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Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

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Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#61

Post by vorpalhex »

robrtsql wrote: post #42
CodeArtisan wrote: post #31

There is probably more than what is being said here otherwise clients for reddit or 4chan would have been removed a long time ago.

I don't think there is. This happens all the time--recently, a podcast app was removed from the Play Store because it could be used to listen to content which didn't meet Play Store guidelines. The only way to fix it is to post about it and generate enough outrage that Google hears about it and can undo the ban.

When you say that's the only way to fix it, you are literally correct. There is no real ticket or support mechanism, no appeals process, nothing. The fastest way to raise an issue with Google is to email a journalist or hitup your twitter followers.

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#64

Post by john_moscow »

For anyone else concerned with the recent Big Tech censorship, people are actively building alternative social medial platforms and they are taking off. The RedditAlternatives subreddit [0] provides a fairly good overview of them. Some are rather extreme, others are more reasonable, but there are alternatives, and it's up to us, the reasonable people, to choose where we want to spend our time and money.

[0] https://www.reddit.com/r/RedditAlternatives/comments/hi97fz/...

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#66

Post by danShumway »

judge2020 wrote: post #57
humanistbot wrote: post #47

The rationale they gave is that hate speech appears on these apps, because some of the microblogging sites that can be accessed via Fediverse have this kind of content. Based on this rationale, I look forward to Google Play removing Chrome, Firefox, and all other web browsers from the store as well.

There is a specific exception to web browsers, so Mastodon app(s) could probably classify as one by prominently displaying the web url of a post above the post.

:) I wonder how this fits into the Chromium team's insistence that URLs are user-unfriendly and that browsers ought to redesign them?

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#67

Post by langitbiru »

amadeuspagel wrote: post #2

There was a thread on twitter recently about how app stores would have rejected the first web browser, asking what future innovations might not happen due to them. Guess federated social media is a part of the answer.

This is the tweet: https://twitter.com/tolmasky/status/1297199788316692480

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#68

Post by mindslight »

chii wrote: post #34
superkuh wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry to go off-topic, but the entire existence of the word 'side-loading' is some 1984-level language manipulation. As if installing applications without getting the permission of some abstract corporate owner is the weird thing. No, having to get permission is the weird way to install things.

as a computer moves ever more towards a white-label appliance with a single purpose, the act of "installing" becomes more and more alien. It sucks, but a majority of the computer-using population cares not for it, and only want it to work. Think washing machine - have you ever seen people want to install apps into their washing machine?

Many people complain about newer washing machines not using enough water to get their clothes clean, etc. So yes, even if they don't know it.

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#69

Post by 1_person »

chii wrote: post #34
superkuh wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry to go off-topic, but the entire existence of the word 'side-loading' is some 1984-level language manipulation. As if installing applications without getting the permission of some abstract corporate owner is the weird thing. No, having to get permission is the weird way to install things.

as a computer moves ever more towards a white-label appliance with a single purpose, the act of "installing" becomes more and more alien. It sucks, but a majority of the computer-using population cares not for it, and only want it to work. Think washing machine - have you ever seen people want to install apps into their washing machine?

If the singular fucking purpose of the washing machine was to run apps, I sure as fuck would expect to see people wanting to install apps on their washing machine.

Re: Google is apparently taking down all/most Fediverse apps from the Play Store

#70

Post by zeta0134 »

Can't the same offending toots be viewed in Google Chrome? Just screenshot their own browser with the same content they are reporting and ask when they will turn the lens inward. Or, find similar content in Twitter, or Facebook, etc. This sets a dangerous precedent.
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