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Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

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Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#51

Post by butz »

Symbiote wrote: post #40

Since he may be in the EU, I wonder if he could appeal the decision using Article 22 of the GDPR "The data subject shall have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning him or her or similarly significantly affects him or her." https://gdpr-info.eu/art-22-gdpr/

If developer was a Business, they might try asking for mediation: "If you are a developer based in the EU and you offer goods or services to consumers located in the EU, you may also apply to resolve a dispute with Google Play through mediation." [https://support.google.com/legal/answer/9792937]. No such luck for open-source developers.

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#52

Post by yjftsjthsd-h »

squarefoot wrote: post #35

If Google Play wasn't a monopoly (read as: if Google was forced to include say at least two open app stores not related to them on the Android main page), they would think twice before bullying developers. I'm sure the folks at F-Droid would be happy to host the app, but what's F-Droid exposure to non technical users?

> I'm sure the folks at F-Droid would be happy to host the app,

Empirically yes:)

https://f-droid.org/en/packages/rkr.simplekeyboard.inputmeth...

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#53

Post by yjftsjthsd-h »

flipdot wrote: post #49
squarefoot wrote: post #35

If Google Play wasn't a monopoly (read as: if Google was forced to include say at least two open app stores not related to them on the Android main page), they would think twice before bullying developers. I'm sure the folks at F-Droid would be happy to host the app, but what's F-Droid exposure to non technical users?

An interesting definition of “not a monopoly”: being forced to advertise your competitors on your own platform, for free.

Yes? That would be a step that would disrupt their current monopoly status.

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#54

Post by commoner »

Noumenon72 wrote: post #44

Off topic, can anyone recommend an Android keyboard that allows copy and paste the way Swype did (swipe to c, swipe to v) since Swype went out of business and the stock Google keyboard bizarrely doesn't let you copy and paste?

I don't know of a keyboard that replicates Swype's exact behavior (swiping from the Swype button to C or V).

For rapid text manipulation, AnySoftKeyboard lets you swipe up from the spacebar to show a utility menu with buttons for cut, copy, paste, undo, redo, text selection mode, home, end, and the 4 arrow keys. Copying and pasting in AnySoftKeyboard is pretty quick. It's also free and open source.

https://anysoftkeyboard.github.io

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#55

Post by autoexec »

smartties wrote: post #19

Another malicious developer most likely used his source code and republished/spammed the Google play store with the said reskin. The original developer, is now associated with the malicious developer and has his account terminated. It's not the first time an open source project gets removed from the Google store for "prior violations of the developer program policies".

When I read the privacy policy for the Samsung keyboard pre-installed on my phone and started following the links I was shocked that it was a literal keylogger sending every key press to 3rd parties who said they would use it read every word and phrase I typed to try to guess what my interests were, who I was communicating with, and what my level of cognitive ability/education was! I'd had no idea. Replaced my keyboard immediately.

If an app logged your keystrokes and sent that data to some poor guy in a 3rd world country though Google would shut them down. Samsung is still allowed to host apps on the play store though. In both cases the data being collected will be leveraged against you. Google just doesn't care about malware if the developer is rich enough.

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#56

Post by kadoban »

butz wrote: post #51
Symbiote wrote: post #40

Since he may be in the EU, I wonder if he could appeal the decision using Article 22 of the GDPR "The data subject shall have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning him or her or similarly significantly affects him or her." https://gdpr-info.eu/art-22-gdpr/

If developer was a Business, they might try asking for mediation: "If you are a developer based in the EU and you offer goods or services to consumers located in the EU, you may also apply to resolve a dispute with Google Play through mediation." [ https://support.google.com/legal/answer/9792937 ]. No such luck for open-source developers.

What part of that do Open Source developers not meet?

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#57

Post by kadoban »

ziml77 wrote: post #46
Symbiote wrote: post #40

Since he may be in the EU, I wonder if he could appeal the decision using Article 22 of the GDPR "The data subject shall have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning him or her or similarly significantly affects him or her." https://gdpr-info.eu/art-22-gdpr/

How does the GDPR apply here? This decision wasn't made by processing the personal data of the developer.

Wasn't it? I'd assume a lot of data flows into the decision making for these, even if they ignore a lot of it.

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#58

Post by squarefoot »

flipdot wrote: post #49
squarefoot wrote: post #35

If Google Play wasn't a monopoly (read as: if Google was forced to include say at least two open app stores not related to them on the Android main page), they would think twice before bullying developers. I'm sure the folks at F-Droid would be happy to host the app, but what's F-Droid exposure to non technical users?

An interesting definition of “not a monopoly”: being forced to advertise your competitors on your own platform, for free.

That would be a necessary step due to the deep difference between a traditional computer operating system and a phone/tablet. On the PC the user loads the browser, searches for a software doing X and is presented with choices in theory not filtered by whoever runs the search engine; on Android/iOS the manufacturer owns the only default installed repository interface, and users are instructed to grab apps only from that, skipping search engines, therefore excluding an app from the store equals to making it impossible to find for most users.

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#59

Post by skoskie »

autoexec wrote: post #55
smartties wrote: post #19

Another malicious developer most likely used his source code and republished/spammed the Google play store with the said reskin. The original developer, is now associated with the malicious developer and has his account terminated. It's not the first time an open source project gets removed from the Google store for "prior violations of the developer program policies".

When I read the privacy policy for the Samsung keyboard pre-installed on my phone and started following the links I was shocked that it was a literal keylogger sending every key press to 3rd parties who said they would use it read every word and phrase I typed to try to guess what my interests were, who I was communicating with, and what my level of cognitive ability/education was! I'd had no idea. Replaced my keyboa…

If a company sold me a device with a keylogger installed on I would never buy anything from that company again. I would also not let that device on my network, ever.

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#60

Post by Noumenon72 »

commoner wrote: post #54
Noumenon72 wrote: post #44

Off topic, can anyone recommend an Android keyboard that allows copy and paste the way Swype did (swipe to c, swipe to v) since Swype went out of business and the stock Google keyboard bizarrely doesn't let you copy and paste?

I don't know of a keyboard that replicates Swype's exact behavior (swiping from the Swype button to C or V). For rapid text manipulation, AnySoftKeyboard lets you swipe up from the spacebar to show a utility menu with buttons for cut, copy, paste, undo, redo, text selection mode, home, end, and the 4 arrow keys. Copying and pasting in AnySoftKeyboard is pretty quick. It's also free and open source. https://anysoftkey…

I like it -- it's less taps than Swype-A, Swype-C because you usually select all and then copy right away. Thanks!
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