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Google bans Podcast Addict app over non-approved Covid-19 content

(reclaimthenet.org)
1525 points garyclarke27 | 1 comments | 18 May 20 07:37 UTC | HN request time: 0.207s | source
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ipsum2 ◴[18 May 20 07:53 UTC] No.23219562[source]▶
My favorite (and only) podcasting app. I hope someone who works at Google reads this and flag it internally.

This quote really sums up how ridiculous Google is being:

> What Google is asking of Podcast Addict would be comparable to Google asking a web browser app to remove references to all the websites and social media posts that reference the coronavirus unless the reference comes from an official government entity or public health organization.

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Crosseye_Jack ◴[18 May 20 08:08 UTC] No.23219675[source]▶
> asking a web browser app to remove references to all the websites and social media posts

Except usually a web browser doesn't include a index of sites, You go to a another site (Google/Bing) for that. If a browser does include "recommended sites" the landing pages of those sites best keep to Google's and Apples rules. For an extreme example, If Firefox was promoting PornHub on the new tab page we could understand why Google or Apple would tell them to cut it out, but it doesn't stop you from visiting the site.

I'm not saying I agree with what Google have done here (IMO they should re-instate Podcast Addict), Just that I can see why Google could think "recommended podcasts" and podcast indexes come under the "included content" of an app.

EDIT: As others has said here, It's more like Google banning YouTube because it contains video's about covid 19 which don't come from "approved sources" (Though Google did demonetize people for talking about it and de-rank non "approved sources")

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bnjms ◴[18 May 20 08:22 UTC] No.23219776[source]▶
So it’s like Google banning a Bing, DDG, or (...) Google search app app for Indexing sites that do not follow approved guidelines.

OP’s point stands without modification.

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Crosseye_Jack ◴[18 May 20 08:29 UTC] No.23219827[source]▶
But a search app isn't directly a web browser (Though browsing many be a secondary function). But many adult content search apps have been removed from app stores.
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1. bnjms ◴[19 May 20 03:25 UTC] No.23231026[source]▶
The bar you set was "Except usually a web browser doesn't include a index of sites". And I see a direct parallel with Google holding a pod cast app responsible for the podcasts content as there is to Google which keeps a more complete index of the content of web sites than the podcast app does of podcast contents.