this post was submitted on 23 Aug 2023

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179

SD Maid terminated from Play Store due to 'Stalkerware policy' (Reddit thread) (libreddit.domain.glass)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

29 comments fedilink hide all child comments

This is ridiculous, and really a bad news for everyone as there's no way to talk with an human

Original source is unfortunately on reddit, which I can't link

news: https://libreddit.domain.glass/r/androiddev/comments/15xj0ow/dev_account_terminated_after_12_years_for/

all 31 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] [email protected] 62 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The developer goes into the situation in a reddit thread.

I had got the same stalkerware policy. The problem was not the app itself but the description. In my case “friend” and “track” or “monitor” keyword can’t be used together.

If your app description includes “monitor” or “track”, don’t include any person related keywords such as “friend”, “people”, “human”. If not, google considers your app can monitor the somebody’s activity.

https://www.reddit.com/r/androiddev/comments/15xj0ow/dev_account_terminated_after_12_years_for/jx72w7h/

[–] [email protected] 66 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Google: Invests billions in AI language models

Also Google: can't understand words have different meanings

It's ridiculous how a well standing dev can just have an app removed with no warning or human investigation.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Welcome to the walled garden.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Google is the biggest stalker on the planet. Are they afraid of a little competition?

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Stupid take to be honest, real people getting trafficked and stalked, domestic abuse victims being tracked for control by the abuser, and you think that's fine because google has that data about you even though nobody can use it so why shouldn't all apps be able to? Go to a women's shelter, touch grass.

This issue is far more nuanced. No it's not good Google has that data on you.

No it's not fair that automatons caused a small developer to have their entire amount destroyed without a proper review.

Both things can be true.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 year ago (1 children)

https://github.com/d4rken-org/sdmaid-se

There's also the new open source version that the developer has been building

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I paid for that Pro through Playstore. There goes my purchase 😭

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago

Idiot google policy banning a 12 year old account, which doesn't even violate its policy. Maybe something a human review could've helped to cross-check if it really needed a ban. Either way sucks for the dev.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Thanks for sharing! Per rule 5 in the sidebar, we ask that original sources be submitted instead. If you could kindly update the submission body and title, it would be greatly appreciated.

Original source: https://www.reddit.com/r/androiddev/comments/15xj0ow/dev_account_terminated_after_12_years_for/

Or libreddit mirror: https://libreddit.domain.glass/r/androiddev/comments/15xj0ow/dev_account_terminated_after_12_years_for/

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Ok I put the libreddit mirror as link

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

I was under the impression that all of the so-called "cleaner" apps were to be avoided. I take this was one of the good ones?

Edit: re-read article, it sounds like it was one of the good ones.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

Yes, unfortunately it was probably the only real cleaner on the store. Probably the google bot didn't like that it was using accessibility controls to delete the cache of all apps (a regular app can't do this without root, so it was simulating human action to browse app by app and click on "delete cache")

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

One of the good ones for many years. One of the few great rooted apps I’d paid for and would install after every fresh rom flash.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

I can confirm this has been a really good app for rooted users for years, also FOSS.

It's just sad what Google did

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Further to your edit, there is actually a newer version in development: https://github.com/d4rken-org/sdmaid-se.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/index/apk/eu.darken.sdmse

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I also installed it from that repository, but maybe without a mainstream way to make money it might mean the end of the app... they banned the dev altogether with no way to escalate to a human supervisor...

Hopefully the bot in charge of appeals will reverse this...

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Hopefully they can manage to sort this out somehow but I'd personally be more than happy to purchase a Pro upgrade another way.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Just purchased the Pro unlocker last sunday, What happen in those cases?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I assume you can still use it as is, you just can't download it again from play store if you remove it

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Thanks, refund already requested but I also installed SD Maid SE from F-Droid in any case.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But the refund will only hurt the dev, not Google

Or Google will keep and pocket all the money from a suspended dev account?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Google responded, they say the refund doesn't justify more that 48 hours after the purchase, so they'll just keep my money. The idea was to donate the money directly to Darken, didn't wanted to let Google take it's commission. But I think I'll buy him a coffee anyway, I'm using the app since at least 2015, that's the least I can do after all.