Google reinstates Element after an appeal

Google Play Store takedown and appeals process is so embarrisingly bad and so easy to fix. 1) give people notice and the chance to respond in most cases before the takedown or put the app back up if an appeal is filed until the appeal is reviewed. 2) allow attachments on the appeals form. They only allow 1,000 characters, which is just not enough for most cases. 3) staff the team so you can reply within 48 hours. Currently, the average seems to be about 10 days. 4) Have a way to see the takedown reason I'm the developer portal. If you appeal, see the appeal was received and is in process.

None of these things take materially more resources from google. Some junior PM should be able to make this better, and it would save google a lot of antitrust concerns. Something like 1M a year would probably do it.

The problem is that only apps with general public appeal and popularity can get fixed when fucked by google. See how many no-name apps that get accidentally fucked over, and nobody bats an eye, because nobody hears about it!

I think deplatforming should be treated the same as discrimination - there should be some transparent, third-party that you can appeal to, which has legal binding power (ala, a court) to reinstate, and if also found to be agrievious, fine the company owning the platform.

Honestly, I think its a mistake for Google to reinstate. It sends a message that with enough backlash, you can get your app put back up. It also opens Google up to legal liability for every app that didn't get the same treatment.

They should be confident enough in their first decision, and if not they should just remain silent and not cave to pressure from a bunch of people on the Internet. It's their platform and they can do what they want. If you don't like it you can get a different phone.