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I'll add my very recent negative experience with Google. I have a couple of apps on the Google Play that use Firebase analytics and crash reporting. This weeken

I'll add my very recent negative experience with Google. I have a couple of apps on the Google Play that use Firebase analytics and crash reporting. This weekend both apps were removed by Google without any warnings. The issue was that apps were in "Violation of Usage of Android Advertising ID" because by default Firebase collects Advertising ID. I don't really need Advertising ID in my app or my analytics and there is a way to opt out [1], but I think the way Google handled this is just wrong. Collecting information that most people probably don't care about and then removing apps without notice for basically their own default configuration. [1] https://firebase.google.com/support/guides/disable-analytics https://firebase.google.com/support/guides/disable-analytics

bad_user 8y ago
> Collecting information that most people probably don't care about I care about that information and I’m glad they removed your apps, maybe now you’ll start taking privacy more seriously.
- gaius 8y ago
  The issue is that Google are shipping something with a default configuration that violates their own policy, then blaming the user of it
- tananaev 8y ago
  I think you misunderstood my comment. I don't want to collect that information. All I need is anonymous crash stacks and possibly some general statistics (number of users on various app versions and Android versions). Google was collecting extra information without me even being aware of it, until they removed my apps for the store. I want to collect as minimum information as possible for me to effectively maintain the apps. I have no use for personal information or any identifiers. But Google probably wants it and that's why Firebase collects it by default.
  - patates 8y ago
    > Google was collecting extra information without me even being aware of it I think the point is that you should be aware of it. It is your application after all. Yes, what Google does is weird, but the app developer needs to be more careful in general what 3rd party code they load. On the other hand, I understand you. Probably you do your due diligence when you load some random dependency but you (like everyone else) used to expect better from Google. Not anymore I guess.
    - Aeolun 8y ago
      I mean, if you use a google library that uses a specific google feature, it’s kind of fair to assume that it’s not a violation of their privacy policy.
      - patates 8y ago
        You don't get to act clueless if one of the libraries that you added to your application collects data without asking the user. I already said what Google does is weird.
Daniel_sk 8y ago
We (software agency) had the same problem, a simple app with just basic Google libraries was violating their own privacy rules.
- the_new_guy_29 8y ago
  Any examples of those rules and how they were violated? Im just curious
  - Daniel_sk 8y ago
    Some more details - https://www.reddit.com/r/androiddev/comments/9gqr6y/anybody_know_which_sdk_violates_the_google_play/ https://www.reddit.com/r/androiddev/comments/9gqr6y/anybody_.... The emails from Google Play are never very specific so you can only guess what's wrong :-).
zavi 8y ago
You should appeal if what you're saying is indeed true. You're supposed to use advertising ID for any ad-related tracking - if you use something more sensitive instead (like IMEI) then you'll get taken down.
Angostura 8y ago
GDPR issue?

bad_user 8y ago

> Collecting information that most people probably don't care about I care about that information and I’m glad they removed your apps, maybe now you’ll start taking privacy more seriously.

gaius 8y ago
The issue is that Google are shipping something with a default configuration that violates their own policy, then blaming the user of it
tananaev 8y ago
I think you misunderstood my comment. I don't want to collect that information. All I need is anonymous crash stacks and possibly some general statistics (number of users on various app versions and Android versions). Google was collecting extra information without me even being aware of it, until they removed my apps for the store. I want to collect as minimum information as possible for me to effectively maintain the apps. I have no use for personal information or any identifiers. But Google probably wants it and that's why Firebase collects it by default.
- patates 8y ago
  > Google was collecting extra information without me even being aware of it I think the point is that you should be aware of it. It is your application after all. Yes, what Google does is weird, but the app developer needs to be more careful in general what 3rd party code they load. On the other hand, I understand you. Probably you do your due diligence when you load some random dependency but you (like everyone else) used to expect better from Google. Not anymore I guess.
  - Aeolun 8y ago
    I mean, if you use a google library that uses a specific google feature, it’s kind of fair to assume that it’s not a violation of their privacy policy.
    - patates 8y ago
      You don't get to act clueless if one of the libraries that you added to your application collects data without asking the user. I already said what Google does is weird.

Daniel_sk 8y ago

We (software agency) had the same problem, a simple app with just basic Google libraries was violating their own privacy rules.

the_new_guy_29 8y ago
Any examples of those rules and how they were violated? Im just curious
- Daniel_sk 8y ago
  Some more details - https://www.reddit.com/r/androiddev/comments/9gqr6y/anybody_know_which_sdk_violates_the_google_play/ https://www.reddit.com/r/androiddev/comments/9gqr6y/anybody_.... The emails from Google Play are never very specific so you can only guess what's wrong :-).

zavi 8y ago

You should appeal if what you're saying is indeed true. You're supposed to use advertising ID for any ad-related tracking - if you use something more sensitive instead (like IMEI) then you'll get taken down.

Angostura 8y ago

GDPR issue?