[chad1n]

Same happened to an app that I published on Play Store, I don't even care that much, I only feel bad for the people that bought the premium version of it. Overall the takeway is that your product is never safe and you shouldn't only rely on these big platforms for marketing/distribution.

[sschueller]

My appeal is still pending: https://github.com/sschueller/peertube-android/issues/302

[piva00]

It bothers me a lot the ideological hatred for regulations commonly found on HN. This is exactly a showcase why regulations for digital markets/marketplaces need to exist.

We simply cannot trust huge platforms to care about the small to medium developers, people who are essentially powerless against a behemoth like Google or Apple. You get your app taken down, your account locked and the only recourse left would be spending six to seven figures in lawyers while risking losing the case altogether.

It's disgusting.

[conartist6]

Right now you're correct that the only form of recourse users have is to sue the companies, but you're not entirely correct that it takes spending six figures.

You can sue them in San Mateo county and have the case adjudicated in a court which does not allow lawyers for either side and which has the power to compel a Google or a Facebook to reverse an erroneous moderation decision.

https://www.engadget.com/how-small-claims-court-became-metas...

[TheOtherHobbes]

Multiple appearances, endless time wasted, and maybe four figures of expenses to show up in person is still not affordable.

And then you get Meta failing to show up, but asking for a set-aside afterwards because... they failed to show up.

It's aggressive customer contempt. This is someone's livelihood, possibly their entire livelihood, and these bobbleheads treat it like a joke.

[orwin]

Even in countries where the cost to sue is low (mine), it's at lest 20 hours, and low 4-figure at the very least (unless it's against an employer, in that case unions will foot the bill, or against the state/an elected official, an anti-corruption NGO will do it for you)

[fzzzy]

I guess this gives Facebook even more incentive to re-incorporate in Texas and move the headquarters there.

[whizzter]

Google is just egerious on another level, the difference between them is that while Apple might clampdown on some obscure rule (or due to the random reviewer assignment), they're usually at least human and unless in litigation can be reasoned with to an extent.

Google otoh is more like, bot/automated system takes things down and unless you happen to catch the eyes of someone in the particular department of Google you're SHOL because they don't want to give away "security secrets".

Point in case, the Terraria dev losing his Google account while making a Stadia port that couldn't get his account back despite having internal Google contacts (maybe he eventually got it back but not before the damage was done).