The app world is a massive place. There are millions of applications and games between the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. It is no surprise that some of them get into trouble every now and then. This year has been pretty big for controversy. Some have covered almost the entire 2020, while others are still in progress at the time of writing. The pandemic certainly did not help, and even the FTC got a little mixed up. Let’s look at the most controversial programs and games from 2020.
1. ToTok allegedly spies on people
ToTok, a popular chat program (not to be confused with TikTok), was banned from the Google Play Store in January after The New York Times has written an article providing strong evidence that it is a spy app for the United Arab Emirates government. Much of the app’s success comes from the UAB government blocking similar features in other apps. Huawei also promoted the app. It eventually returned to the Play Store in early January, but was removed again in February. It remains as of this writing from both Google and Apple’s app stores.
2. Google Photos disables unlimited backup
Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Government
Google Photos has for years represented the best offering in mobile history. It lets you upload and save and save photos and videos from your phone for free. Pixel devices could also upload photos and videos in full resolution for free as one of the benefits of owning Google devices.
Related: The best alternatives to Google Photos
However, Google put an end to free uploads in 2020. It is still available for the time being, but support stops June 1, 2021. Yes, that includes Pixel phones. After that, Google Drive can take up space to upload photos. You can always buy and keep more Google Drive storage, but the free and unlimited benefit was great. People were understandably upset. There are alternatives, but none of them are as easy or as accessible as Google Photos.
3. Google bans 600 apps, goodbye Cheetah Mobile
Programs and games are banned throughout. Google Play Protect alone prevents more than a billion malware installations per year. However, there was something special about this bundle. These 600 programs are banned because they offer virtually no benefit to end users and only exist to deliver as many ads as possible. Among the 600 were basically every Cheetah Mobile app in the Play Store. It’s an open secret that Cheetah Mobile’s applications are mostly snake oil. Google’s banhammer finally proved it to everyone. Good riddance, Cheetah Mobile.
4. India bans a lot of Chinese apps, including TikTok and PUBG Mobile
India and China currently have political differences. Part of the downfall was a massive ban on many Chinese apps from the Google Play Store in India. The list includes some big hits like most UC apps, WeChat, TikTok, ES File Explorer, most DU apps, and, ironically, Clean Master from Cheetah Mobile before it was removed anywhere. There was even an app (which is no longer available now) that tells you which apps are Chinese so you can get rid of them. India will eventually add another 117 apps, including PUBG Mobile, to the list. A new version of PUBG intended specifically for the Indian market is under development but with no final release date. This one is in progress, so you’ll probably be able to see more about it in our controversial 2021 appeal list.
5. FTC wants to know how programs use your data
The FTC previously ordered a number of online services to disclose how they use user data. The services involved include YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Reddit and several others. This is a real person of technical giants. In addition, the FTC wants to know how each company uses that data to deliver ads, how they study user engagement, and how their algorithms work. The investigation can be a big deal because all these companies are competing with each other. However, privacy is a major concern these days, so we’ll see how it goes. It took place in December 2020 and at the time of writing it is still ongoing.
6. Google withdraws Google Play Music in favor of YouTube Music
Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Government
We knew Google was replacing Google Play Music for YouTube Music last year. However, the saga only officially unfolded this year. This took place on two fronts. On the one hand, YouTube Music gradually gained a lot of features from Google Play Music while the latter was going under. The transfer of power became official on December 4th when Google Play Music really started shutting down for everyone.
See also: Google makes a big mistake in killing Play Music for YouTube Music
Many Play Music customers hate the move. The whole process took so long that tempers during the transition had enough time to boil over. YouTube Music is improving, but in terms of features, it is still far behind its predecessor. In addition, the list of viable alternatives is quite short and requires several programs for anyone who wants to replace each feature. Many people will miss Google Play Music, including me.
7. The API Exposure Notice on COVID-19
COVID-19 has hit the world like a bunch of bricks, so everyone is ready to be finished by 2020. The CDC recommended that we all wash our hands, stay six meters apart and wear masks. Meanwhile, Google and Apple have been trying to create a system to track who has COVID-19 and who has been exposed. The contact detection API was satisfied with cynicism and skepticism, as it was able to locate people and tell others who you came in contact with.
Google and Apple more or less crushed the worries by introducing some sort of rulebook. Worst of all, however, is how long it took governments to run programs that use the API to track COVID-19 distribution. Many states in the US do not have it, and many regions around the world have also never received an app. Even in places where the applications exist, not many people use them. The Virginia version of the app, for example, has only 100,000 installations compared to the population of 8.5 million.
Most versions of the app have bad reviews, referring to the inability to record positive results, prolonged exposure updates and not getting notifications when people know they have been exposed by a loved one and the loved one reported it . It is December 2020 and the number of cases is rising worldwide. Clearly, this attempt was a bit late, as a vaccine would be coming soon. However, it is built into iOS and Android, so maybe it will work better for the next pandemic.
8. The whole Zoom thing
When the world closed, video conferencing became a big deal. Zoom probably won. Numerous companies, schools and other organizations have used it instead of face-to-face contact. Unfortunately, Zoom was not ready for so much publicity. Zoom bombing has become a thing. People would join Zoom meetings without meetings and do terrible things. The video conferencing was not encrypted and there were a number of other security issues.
Zoom eventually encrypted everything, but it took a very long time to get to that point. Eventually it solved many of its security issues and even excluded people if they did not update. Efforts have been made to prevent Zoombombing as well, but not before a serious child threat issue. The company also compromised 500,000 bills and there was a lawsuit at one point. Yet just a few months ago, Zoom managed to hit 300 million active users daily. It easily had one of the most ridiculous years we’ve seen in a long time.
9. The US Government TikTok
The US is embroiled in a trade war with China. Last year, the big issue was the US ban on Huawei, and there was talk of ad nauseum. This year, the focus has shifted to the world’s fastest growing social media network ever, TikTok. It all started with privacy considerations. The US government was concerned that TikTok’s parent company would hand over sensitive user data to the Chinese government. Meanwhile, the app has been banned in several countries due to “immoral content” and other concerns. Eventually, the U.S. government decided to ban the app (along with WeChat), but it was stopped at the last second by order of a federal judge.
To avoid the ban, TikTok had to sell to another company. Microsoft was the longest in talks, but eventually partnered with Oracle so it could continue in the US. However, the US government wanted to look at the code to make sure it was safe before approving the deal. Most controversy is over for now, but many people still do not trust TikTok.
10. Epic games (and co) with Google and Apple
Welcome to a controversy that could last for several years. Fortnite was originally launched on iOS in the App Store and as a standalone app on Android. Eventually, it migrated to Google Play in early 2020. A while later, Epic Games tried to beep a payment method that bypassed Apple’s and Google’s cut of developers by 30%. As a result, Apple kicked Fortnite out of the App Store, quickly followed by Google Play. Then hell broke loose.
Epic Games immediately filed a lawsuit against Google against antitrust law. Google has also accused them of breaking off transactions with LG and OnePlus to pre-charge devices with Fortnite. Oh, and the company also sued Apple for the same case. Apple earned an estimated $ 360 million from Fortnite before the suspension. It also compares Epic Games to store thieves in one of the strangest answers we’ve ever seen. Meanwhile, Google has tightened its in-app purchases policy to only use Google’s system, which will take effect in early 2021.
Epic Games does not stand alone here. A group of Indian startups agree that the 30% reduction is too high for developers in India. In addition, Microsoft joined Epic Games because Epic Games is also developing the Unreal Engine. Epic Games and Spotify team up with Tile, Match Group (Tinder, PlentyOfFish, OkCupid, Match.com), Deezer, Qobuz and a host of others to create the Coalition for App Fairness. Epic Games has been battling the 30% tax for two years now, and although Apple has made some changes to lower the policy to smaller developers to 15%, the war is far from over. Do not be surprised if it is also on this list in 2021.
Check out controversial shows and games from previous years:
If we missed any major controversies, tell us in the comments! You can also click here to see our latest Android app and playlists.