[d4rken]

Yeah that's me :(

You always read about these stories and think "they probably deserved it" and then it hits you.

I have no idea why Google thinks my app is "Stalkerware". This is like a bad dream I'm hoping to wake up from.

I think this is "automation gone wrong".

My apps are privacy friendly, have no ads, and most are even open-source, e.g.: https://github.com/d4rken-org/sdmaid-se

How do you formulate a reasonable appeal without knowing anymore details. I've been formulating an appeal texts the whole day, but don't know what my argument should be. Saying "my app isn't Stalkerware" probably doesn't cut it. I fear this is my first and only step.

Some similar apps also got banned, but others didn't. I don't see a pattern yet.

If Google thinks a certain type of app is no longer welcome in the store, then that's their choice. But then they should communicate that instead of banning me without warning, and banning me for LIFE from selling my own apps...

Any advice? I feel so lost :(

[EMIRELADERO]

Do you live in the EU? Even if you don't, the Digital Markets Act will probably be implemented everywhere by Google et, al.

A key provision there stipulates that apps offered by third-party developers must be afforded the same level of access to features and abilities as the gatekeeper (in this case, Google)

Since Google uses that tracking technology for their own apps, they would be obligated to offer it in the same fashion to developers.

And even if your app does not do anything of the sort, the law states that the store must operate in FRAND conditions, so you should get a reprive from the ban when it goes into effect.

[d4rken]

I live in Germany. I'll look into this.

[EMIRELADERO]

Aside from the DMA, the DSA (Digital Services Act) enters into force sometime next week and the Play Store is included.

https://support.google.com/european-union-digital-services-a...

[soraminazuki]

Google is the company that flags parents sharing medical pictures to doctors as pedos, calls the police, and doubles down on it when their screwup is publicized by the media. Even after the police cleared their names, Google continued to make defamatory statements.

I don't think they have any problem at all calling random people stalkers for no reason.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32538805

[Nereuxofficial]

I've used SD-Maid and it's really good software and not ad-bloated to the brim like most android utility apps are today. I hope your appeal gets through

[predictabl3]

> You always read about these stories and think "they probably deserved it" and then it hits you.

Really? I sure don't think that. In fact, that attitude's a real sympathy killer, to be honest. How can people be so naive about the power these companies have to destroy your livelihood, in a single stroke, often due to an entirely humanless-process?

[d4rken]

I don't wish this on anyone. It's more of a coping mechanism. You "hope" it's not undeserved because the alternative is nightmarish and means it could hit everyone at random, like now.

[bloopernova]

First, appeal.

Then if you are USA based, phone and letter contacts with your elected representatives. Ask them for help. Contact the FTC, and any federal administration that might be able to help.

[IlPeach]

It's open? Then publish it on F-Droid. Might not have the same reach, but you'd be worry free at least.

[d4rken]

Would still mean that I'd have to seek other employment. It's not possible to live of your own apps without Google Play. I tried other app stores. 95% of traffic comes from Google Play.

[cft]

Probably the word "Maid" in the description triggered the AI ban bot

[RunningDroid]

The Free build is available via the IzzyOnDroid F-Droid repo: https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/repo?fingerprint=3bf0d6abfeae...

[SushiHippie]

Oh hey, thank you for SD Maid, my whole family has the Pro version and I really enjoy using it from time to time to clean up space. Thanks for this neat application, hope this will get sorted out!

[justinclift]

Hopefully getting it some attention here works out ok. :)

[mvdtnz]

You have been tending someone else's garden. You knew these things happen and you knew there was a risk of it. Stop tending other peoples' gardens. Build on the web.

[5Qn8mNbc2FNCiVV]

Wow, yeah let's build a tool for freeing storage on the device on the web. And even if it was a apk distributed by yourself, good luck doing that successfully.

How about instead we get a system that doesn't just flag livelihoods of other people with ML and if so, at least provides some meaningful way to appeal?

[mvdtnz]

"Stop tending someone else's garden" doesn't mean "build exactly what you were building before, but on the web". It means, stop adding value to Google's platform when they don't care about you, and start building something you control.

We have been hearing this exact story for well over a decade now. I have absolutely no time or sympathy for people who continue to tend Google's (or Apple's or Microsoft's or Slack's or Stripe's etc) garden and get bitten.

[goku12]

The value of the playstore or appstore doesn't come from the apps on it. It comes from the fact that it is bundled with every single device running the corresponding OS. Any app that wants to be successful has to be on them. Even OEM app stores aren't that widely used. And web apps are often not a choice since some functionality are not exposed to them. So the other comment is still valid.

If we want these companies from abusing their dominance, they have to be either penalized heavily and forced to compensate the victims, or it should be mandated that these devices bundle a trustworthy 3rd party store.

[accoil]

I guess PureOS is one way of solving the problem of large log files taking too much space in Android.

[toofy]

> How about instead we get a system that doesn't just flag livelihoods of other people with ML and if so, at least provides some meaningful way to appeal?

I think this is what they were suggesting. It isn’t clear to me how this level of mistakes with basically no recourse to appeal is at all sustainable. The only way out is to literally build the alternative, which means, building outside the current…blob.