Apps like Grok are banned under Google rules–why is it still in the Play Store? | Hacker News Reader

Apps like Grok are banned under Google rules–why is it still in the Play Store?

arstechnica.com

54 pointspauljonas20 comments

I'm pretty sure this got posted before (maybe for apple, or slightly different headline), and flagged. I can't imagine why this would get flagged, but I think there's a really solid question here. It feels pretty fair to enforce the rules to ensure that this behavior is not allowed on platforms.

Are people still able to do the things this article says you can do with Grok? I know that was the headline several days ago. I haven't really followed this story too closely to know.

As I understand it yes, but whereas before you could do it for free now you have to upgrade to pro or whatever. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

I think whether or not you can still actively do this, there should likely be a consequence for the fact that you could ever do this. And pulling from the store for a proportional amount of time seems like a fair way to enforce that.

I don't think this explains why you would pull the article. The fact that it was ever correct is sufficient even if it's not currently point in time correct.

The article is dated today. If Grok's policy changed already, then the article's author is missing something important.

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that you had a daughter. The boys at school are just being boys, amirite, and they generate nudes of your daughter and share them. Your daughter of course is unaware of this, but a week later the pictures have spread to a wide enough circle that someone shows the pictures to her. She's humiliated and emotionally devestated. She feels like people have been a little weird around her all week. A particular hallway taunt that seemed random suddenly makes awful sense. They've all been looking at nudes of her! She now feels like nobody will ever look at her the same way again. She's afraid to go to school now. She's clearly depressed, her usual faith in humanity suddenly absent. Over and over and over she wonders to herself "what did I do wrong?"

But she didn't do anything wrong except exist. She asks you why there's no consequences for anyone involved. Why are there more and more girls like her every day and the adults act like it's fine? You are at a loss for words.

Because no, if you're the victim, it's not fucking fine. There's nothing fine about wrecking her life being a product for sale to make Elon even richer.

Can you actually generate nude photos? I’ve seen this repeated but never seen examples and I’ve tried and it doesn’t seem to do nudity.

It will swimwear tho.

Same reason that apple did not ban Facebook despite repeated workarounds of user privacy measures. Too-big-to-fail.

Likely so.

But then again, Apple banned Verizon’s app (Tumblr) in 2018 when CSAM was discovered on the platform and not removed fast enough.

Tumblr was never as big as FB or Twitter are

Ohhhhh ok if you're big you can do whatever and morals don't apply. I get it now!

"If you've enough users that banning you would affect our bottom like negatively..."

Unironically, this is exactly the state of the world in 2026

The difference is less pronounced than you think.

In 2018 Tumblr had more users (over 60M monthly) than Grok today (30M monthly). And Verizon, the owner, is/was larger than Grok’s owner: xAI.

If Twitter would be based in Europe, it would be gone from both stores exactly the same day the problem has shown up.

But since Twitter is in USA, rules does not apply.

Because things change

I love that people are downvoting and reporting me for saying these companies hate women, when they're only acting like they hate women.

I would say "don't shoot the messenger," but no, I take that back. Get mad at me. Get furious at me! Then ask yourself "who ya really mad at," cause I guarantee you it isn't me.

Previously:

Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai are cowards

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46560359

‘Fuck you, make me’ without saying the words

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46577869

it's possible the rules are imminently going to be updated, causing an explanation, i thought.

I thought it was a combination of Musk suing companies that stopped advertising on Twitter based on anti-trust law, and Musk being on the good side of Trump.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com