AnkiDroid: Google Play no longer allowing Open Collective donation link

Not Google's first rodeo. They pulled the same move in 2019: https://www.phoronix.com/news/WireGuard-Ejected-Play-Store

This is why software should not be subjected to an "app store" type distribution system, where a monopolist retains absolute control of what software can run on your devices, and can capriciously deny distribution to developers for whatever reason it likes.

> Play billing "must not be used in cases where payments include … tax exempt donations"

> Note: 501(c)(6) is a tax-exempt status; donations are not tax-deductible for the donor. Google's communications explicitly state "tax-exempt".

Isn't it pretty obvious that the problem is the donations aren't tax-exempt, despite the organization being tax-exempt? Your note suggests you already understand this.

Logically, the payment processor (who deals with sales taxes rather than income taxes) should worry about the taxability of the transaction rather than the tax status of the recipient, right?

> Specifically, your app allows users to contribute donations to an organization that is not tax-exempt.

So whoever is writing their email is mixing these two up, but you're reading the policy itself and it is fairly clear-cut what it means for you, right?

> Donations are not tax-deductible

> Because we are a 501(c)(6), OSC is not a registered 501(c)(3) charity; donations to hosted member projects are not tax-deductible. This is consistent with IRS guidelines — open source donations aren't automatically classified as charitable simply because they are FOSS.

> If your project has a clear charitable purpose, a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor may be a good fit.

- https://docs.oscollective.org/welcome-and-introduction-to-os...

AnkiDroid has been such a great boon for me, thank you for sharing the link and reminding that they would benefit from my donation.

If only PWA were not made invisible by Apple. The install button has been moved voluntarily to the share menu.

The UE should make it mandatory to permit PWA install popups on all platforms.

Such problems wouldn't arise, because this app could be installable as a cached Web app. A native mobile application could be installed only for specific functionalities.

>clarification on whether an IRS 501(c)(6) determination satisfies "tax exempt donations".

These donations aren't tax exempt. 501(c)(3) are tax exempt. If users are paying via Google pay these payments must be tax exempt to the *user*.

Digital infrastructure became so important that it must be regulated. We can't leave app stores at the whim of mega corporations.

Being a developer, I can say that working with Google is a pain. There is no possibility to talk with a human, all communication is answered by the same AI-generated response that links you to the same AI-generated documentation.

And if such AI does something wrong (which it does) no matter what they WILL REMOVE your app. Because they don't care about you. Sometimes the only way out is to publish the app again with another package identifier, because once they flagged it even if you remove all reference to the offending feature there is no way that they will accept it (it unfortunately happened, fortunately before releasing the app to the public so we could switch without affecting users).

In some sense I prefer Apple (and I say it as an Android user), you surely pay an annual fee to publish to the store, but if you have some issues you can open a ticket where a fucking real human will look into it and answer you, and explain what to to.

Play blocking the donation link on a free app that actually needs those donations is a weird hill

My next phone won't be an android, but a Linux phone, and I'll keep this old phone as a secondary device for banking apps.

It's becoming more and more clear to me that my next phone won't be an Android

I suppose there might be a way to sign up for the alternative billing scheme:

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ...

but make sure to "pay the relevant Play service fee, starting October 1, 2026."

Very cool, Google.

Just remove the open collective link. Point to your homepage where the motivated donors will certainly pay. You already should know how many of the motivated users actually care about donations. The goal of this story and publishing it in HN seems to catch more eyeballs and marketing of Ankidroid, under new leadership. All I am suggesting is, just play along with Google. No harm here.

I am sorry, if I am wrong. Happy to be wrong too.

In Iran, we have a reverse market competition rule that is "instead of the market lowering prices to be competitive with the lowest price, as soon as one actor pushes the prices up, all other actors raise their own prices as fast as humanly possible."

I'm amazed to see the exact playbook be used here. Instead of people opposing Apple's horrible App Store, it seems that every other store is studying their strategies.

I think by the time of Apple's next court case on the App Store, the judge will pay them something back as they'll arrive at the conclusion of Apple doing nothing out of the ordinary.

Apps need to exit the Play Store. I have a whole slew of apps which haven't been updated for a while now because Aurora Store isn't working because of whatever Google of doing. Meanwhile the ones installed via FDroid and other means are perfectly up to date. It's a crappy state of affairs as Google continues to close the boiling Android frog.

Just chiming in to say that, as a user, F-Droid is so nice and comfortable. Never have I ever had to worry about predatory bs. Thanks to everyone involved :)

Can't you construct the link at run-time from obfuscated pieces, and only show it according to some halfway clever condition?

I hope they can solve this is one of my favorite apps on android.

every single comment in this thread about leaving the app store and using fdroid etc...

are we forgetting google already announced they will shut it all down in a few months?

we think complying by removing donation links is a bad idea because it just lets google get away with this and won't cause any users to notice. you need to let disruptions like this reach the users so that google might do something about this

Shit like this is yet another reason why we don't have apps in the app store. In app purchases are a non-starter for us.

As I understand it, there are ways to work around accepting payments or donations outside of the app stores.

It adds one more thing to have to do and explain to users. And even with that piece taken care of, we would need to be constantly vigilant about changes in Apple or Google policies that might eject our app from the storefront.

Every day Google commits to more Evil. How much more Evil can this world take from Google?

Also - all those monopoly-stores need to be broken up. It can not be that these mega-corporations continue to be protected by a selfish US government wanting to install monopolies globally.

anki nerds unite

Good Work!!!

I've been more minimal and focused in my technology usage, specifically lucky enough to keep my phones and devices in "no notifications" mode for much of their lifecycle. My desktops and screens also have 0 apps on them ever, if I want to open something I just open a search UI and tap it and open it.

It works great on Mac, and iPhone. I imagine as more people try this sort of user experience, they might wonder like I am "Why use a Google experience device at all?" Most of what I use these days is simple and the extra value-add AI features, attention driven designs that justify new OS and new hardware, and even app stores barely feel necessary. OK some people say "but banking software" but very rarely do I have to use my banking software in a way I couldn't get to in the web browser?

I believe we're very close to having a 80:20 experience designed out in both hardware and software for laptops, phones and smart watches. I can't see these monopolies holding out much longer.

we need an Android app to "actively" complain to and about Apple, and an iPhone app to collectively agitate against Google

It sounds like Epic Games v Google must be heard again? Does that precedent apply to this, or did they settle?

Epic Games v. Google: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Games_v._Google

GitHub Sponsors is another way to raise for an open source organization.

This is not a great look for what is likely shoddy AI application affecting a free/open source/non-profit project.

Google's AI can't even line up the facts of it's own TOS as laid out in the ticket. If it's covert AI running in the background, it should at least throw out a bone as a github issue or something to let people submit on it.

In a time where marketplace options are supposed to be opening up, an app for learning ends up in the crosshairs.

Google has gone full rouge and DGAF.

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“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.”

― Benito Mussolini

Make web apps.

>We are forced to remove donation links immediately from our Play Store build in 2.24.X, and are doing so under protest

So you are still complying.