Android News
Google Developer Advocate defends Android Market’s lack of pre-screening
August 16, 2010 | by Andrew Kameka
Android News
The Android Market has things it’s not supposed to have. There are sex apps, work that violates the intellectual property of dozens of right holders, and apps that are technically illegal. Sadly, it also includes material that’s offensive.
That became clear last Friday when analyst Michael Gartenerg commented that there are pro-Nazi themes in the Android Market. The offending items were soon removed, sparking debates about free speech and the validity of having a pre-screening process like Apple.
Android Developer Advocate Tim Bray addressed both concerns in a post on his personal blog, saying this incident is a prime example of why Android’s current market conditions work. Bray points out that the offensive material was removed after a takedown request was filed, showing that
“Anyone can publish anything, but there’s a smooth well-oiled process for ripping the weeds out of the garden, once they get noticed.”
I’d actually disagree with Bray on that point. While he’s right to state the model of the Market does work, the execution of it definitely does not. I have personally flagged apps that have remained in the Market, and a search of the market is likely to reveal apps or themes that violate the market’s terms of service or trademarks. There is a process to have these apps removed, but I wouldn’t clarify it as “well-oiled.”
As for the issues of free speech, I agree with Bray that “[The Android Market] is not a public commons, it’s a store.”
Google is no more responsible for carrying Nazi propaganda than Macy’s is for carrying Osama bin Laden t-shirts. Companies have a right to determine what items it houses and what it removes. Anyone who wants something that violates Google’s terms of service can download the app from its source and install the APK (provided they aren’t on AT&T). While the Android Market system is certainly flawed, draconian pre-screening found in other platforms is not the answer.
I’d rather not get into the deep philosophical issues of free speech in anarchy or constrained speech in a walled garden, but Bray is right about Android not being a public arena. Free speech is not absolute, especially when discussing a private entity’s right to express its beliefs by not letting offensive material associate with its name or products.
It's not an issue of free speech being non-absolute. It's an issue of private property, and the Market is Google's private property, so it has full authority to say what is and is not allowed in their Market. Free Speech has nothing at all to do with it.
Sure, Google owns the market and has the /right/ to do whatever it wants with it, but it was Apple's all-too-prominent use of those property rights that drove many of us to be Android users in the first place. The question isn't what they have the right to do, it's what they /should/ do. For my part, I wish they would leave it as a commons, and then let the crowd sort out the good from the bad. There are Nazis in this world, and if they want to Nazi-up their phones, so be it. The rest is up to us: vote down those items to make them obscure, then ridicule those people for being douche bags. I'd rather Google take an uncompromising stand to allow all content that does not break the law, even if it means some unseemly things are available, then to start compromising, because once you cave a little, it gets harder and harder to draw the line. Google's search engine is also private property, how do we feel about it making links to racist websites fail to show up on web searches? That seems to me to be a step too far, and actively damaging to the public welfare.
Go buy an iphone, andrew and leave us android market users in peace, thanks!
The philosophy behind the Android Market appears awfully good, with Google showing a lot of restraint in order to allow an open marketplace. Like most organizations, their technical execution of that philosophy is just a little less exemplary. I congratulate Google for doing the right thing most of the time.
It would be nice if Google (and only Google) were to add a vetted section to the market. Let publishers pay say $10 and let Google check the applications (much like Apple does). And if users want to access this vetted section of the market place, let them pay $1. I would gladly pay for it. I want peace of mind that the applications I am downloading are safe. That means there is still an open & wild market for those who want it, but also a safer version if desired. Let there be both worlds. Let me have my cake and eat it!
what are u so worried about man? if u want someone to hold ur hand go to apple. they will make sure they take out the garbage for you so u can feel all safe by not having to walk to the crub at night by urself. if there was truly a problem with an app, google will take some action and fix it. like that wallpaper app that everyone thought was gonna steal ur info, there was nothing wrong with it. i download apps care free cuz i TRUST google. its about time u do the same.
Overall, I think the Android community does an awfully good job indicating quality apps using the Market's rating system. That said, I can't say I know the process for "blacklisting" an app that violates the TOS or may be offensive; it's not something that's ever come up for me.