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.
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.
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.
Does Google do that? Apple absolutely does it, but has Google ever done that?
Apple used to straight up steal the idea of existing apps. Lately it seems they favor buyout, like with dark cloud becoming weather, but it used to be that Apple would randomly swoop in and crush developers by creating a first party version of their app.
Ah, Sherlocking
Though at least sometimes an idea seems somewhat obvious
Hmm.
Never really looked into it before.
Now I downloaded it.
Google’s strategy seems to have backfired, in my case.
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.
The amount of corporate control that has slowly and insidiously crept into our lives will never cease to amaze me.
Capitalism baby. Gotta cannibalize, monopolize, and enshittifize for maximum profits.
giggles in F-Droid
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)
Yet another reminder that Google is an unreliable company. Install Fdroid tonavoid Google’s mistakes.
