
Podcast Addict app to be reinstated, Google apologises - ZeljkoS
https://9to5google.com/2020/05/19/podcast-addict-banned/
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exo-pla-net
"In this case, we’ve reinstated the app and have communicated with the
developer to ensure the app remains compliant with our policies."

Treating the developer with suspicion, after they clumsily and callously
trampled over him. Insult to injury.

That spokesman needs to be fired, and we need to stay angry until Google gives
us developers a real pathway of appeal/communication concerning our apps being
taken down, so we're not talking to a cold machine when our livelihood is
suddenly yanked out from under us. We shouldn't have to make a public fuss to
get our apps reinstated.

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caterama
> this error was due to the recent automated systems purged COVID-19
> misinformation and that Podcast Addict was unfortunately caught in the
> crossfire.

Typical Google at this point. Maybe I don't understand the scale, but wouldn't
it make sense to have _some_ kind of human in the loop? Given some criteria,
perhaps an app has existed for >5 years, meets some threshold number of users,
etc. maybe it's worth getting a human opinion before doing something as
drastic as banning.

~~~
pxtail
The message which is coming from FANG giants is pretty clear: when you are in
troubles then you need to be big enough to make some fuss in social media to
get attention and support , if you are not big enough then we don't care and
you can f __* off.

It's brutal and harsh but kind of ..understandable and justified when looking
from their point of view, there are plenty of tiny-teeny fish in the ocean and
if some die? well, it happens.

There is also another lesson and message - think twice before you completely
and without any fallback embed yourself into wonderfully crafted and cushy
ecosystem offered by one of giants. Maybe web version of your app[0][1],
accessible by everyone and outside of garden could be useful after all?

[0] [https://i.imgur.com/ovqMkU5.png](https://i.imgur.com/ovqMkU5.png) [1]
[https://i.imgur.com/wHOA1DP.png](https://i.imgur.com/wHOA1DP.png)

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vikramkr
I hope they also reinstate other apps that were caught in the "crossfire" that
arent that popular with a large following to push back. And learning to aim
before they pull the trigger isn't that bad an idea either. It's more than a
bit annoying that "artificial intelligence" is an excuse for human stupidity.

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caseysoftware
The not-quite-a-State has reversed the summary execution. The people will
celebrate.. if they know what's good for them.

~~~
xwolfi
Well, we were all at fault putting google as front page of every pc we could
find back in the days. Now, our lazyness has created a cold giant who IS the
internet for most things.

How do we correct our mistake ? I search on duckduckgo from firefox and switch
to losers when something gets too big, but I fear the effect is limited. And
switching to LBRY from Youtube is... difficult :D

~~~
mywittyname
Don't victim blame us here. This is 100% Google's fault for abusing their
position as a monopoly.

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throwawaysea
I wonder how many other people are caught in the "crossfire" but don't receive
coverage like this app to push back. It also doesn't address the bigger issue
here - why does Google need to police all the content on their platform and
issue judgment calls on what is allowed/disallowed? They need to author a
content neutrality policy if they are to be trusted again.

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chaorace
And so the cycle continues!

