Google Removes App That Helps People Boycott Pro-Israel Companies::NoThanks was temporarily suspended from the Google Play app store due to a line in its description speaking about Israel.

  • Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works
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    11 months ago

    Jesus Christ, this is I getting nsane. When did it become unacceptable to say that genocide is bad?

    • DogMuffins@discuss.tchncs.de
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      11 months ago

      The article says that the app description said something about “killing children”.

      It’s not really surprising google removed it. I mean they could’ve just edited the description or whatever but… policy I guess.

      Sounds like it will be back any minute.

      • andrew_bidlaw@sh.itjust.works
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        11 months ago

        Google probably doesn’t have a stance here. They just sanitize everything for you to consume without a second thought. I wonder if it violated some children-related policies.

    • OtakuAltair@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      Capitalism taking its natural course of prioritizing capital/profit over human lives.

      Join/organize protests and Socialist movements if you want change.

    • MonkderZweite@feddit.ch
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      11 months ago

      It’s probably just an antimalware bot going wild. An unlucky filter somewhere matching “israel” (i had to regex-process invoices once, same shit), blown out of proportion by the culture of outrage doing it’s thing.

      But now that Google is forced to admit to one side, they will probably prefer to say nothing and just take the blame. It will be forgotten in a month anyway.

    • iopq@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      What I don’t understand, as someone who doesn’t support Hamas or Netanyahu, is why you would chant that.

      Like, where would Jews go? Is that actually a real solution? Only super old people actually came to Israel from another country, most of the Israelis don’t know any other home

      • Saxoboneless@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Well for one, Jews and specifically Israelis don’t have to go anywhere for Palestine and Palestinians to be free?

        Like the slogan just does not at all necessarily imply what you’re imagining (or what the US congress claims) it does. That slogan’s been around longer than Hamas.

        • NIB@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          The slogan is being used by far right israelis too. And it is implicitly genocidal for both sides. Israel is here to stay and so is Palestine. Both sides need to accept this so we can move towards the next goal, defining which lands go to which side.

          Israel needs to be charitable and give back land, remove settlers, etc. And in response Palestine needs to control its people and guarantee the safety of Israel.

          A lot of Israel’s landgrab is because of security concerns or at least thats Israel’s excuse. If Palestine can remove that excuse by providing security, things can become a lot simpler.

          The problem is that Palestine does not exist as a country with a unified government, partly because of Israel(supported hamas, etc), so Israel continues having legitimate security concerns.

        • prole@sh.itjust.works
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          11 months ago

          To be fair, we do say the same thing about “all lives matter.” An objectively true statement that can border on hate speech depending on context

        • iopq@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          It’s not the free part I have an issue with, it’s the geography

        • iain@feddit.nl
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          11 months ago

          Exactly, it’s the whole “black lives matter” vs “all lives matter” thing all over again.

        • iopq@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          We saw how that played out in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. After it was “freed” by Azerbaijan, 100,000 people were displaced. Sure, they didn’t have to go, but some people don’t like living under a dictatorship.

          Gaza didn’t have an election since 2006

        • LaLiLuLuCo@lemmy.ca
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          11 months ago

          Literally 75% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza choose it as the explicit genocide option on a survey that Includes one state for two people as an option. This is a poll done by a Palestinian university in the west bank, claiming its Israeli propaganda would be pretty stupid. All the US congress did was assert to the public what the meaning is to a super majority of Palestinians in Palestine. The diaspora pushing a different narrative never speaks up when the crowds chant the Arabic version that ends in “Palestine will be Arab” (or “Palestine is Arab”).

          https://www.awrad.org/files/server/polls/polls2023/Public Opinion Poll - Gaza War 2023 - Tables of Results.pdf

      • OtakuAltair@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        Jesus christ, Israel is literally a British colony. Getting Jews out of Europe was exactly what the Nazis wanted.

        Zionism isn’t some centuries old thing; it’s based in British colonization tactics. It started in full force only around 70 years ago to serve British military interests in the region.

        The companies made are literally called “Colonization Commission” and ‘the Jewish Colonial Trust’

        Israel, EU, and the US should decolonize the region and return it to Palestine. Where they go is up to those governments to manage, because they started this. But that goes against their profit incentives, which is to keep the middle-east divided through war, keep oil cheap, and prevent them from uniting against the imperial core, no matter how many hundreds of thousands of civilians are killed in the process.

        People are being displaced and forced out of their homes by settlers and military right now. Fuck colonizers.

        The PFLP, the second largest Palestinian liberation group after Fatah, calls for a secular Palestinian state where Jews, Muslims, etc. will live together in peace. Modern Fatah even accepts a two-state solution (and they have every right not to). Only Hamas is mixing up Zionists with Jews, and that’s entirely because of Israel and the Imperial core’s constant oppression, displacement, and now genocide of the natives.

        • iopq@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          When Jews lived there in period of Judah and Israel, was that also European colonization?

          Let’s not forget that Muslims conquered this region, it wasn’t magically peacefully obtained. Was this not colonialism?

          • rambaroo@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            You are talking about shit that happened 1400 years ago. Such a flimsy and ridiculous excuse for expelling millions of Palestinians from their homes. The entitlement and religious extremism is incredible

            • iopq@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              I never said I support settlers or whatever they are doing in West Bank.

          • OtakuAltair@lemm.ee
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            11 months ago

            Reactionary thinking like this is what lets colonizers and settlers continue to do what they’re doing even in the modern day. A war 1400 years ago does not justify colonizing and slaughtering natives right now. Surely you can see how fucked up that is?

            Theodor Herzl, founder of Zionism, knew this, and did not mince his words. He was simply racist, and saw it as bringing ‘civilization’ to barbarians as did the rest of Europe when they were colonizing and enslaving Africa and Asia:

            “We should there form a portion of a rampart of Europe against Asia, an outpost of civilization as opposed to barbarism. We should as a neutral State remain in contact with all Europe, which would have to guarantee our existence.” Source [II]

            That is exactly what’s happening right now. All for European and US military and economic interests in the region.

            • iopq@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              Great, then we agree, Hamas killing innocents is in no way justified. Most of Gaza is under 18 years old. Not only were they not alive for the events of 1949, their parents most likely were not either.

              Where did I say I support settlers?

              • OtakuAltair@lemm.ee
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                11 months ago

                Not only were they not alive for the events of 1949, their parents most likely were not either.

                You realize Gaza has been an open-air prison ever since, right? And you’re trying to use the decreased life expectancy in Gaza from Israeli oppression to deny their right to fight back against colonizers? What the fuck?

                • iopq@lemmy.world
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                  11 months ago

                  Ah, yes, kill and rape to prove how right you are. See how that’s working out for them

                • LaLiLuLuCo@lemmy.ca
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                  11 months ago

                  Two five star hotels isn’t something you find in a prison.

                  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Beach_Resort,_Gaza

                  Also 70% of jews in Israel, half the population are native jews not Europeans of any kind.

                  Of the 20% Arab population, as many that live in Gaza, 70% identify with Israel over Palestine. A historic high that increased after weeks of war. Calling them colonizers is inaccurate and insulting levels of racism.

                  The life expectancy in Gaza was actually 75 years, whatever 40 number you saw is misinformation. They had an average amount of hospitals and medical clinics per capita. There’s a lot of kids because people have a lot of kids. Why the population has ballooned.

                  They also managed to get phones and other resources in. Almost like it wasn’t really a full blockade. Lots would go to work in Israel before the latest war.

          • voodooattack@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            Oh, so given your opinion, can African Americans or Chinese Americans return to their respective continents, occupy an entire country by displacing its current population, and claim it as their ancestral land? How delusional.

            And since when is “the period of Judah” an accurate historical reference point?

      • SulaymanF@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        It means that Palestinians living in West Bank and Gaza should be free from Israeli oppression and Palestinians living in Israel should be free from apartheid. It doesn’t mean kicking people out.

        • Buelldozer@lemmy.today
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          11 months ago

          That isn’t what it means. You are trying to RetCon history to align with present day values. Stop it.

          • LaLiLuLuCo@lemmy.ca
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            11 months ago

            Literally 75% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza choose it as the explicit genocide option on a survey that Includes one state for two people as an option. This is a poll done by a Palestinian university in the west bank, claiming its Israeli propaganda would be pretty stupid.

            https://www.awrad.org/files/server/polls/polls2023/Public Opinion Poll - Gaza War 2023 - Tables of Results.pdf

            The gas lighting is intense. The charitable take that people are ignorant just says a lot about their knowledge of the region and the conflict.

            '48 Palestinians in Israel also are full citizens https://www.timesofisrael.com/amid-war-poll-finds-arab-israelis-sense-of-kinship-with-state-at-a-20-year-high/ their situation has vastly improved and labeling it apartheid is ignorance. That label can only apply to Gaza and the West Bank and arguably then even when compared with actual apartheid. There are Arabs in parliament, on the Supreme Court, and in the highest ranks of the IDF. Like fuck, Benny Gantz, one of the three ministers in the war cabinet, was shit talking in Arabic during the ceasefire because Israelis learn Arabic in school too. A significant number of the troops killed in Gaza are Druze, another minority Abrahamic faith that speaks Arabic with a large minority population in Israel. Highest standard of living for their minority in the region. There’s a movement since the war started to enshrine them in Israel’s Basic Law (constitution).

      • PatFusty@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        They chant that because it means something different depending on who says it. The Palestinians have been chanting this slogan for many years since the PLO times. The call was to unite the people to show unity between the people of gaza to west bank. However, when Hamas took power, the chant turned into something antisemitic. So you will hear both sides now, unite the people and wishes for terror.

      • Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        It’s a thought terminating clishe. It’s easy to avoid complex issues if you can just repeat a quick little chant to get out of critical thinking.

      • sugartits@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Many who chant it don’t even know what river or sea they are talking about without looking it up.

        And they don’t care what happens to the Jews. It’s a racist chant which is basically supporting genocide.

        It’s an idiotic phrase that only morons and racists would repeat. It’s unrealistic and doesn’t solve a damn thing. But of course the herd will repeat the catchy phrase because they have an excuse to be openly racist but still have a way of justifying it.

        There. I said it.

        And no, before these same idiots say otherwise: I am not happy with how Israel or the IDF is handling the current situation or the situation before October. Nor am I a supporter of hamas and their actions in early October; Israel just had their own 9/11, so of course they are going to react miltaryary, of course they fucking are, like every country on the planet would.

        This whole thing is like watching two unlikeable assholes having a boxing match. It’s basically boogie2899 Vs wingsofredemption but with a lot more death and destruction, so it’s not funny.

        • rambaroo@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          “Of course they’re going to bomb refugee camps and schools, of fucking course they are” Jesus Christ just stfu already with the bullshit excuses

          • sugartits@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            I’m not making excuses. Try reading my comment again and thinking for a moment.

            You can do it! I believe in you!

      • SlikPikker@lemmy.ca
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        11 months ago

        Israel can’t and shouldn’t exist in the future.

        An ethnic religious state can never be free.

        • iopq@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          But it will exists, so maybe try to work in thay framework for a solution

    • LaLiLuLuCo@lemmy.ca
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      11 months ago

      For all the people still in denial, that is a genocide slogan.

      All you need to do is listen to actual Palestinians in Palestine instead of anonymous blogs.

      Like a survey conducted by Palestine’s Birzeit University’s Arab World for Research & Development (AWRAD)

      Literally 75% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza choose it as the explicit genocide option on a survey that Includes one state for two people as an option. This is a poll done by a Palestinian university in the west bank after the start of the war, claiming its Israeli propaganda would be pretty stupid. All the US congress did was assert to the public what the meaning is to a super majority of Palestinians in Palestine. The diaspora pushing a different narrative never speaks up when the crowds chant the Arabic version that ends in “Palestine will be Arab” (or “Palestine is Arab”).

      https://www.awrad.org/files/server/polls/polls2023/Public Opinion Poll - Gaza War 2023 - Tables of Results.pdf

      • ???@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        So basically you are saying this:

        Palestinians committing genocide:


        Israel committing genocide:

  • Orbituary@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    The list is immense. I would almost prefer a list of brands okay to buy from, free of zionist support. It would be smaller and easiest to maintain.

    • idiocracy@lemmy.zip
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      11 months ago

      totally not circlejerking brainwashed herd

      edit: lol as I was correcting spelling someone already down voted, this quickly! u guys/bots r hilarious

  • Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    When I just searched NoThanks on Google Play, the top results were YouTube Music, Google Meet, Google Assistant, Netflix and Amazon. What the actual fuck

    • boyi@lemmy.sdf.org
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      11 months ago

      kinda agree with this, to some extend. We can only do selective boycott, those that won’t directly affect our life given that there are other options, like not going to Starbucks or McD. If we really want to boycott Israeli products and techs, we won’t get access to modern tech at all - they are everywhere.

      • BrownKong@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        You don’t need to stop using things that you already payed for, that’s would be wasteful. You just need to stop support and not buy anymore.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Smartphones and computers are essential tools for many people. Essential tools can break beyond repair or be so old that they are risky to use or even can’t be used for what you need to use them for anymore. Suggesting just not buying technology because of Israel would basically require huge numbers of people to just end up having to quit their job one day because of it.

          I honestly wish there was a way to separate Israel from the tech industry, but it’s just not possible right now. Do what you can and not buy things from companies you aren’t forced to rely on, such as Starbucks and McDonalds, that support Israel. That still hurts Israel without hurting you.

      • giggling_engine@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        I think boycotting is the wrong way to solve this issue. It’s better to sit down and have an honest conversation about it. But the conversation has been anything but honest. People don’t even know what “from the river to the sea” actually means before shouting it, they think it’s some hippy “love and freedom” chant, while it’s a call for genocide.

        • gaylord_fartmaster@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          wow great idea, let me just go ahead and sit down with the CEO of Disney so we can have an honest conversation about them sending money to Israel

          • Herbal Gamer@sh.itjust.works
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            11 months ago

            They just need to get a good petition going! Or maybe a strongly worded letter signed by some celebrities?

        • ɔiƚoxɘup@infosec.pub
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          11 months ago

          There have been plenty of honest conversations since May 14th 1948 and it has led to this current situation. I would really love for there to be peace but it seems that everyone involved and everyone backing everyone involved is quite heavily invested and continued war in that region.

          The children pay the price.

  • mightyfoolish@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    I need to get off Android after this. OnePlus 6 is so close to being ready on PostMarketOS (conventional Linux for smartphones) but I don’t think I can wait for it anymore.

    • Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      I’d love to try an alternative for at least the store. It’s absolutely impossible to find and app worthwhile on there. Like, it’s insane. It’s all just bullshit that is paid, or gaming their system (just like Google.com is becoming like, actually.)

    • 0x2d@lemmy.ml
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      11 months ago

      pixel 3a has great ubuntu touch and droidian support

      source: i got one on ebay to mess with custom roms and stuff on

    • codenul@lemmy.ml
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      11 months ago

      Been running /e/os on Oneplus 6T and it’s been great. Built in tracker blocker is nice. Maybe a possible alternative to try

  • fne8w2ah@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Slightly off tangent but last year appeared this particular ID Nahui Scanner that scans barcodes and highlights any Russian-made products (released in March 2022 but unfortunately no updates since then). So it basically operates similarly to the aforementioned No Thanks app.

    • febra@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Well, it’s okay to boycott Russia for invading and occupying parts of Ukraine but god forbid you boycott Israel for invading and occupying the entirety of what we know as post 1967 Palestine.

        • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Ukraine blew up a major Russian railway a few days ago what are you talking about.

          Ukraine is doing plenty of terrorism against their occupier. Your double standards are showing.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    11 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    A mobile application telling users which companies to boycott based on their stance in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has been removed from the Google Play app store.

    “The app has been suspended from play store for this sentence, I removed it in the new update and play store will review it and release it again,” the account said in a post that included a screenshot of the description line which said, "Welcome to NoThanks, here you can see if the product in your hand supports killing children in Palestine or not.

    The ongoing war has prompted an array of responses from people in the U.S. and throughout the world with some supporting Israel’s efforts.

    According to the Associated Press, over 13,000 casualties have been reported by officials in Gaza, while Israel’s death toll has surpassed the 1,000 mark, as of Friday.

    In another post, the app shared a video showing a person using the software to scan a barcode while inside a store in order to see if the company is actively supporting Israel.

    Following the removal from the Google Play app store this week, the @NoThanksBoycott announced it was sharing an “apk version,” on its Telegram channel.


    The original article contains 461 words, the summary contains 198 words. Saved 57%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • danielfgom@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Well done Google.

    Just because a war is going on in someone’s country doesn’t mean you need to punish or target every company in that country. The war is not their fault. It has nothing to do with them.

    They should ban the app altogether for discrimination.

  • avater@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Is there a similar app for Pro-Hamas Companies?

    I’m getting downvoted for not wanting to support terrorists…lol

      • avater@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Every company from Iran maybe? I don’t know buddy, I especially asked for an app like the one in the article only for Hamas supporters…

        Don’t want to support terrorists.