you are proposing is to make an ideological fight out of this issue, that is exactly what the author describes as "a huge time-drain that does not make the app better" and exactly the opposite of what he meant with "choose your battles". Let me say that I think you're morally right, but it is probably not a reasonable choice of actions for the author and the users of the app.

There is no need for an ideological fight, because there is no written Google Play policy against donation links in apps. This is most likely a mistake made by the reviewer or an automated system, and I believe they should follow up on it to sort things out.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#59

Post by esotericn »

m-i-l wrote: post #51
IshKebab wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My app was also removed a few months ago for this. In the email they say you have to use Google Play In-app Billing, however: > Donations to 527 designated tax exempt organizations are also permitted. So if Wireguard becomes a proper tax exempt organisation it would be ok. If you want donations but aren't tax exempt there is basically no way to do it. However you could easily work around it by offering something triv…

I was going to suggest this too. According to the Android dev site "Google Play Billing can be used to sell the following types of in-app products: One-time products: An in-app product requiring a single, non-recurring charge to the user's form of payment. Additional game levels, premium loot boxes, and media files are examples of one-time products."[0] So could you have buttons to buy a "bronze supporter badge", "si…

You could probably just sell it as "get name on Wireguard website".

And then Google get 30% of it.

Yeah...

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#60

Post by irjustin »

esotericn wrote: post #50
irjustin wrote: post #35

I know this will be against deeply against HNews but I'm open to discussion. I don't see anything wrong with this. Charging vs Donations, I don't see what the difference is. It's people paying money for good/services/software. The primary difference is the open ended pricing model. Google, Apple put up networks and there's value in that network. Whether someone chooses to release their app for free or charge money fo…

You're stating, essentially, that anyone who wants to publish FOSS software with a donation link should be forced to go through some convoluted procedure and register as a charitable organization. (where? in the US? in their specific region? does it matter? how much time will it take for them to figure out? is this even possible in all regions? does this require ongoing effort e.g. accounting, document submission, ge…

True, I'll agree that going non-profit is a nightmare.

But again, what is FOSS with a donation link vs free-to-use software with pay-as-much-as-you-want.

One sounds like a non-profit while the other sounds like a for-profit.

Perhaps if you can directly show your software is FOSS via licensing etc that there should be a special exemption?

Seems like there needs to be a sole-proprietier non-profit... but man that seems like rife for abuse.

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