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Trump’s Truth Social Barred from Google Play Store

35 points by SV_BubbleTime 4y ago

superchroma 4y ago
A thing that strikes me is that technology is so accessible and cheap now that relying on friction and cost of entry to deter right wing collectives online is not proving effective.
xenospn 4y ago
clearly they’re also violating the apple TOS, no? both platforms are somewhat similar in what they allow/reject.
- blagie 4y ago
  I don't think so. I think Google, Twitter, and friends don't like Trump, so they go out of their way to ban him. I don't think they're wrong to dislike Trump, but I think the treatment has the opposite of the desired effect: banning Trump simply validates what he tells his supporters. There are more nuanced tools which big tech could use; this feels a bit blunt.
  - xenospn 4y ago
    That's a misconception - there's a clear right-wing, pro-trump bias on all large social media platforms, consistently for years, and it's by design: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/feb/01/facebook-youtube-twitter-anti-conservative-claims-baseless-report-finds https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/feb/01/facebook-youtu...
- CharlesW 4y ago
  > clearly they’re also violating the apple TOS, no? Google's decision certainly gives Apple some PR ground cover if they decide to ban it as well. However, Apple may not want to do that at this time. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/26/justice-department-antitrust-apple-00053939 https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/26/justice-department-... Also: If Apple bans Truth Social for "lacking effective systems for moderating user-generated content", one has to ask whether Twitter is any better in this regard. You can't be a person in the public eye on Twitter without regularly receiving hate speech, death threats, etc. either.
  - xenospn 4y ago
    Didn't they remove Tumblr for this very reason at one point?
anon291 4y ago
Just go build your own as long as it's exactly the same as all the rest. "Freedom"...
- SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
  Just go build your own duopoly of app stores next?
  - anon291 4y ago
    My comment was sarcasm, if that wasn't obvious.
    - SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
      Mine too, apparently it wasn’t.
andsoitis 4y ago
I tried signing up on Truth Social just now to check it out. They ask for your phone number but only make provision for +1 and +44. What is a good way to get a +1 number that protects my privacy?
- anaganisk 4y ago
  They only allow “real” phone numbers. No VOIP!
  - SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
    I can't blame them if I had a service I would do the same.
    - simfree 4y ago
      Are you really going to check the LRN for each user's number every day? If not, restricting to wireless only is pointless. Bandwidth.com will happily port in and out phone numbers from wireless carriers in minutes, you could easily have a wireless number flip and flop between a CLECs OCN and a PCS or wireless OCN multiple times an hour.
  - simfree 4y ago
    What qualifies though? Are US Cellular, Inland Wireless, Viaero, Verizon and such whitelisted? If so, which of their operating carrier numbers are whitelisted? Or are they doing this the ghetto fabulous way by NPA-NXX carrier allocation without checking the current underlying LEC? More than one of the carriers I listed will sell you SIP trunking and texting on their wireless OCN, breaking most schemes of this type. Registering on a wireless number and immediately moving it to wireline or VoIP is another major threat to this model.
- ulfw 4y ago
  Just don't bother with this 'social network'. How about that? Funny how the 'truth' is blocked outside the US. All I am getting is: "At the moment, Truth Social is available for U.S. users only, but rest assured, we are working hard to make it available in your country. When Truth Social becomes available for you, we'll make an announcement. Stay tuned! Access denied You cannot access truthsocial.com. Refresh the page or contact the site owner to request access." https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/03/05/truth-social-emptiness-donald-trump-00014355 https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/03/05/truth-soci...
ALittleLight 4y ago
Microsoft faced antitrust legislation for bundling a free browser with their OS, but Google and Apple are allowed to dictate content moderation policies for apps on their OS? This is disgusting.
- superchroma 4y ago
  Maybe if it was Twitter that was running the Android app store, but it seems to me that this situation is not so clear cut. How is this an anticompetitive action?
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - ALittleLight 4y ago
    Google competes for user's attention and advertising dollars. It seems pretty straightforward to say that prohibiting competitors from operating is an anticompetitive action.
    - bandyaboot 4y ago
      It’s a tricky situation. I think it’s appropriate for the government to intervene if Google bans a competitor’s app for anti-competitive reasons. But I also think Google should not be forced to facilitate distribution of content on its property that it believes to be harmful simply because that distribution is being done by a competitor.
    - superchroma 4y ago
      I think you would have to demonstrate that they were promoting apps that integrated with Google ad vending over those that don't, then. I'm just trying to visualize the legal argument.
      - SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
        When you are Google, I think you should be held to a ”no, you can’t create the world as you see fit” binder. Because at this size “a competitor” isn’t really a thing.
version_five 4y ago
Why can't they make a web app? I think what google is doing is in a sense an unfair application of market power and is anticompetitive, but on the other hand, I don't really see what specifically Truth Social would miss out on if they just deployed as a web app and circumvented any tech company gatekeeping
- duxup 4y ago
  They have a website.
- simfree 4y ago
  PWAs on Android seem to have restricted push notification access (for me they always show up under silent notifications from my browser), and things get a bit mixed up when your browser has multiple push notifications authorized. Asking the target userbase to install a progressive web app is not very attractive given the name. Might as well call it "Demoncrat" web apps as far as Truth Socials users are concerned.
- dagmx 4y ago
  On Android, they could technically also just ask users to side load it. It’s fairly trivial to do. That said…there’s definitely going to be a lot of scam apks because the demographic would be ripe for conning.
- trident5000 4y ago
  "I don't really see what specifically Truth Social would miss out on" Virtually all accessible users. Your average consumer is not tech savvy.
- knewter 4y ago
  They have a very good PWA already
sn0w_crash 4y ago
- SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
  Yessir. At least some of us see it coming.
annexrichmond 4y ago
> Google says that the app violates the Play store’s standards for content moderation, according to Axios. Wonder what Google has to say about Twitter's child porn problem? > Twitter could not safely allow adult creators to sell subscriptions because the company was not — and still is not — effectively policing harmful sexual content on the platform. [1] https://nypost.com/2021/01/21/twitter-sued-for-allegedly-refusing-to-remove-child-porn/ https://nypost.com/2021/01/21/twitter-sued-for-allegedly-ref... [2] https://www.theverge.com/23327809/twitter-onlyfans-child-sexual-content-problem-elon-musk https://www.theverge.com/23327809/twitter-onlyfans-child-sex...
- tragictrash 4y ago
  Please stop the whataboutism. The devil doesn't need an advocate. Go home.
  - faeriechangling 4y ago
    I don’t consider it whataboutism, I think that many social media companies are clearly in literal violation of googles policies and thus citing policy to shut down truth social gets an “okay bro” reaction. The moderation is clearly totally arbitrary in where it draws the line regardless of if truth social is or is not worse than other social media platforms. Google is effectively making this up as they go.
    - ytpete 4y ago
      The distinction might be: are they at least trying and putting a reasonable investment into moderation, or do they not care / have no plausible plan. Disclaimer: I have to idea what degree of content moderation Truth Social currently has... but it certainly wouldn't shock me if they have no viable plan or aren't bothering to try very hard.
    - tragictrash 4y ago
      It is objectively whataboutism, and welcome to the real world.
krmboya 4y ago
I wish Google cared as much about customer service as they do about 'moderating user-generated content'.
fomine3 4y ago
Google/Apple shouldn't be trusted as a global censor. Each app store are dominant platform.
h2odragon 4y ago
No antitrust implications there, not at all. They fairly offer their services to all who agree with their politics. Remember Parler? How is that not an antitrust lawsuit to the amount of Facebook or Twitters highest valuation? "We coulda been this big had the established competition allowed us to compete"

35 points by SV_BubbleTime 4y ago

A thing that strikes me is that technology is so accessible and cheap now that relying on friction and cost of entry to deter right wing collectives online is not proving effective.

xenospn 4y ago

clearly they’re also violating the apple TOS, no? both platforms are somewhat similar in what they allow/reject.

blagie 4y ago
I don't think so. I think Google, Twitter, and friends don't like Trump, so they go out of their way to ban him. I don't think they're wrong to dislike Trump, but I think the treatment has the opposite of the desired effect: banning Trump simply validates what he tells his supporters. There are more nuanced tools which big tech could use; this feels a bit blunt.
- xenospn 4y ago
  That's a misconception - there's a clear right-wing, pro-trump bias on all large social media platforms, consistently for years, and it's by design: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/feb/01/facebook-youtube-twitter-anti-conservative-claims-baseless-report-finds https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/feb/01/facebook-youtu...
CharlesW 4y ago
> clearly they’re also violating the apple TOS, no? Google's decision certainly gives Apple some PR ground cover if they decide to ban it as well. However, Apple may not want to do that at this time. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/26/justice-department-antitrust-apple-00053939 https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/26/justice-department-... Also: If Apple bans Truth Social for "lacking effective systems for moderating user-generated content", one has to ask whether Twitter is any better in this regard. You can't be a person in the public eye on Twitter without regularly receiving hate speech, death threats, etc. either.
- xenospn 4y ago
  Didn't they remove Tumblr for this very reason at one point?

anon291 4y ago

Just go build your own as long as it's exactly the same as all the rest. "Freedom"...

SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
Just go build your own duopoly of app stores next?
- anon291 4y ago
  My comment was sarcasm, if that wasn't obvious.
  - SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
    Mine too, apparently it wasn’t.

andsoitis 4y ago

I tried signing up on Truth Social just now to check it out. They ask for your phone number but only make provision for +1 and +44. What is a good way to get a +1 number that protects my privacy?

anaganisk 4y ago
They only allow “real” phone numbers. No VOIP!
- SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
  I can't blame them if I had a service I would do the same.
  - simfree 4y ago
    Are you really going to check the LRN for each user's number every day? If not, restricting to wireless only is pointless. Bandwidth.com will happily port in and out phone numbers from wireless carriers in minutes, you could easily have a wireless number flip and flop between a CLECs OCN and a PCS or wireless OCN multiple times an hour.
- simfree 4y ago
  What qualifies though? Are US Cellular, Inland Wireless, Viaero, Verizon and such whitelisted? If so, which of their operating carrier numbers are whitelisted? Or are they doing this the ghetto fabulous way by NPA-NXX carrier allocation without checking the current underlying LEC? More than one of the carriers I listed will sell you SIP trunking and texting on their wireless OCN, breaking most schemes of this type. Registering on a wireless number and immediately moving it to wireline or VoIP is another major threat to this model.
ulfw 4y ago
Just don't bother with this 'social network'. How about that? Funny how the 'truth' is blocked outside the US. All I am getting is: "At the moment, Truth Social is available for U.S. users only, but rest assured, we are working hard to make it available in your country. When Truth Social becomes available for you, we'll make an announcement. Stay tuned! Access denied You cannot access truthsocial.com. Refresh the page or contact the site owner to request access." https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/03/05/truth-social-emptiness-donald-trump-00014355 https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/03/05/truth-soci...

ALittleLight 4y ago

Microsoft faced antitrust legislation for bundling a free browser with their OS, but Google and Apple are allowed to dictate content moderation policies for apps on their OS? This is disgusting.

superchroma 4y ago
Maybe if it was Twitter that was running the Android app store, but it seems to me that this situation is not so clear cut. How is this an anticompetitive action?
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- ALittleLight 4y ago
  Google competes for user's attention and advertising dollars. It seems pretty straightforward to say that prohibiting competitors from operating is an anticompetitive action.
  - bandyaboot 4y ago
    It’s a tricky situation. I think it’s appropriate for the government to intervene if Google bans a competitor’s app for anti-competitive reasons. But I also think Google should not be forced to facilitate distribution of content on its property that it believes to be harmful simply because that distribution is being done by a competitor.
  - superchroma 4y ago
    I think you would have to demonstrate that they were promoting apps that integrated with Google ad vending over those that don't, then. I'm just trying to visualize the legal argument.
    - SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
      When you are Google, I think you should be held to a ”no, you can’t create the world as you see fit” binder. Because at this size “a competitor” isn’t really a thing.

version_five 4y ago

Why can't they make a web app? I think what google is doing is in a sense an unfair application of market power and is anticompetitive, but on the other hand, I don't really see what specifically Truth Social would miss out on if they just deployed as a web app and circumvented any tech company gatekeeping

duxup 4y ago
They have a website.
simfree 4y ago
PWAs on Android seem to have restricted push notification access (for me they always show up under silent notifications from my browser), and things get a bit mixed up when your browser has multiple push notifications authorized. Asking the target userbase to install a progressive web app is not very attractive given the name. Might as well call it "Demoncrat" web apps as far as Truth Socials users are concerned.
dagmx 4y ago
On Android, they could technically also just ask users to side load it. It’s fairly trivial to do. That said…there’s definitely going to be a lot of scam apks because the demographic would be ripe for conning.
trident5000 4y ago
"I don't really see what specifically Truth Social would miss out on" Virtually all accessible users. Your average consumer is not tech savvy.
knewter 4y ago
They have a very good PWA already

sn0w_crash 4y ago

SV_BubbleTime 4y ago
Yessir. At least some of us see it coming.

annexrichmond 4y ago

> Google says that the app violates the Play store’s standards for content moderation, according to Axios. Wonder what Google has to say about Twitter's child porn problem? > Twitter could not safely allow adult creators to sell subscriptions because the company was not — and still is not — effectively policing harmful sexual content on the platform. [1] https://nypost.com/2021/01/21/twitter-sued-for-allegedly-refusing-to-remove-child-porn/ https://nypost.com/2021/01/21/twitter-sued-for-allegedly-ref... [2] https://www.theverge.com/23327809/twitter-onlyfans-child-sexual-content-problem-elon-musk https://www.theverge.com/23327809/twitter-onlyfans-child-sex...

tragictrash 4y ago
Please stop the whataboutism. The devil doesn't need an advocate. Go home.
- faeriechangling 4y ago
  I don’t consider it whataboutism, I think that many social media companies are clearly in literal violation of googles policies and thus citing policy to shut down truth social gets an “okay bro” reaction. The moderation is clearly totally arbitrary in where it draws the line regardless of if truth social is or is not worse than other social media platforms. Google is effectively making this up as they go.
  - ytpete 4y ago
    The distinction might be: are they at least trying and putting a reasonable investment into moderation, or do they not care / have no plausible plan. Disclaimer: I have to idea what degree of content moderation Truth Social currently has... but it certainly wouldn't shock me if they have no viable plan or aren't bothering to try very hard.
  - tragictrash 4y ago
    It is objectively whataboutism, and welcome to the real world.

krmboya 4y ago

I wish Google cared as much about customer service as they do about 'moderating user-generated content'.

fomine3 4y ago

Google/Apple shouldn't be trusted as a global censor. Each app store are dominant platform.

h2odragon 4y ago

No antitrust implications there, not at all. They fairly offer their services to all who agree with their politics. Remember Parler? How is that not an antitrust lawsuit to the amount of Facebook or Twitters highest valuation? "We coulda been this big had the established competition allowed us to compete"