- cross-posted to:
- android@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- android@lemmy.world
Apk Link: https://cdn.organicmaps.app/apk/OrganicMaps-24081605-GooglePlay.apk
Note: If you don’t want to deal with stuff like this, I recommend you download and use it from F-Droid client or Accrescent AppStore.
Update: The app returned to the App Store.
You must log in or register to comment.
It’s Google.
I’m certain that “Common violations” = “competes with our own products”.
It’s highly unlikely that this app even comes up on the radar insofar as competing with Google Maps.
The answer is probably more mundane - an automated system made an incorrect call. It keeps happening when it comes to these Play Store app reviews.
Or some troll decided it would be funny to report it.
Indeed. “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity”—or, in this case, an unaudited automated process. Now, I’m sure the fact that it competes with one of their products meant that they were in no particular hurry to address the issue, but I’m sure the original failure was process related, not anti-competitive practices.
Or maybe an automated system flagged it and an underpaid and overworked employee in a third world country reviewed it.
Hmm.
Never really looked into it before.
Now I downloaded it.
Google’s strategy seems to have backfired, in my case.
Streisand effect
technically true but the original Streisand effect was about an image that had been downloaded six times before the lawsuit; Organic Maps is definitely a lot less obscure than that
Strategy? You are assuming there was any intent behind it. The reviewers in third world countries are probably spending 30 seconds per app and are bound to make mistakes. Which in this case was reverted.
The reviewers in the 3rd world country are the ones who have to deal with the appeal. I guarantee you that the removal was some form of automated system. No human review is required for deletion from the playstore. The idea behind ithat is that legitimate app developers will appeal in cases where the automated system fucks up whereas the conmen will not.
Yeah, sounds about right. This isn’t a case of “Google maliciously takes down a Google Maps competitor” like people are saying.
Yet another reminder that Google is an unreliable company. Install Fdroid tonavoid Google’s mistakes.
If this story blows up, organic maps is going to get so many more downloads and hopefully contributions.
I have been eyeing this crowd sourced map thing for a week or two. When I read this headline today I learned there was a centralized app for it. I immediately downloaded it.
It’s called OpenStreetMap and there are many apps for it! Organic Maps is a good one and I like it for when I go abroad and want to preload an entire country instead of downloading maps on my paltry 33 or whatever gigs of roaming allowance (that also only works in the EU - if I want to visit the US, I get to pay out the ass for 250 MB or 1 GB at a time)
Hopium question: Can Google be sued for this as anti-competitive behavior and fined for “lost revenue”?
In theory yes. In practice or will require enormous resources to build a case against the army of layers that Google and the other giants can afford. I believe only the government now is big enough to do it, with the antitrust law.
The answer to “can X be sued for Y?” is always yes, you can sue anyone for anything, this doesn’t say anything about whether you’ll succeed.
You can install any apk on your phone (even unrooted) and there’s alternative stores such as f-droid, so why?
Thank you, Google. Now I’m using it and contributing to OpenStreetMap :D
Thanks again google. I had never heard of this app until you banned it. Now I’m running it on my phone. Top notch advertising for your competition.
Same, downloaded it and gee it’s so much better
This is insane. What on earth could possibly constitute adult content on a navigation app? Are they going to start age-gating points of interest, like, if the destination address is a strip club in Virginia you have verify?
Edit: looks like it was added back. maybe just a mistake? https://fosstodon.org/@organicmaps/112982935184446753
Thx for.the post. Just installed via fdroid. Awesome app.
Haven’t heard of Organic Maps before but I just installed from the apple app store for solidarity 🫡
So, what about OSMand. Or Magic Earth. Or any other map app?
They’re not “good enough” - they dont provide the same comfy UI/UX that google maps and organic maps does. And organic maps is offline, so literally no data harvesting.
I prefer the UI of Magic Earth than Organic Maps. And ME also has offline maps/navigation, given that it also uses OSM.
STOP THE WAR ON COMFY SOFTWARE!!!
TIL, I never knew this existed. Currently downloading it. Any other suggestions for someone in iOS (openmaps related)?
Go Map!! for editing the map
I’ll look into it
I don’t think this was malicious, these app reviews are being done by an overworked and underpaid employee in some third world country. Mistakes are made all the time.
It was, and was corrected.
But what is everyone supposed to do with all these pitchforks and torches now?
Probably the map has 18+ places and no decent way to stop children from seeing them?
That would mean EVERY map app would be in violation since those places exist and are indexed by all of them. Including Google Maps.
You really trust a company(google) who warns users about malware from apks(non-google)… and then hosts plenty of unchecked malware in their own store. Im sick of this shit. I have my own friends distrusting me because of what google is telling them.
Are those apps available through the Families program as safe for kids?
No idea, is Google Maps listed as being safe for kids? It even has a default built-in search option to find nearby bars.
Either way, they removed the app from the entire Play Store, not just from kids accounts, or family sharing. Google specifically has as a separate account type for kids, ostensibly for the exact scenario they seem to be claiming is the reason for the removal here.
Aren’t they hidden by default in Google Maps?
“I love looking at the 3D building of this place. I am about to ejaculate in my pants”
Some buildings may be too sexy!
The app showed me a skyscraper and now I feel inadequate.
All buildings are beautiful!
I don’t know if Google has some API to indicate when the app runs from a child/family link managed account?
If so, then I suppose the Organic Maps dev could block some building categories from showing up (ex: Bars, Stripclub)?
I have been happily using OsmAnd while traveling outside my coverage area. Anybody have pros or cons of each of these? I just downloaded this one and didn’t really like that it automatically began downloading 250 megabytes of my localish region. In some places that would eat up my entire data package. I would rather it asked.
You can download maps for offline use just like in OsmAnd. I used OsmAnd before but the UI has become sooo sluggish I switched over to OM
