On September 25th of 2020 the LBRY Android app was removed from the Google Play Store, presumably by Google. If you were to search for LBRY on the Play Store you would simply find nothing rather than a message announcing the banning like the one I created above.
LBRY is an alternative video platform to Youtube that provides data location and monetization via it's own block chain, and crypto-currency token: LBC, short for LBRY Credits.
LBRY had several hundred thousand downloads on the Play Store, and over 3,000 user reviews holding a 4-Stars out of 5 average rating.
The removal came just as LBRY was launching their new front-end website portal Odysee.com.
Odysee is the newest website where users who are unfamiliar to the platform could discover the content along with LBRY.tv. Both host the same content, but Odysee adds the possibility of traditional ad-based revenue for LBRY creators.
The Stated Reason: Pornographic Content
When the LBRY team attempted to contact Google on the matter they received an e-mail citing a comedy sketch video that contained "simulated sexual intercourse" as being in violation of the Play Store's policies. This makes no sense given the fact that there was no actual pornography in the video, and the Play Store allows Twitter's application which allows pornography outright.
Though it should be noted, one can view pornography on LBRY by explicitly opting-in to allowing NSFW/Explicit content via an option in the application's settings dialogue. Odysee.com however, does not showcase NSFW content.
Below Is Parts Of The Timeline As It Played Out From Twitter:
Here's LBRY CEO Jeremy Kauffman's Twitter post explaining the removal:
The App Has Since Been "Re-Instated" :
The Banning Also Had a Positive Effect On LBRY's Growth:
The Real Reason for LBRY's removal:
Given the lousy grounds for the removal, one could speculate that Google was attempting to stifle the growth of an alternative competing product to Google's own Youtube video service. Youtube itself has taken a somewhat hostile stance towards crypto-based platforms in the past by banning any video that was deemed guilty of giving financial advice.
Also, another crypto-based alternative social media site Minds.com, had their app removed from the Play Store over a year ago.
As a content creator myself, I always promote LBRY and other alternatives in each one of my video's intro sequences, and I am sure to link to my other publishing platforms in each video's description.
DS-Tech Media is a very small channel, but I've seen many larger channels promoting LBRY more and more frequently.
It probably doesn't help that LBRY even offers a Youtube Sync feature that allows you to automagically transfer your entire existing Youtube catalogue and subsequent uploads quite conveniently to your LBRY account.
I'm just glad to see LBRY still growing, and back up on the Play Store to pull people away from the clench of big-tech's monopoly and censorship.
For DS-Tech Media,
DroWn aka Jayson Hache,
Thank you for reading.
Censorship drives growth of alternative platforms, so it's sort of good really!
I somewhat agree. But the thing is if you were on Youtube prior to the crackdown/censorship(2016), Youtube WAS the ALT platform. It was like the wild-west, and we had total freedom to say and create content about anything we wanted. I wish I would have gotten started sooner, but I was late to the party.
The other issue is the current internet.
When I started using the internet it was vast and open. Most people who wanted to create something, did it themselves and it was their platform, their website, and under their control. Anonymity was also very prevalent.
The first time I ever used my real name online was when I signed up for Facebook. This was the beginning of persistent/unified ID's online. Now everywhere you go you can log-in with your FB, Twitter, and Gmail accounts.
The internet before was very much decentralized. Now we have these major hubs: Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Amazon, LinkedIn, etc. and so forth.
Platforms like LBRY, Hive/Peakd, and Minds are great, but they aren't what their competitors are.
On Facebook, the people I first started befriending were all people I knew in real life. On Minds I don't know anyone in real life, and I don't think any of my real life acquaintances use Minds.
Yes, I've been down the same path - I've had four FB accounts and one of them actually has my real name. Most of my old "real friends" have unfriended or blocked me, but I still have that original real-name account, along with one of the others to switch to when I get blocked.
But all mainstream accounts are on the terms of "them" rather than us, and I hope platforms like 3speak replace youtube eventually
I've basically stopped using FB, and most of my personal social-accounts. After I broke up with my ex I kind of withdrew from keeping up an online presence. Not sure if that's healthy or unhealthy, but I just don't feel a need to be involved with most of the people I know anymore. There was a time when I had a lot of friends, and went to a lot of parties, but that's just kind of lost interest to me. I think most of what drove me was women, and I'd rise and fall because of my investment in them.
One friend who I'm still in contact with, was considered crazy when he became more religious, moved to a rural area, and started to stock up on food, guns, and ammunition. I too used to think he had lost his mind, but now I think he was kind of ahead of the curve.
When I was younger, I found that most of my beliefs on social issues, politics, and life were pretty popular opinions and I'd share them pretty often. Back then seemed like I was one of the only ones who really cared. Now, everyone else cares too much, and my opinions are definitely on the fringe.
If I were to tell everyone I know my beliefs, I know they would consider me insane. So I think I understand where you're coming from, but I never expressed it to my real-life circles online.
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