Comment by codethief
2 days ago
Unrelated to the REST API, I just installed your Clearspace app on my Android phone (Pixel 8 W/ GrapheneOS). I can't use the app without connecting it to my Google account and the app requires network permissions? (There are so many others on the Play Store that will sell your app usage data.) Sorry, but no.
Understandable, but yes we need auth and would rather use third party (google) for that, all things considered. And yes we need the network.
We don't sell your usage data.
Unfortunately, without the Google account I don't even get to the point where I could have a look at your ToS or anything like that.
Regarding auth, would a free tier or trial version or a one-time payment (each without auth) possibly make sense?
Forcing users to have adtech surveillance platform accounts (and agree to TOS of same) to use your app isn’t a good look.
They already have Android phones so the vast vast majority already have Google accounts.
I can see both sides. I want them to not require it but as a developer used to creating lean projects I can understand why they do.
Is this serious? Why is it not a good look?
Remember 95%+ of potential users of this app have not spent a minute concerned about Googles data harvesting.
The alternative is forcing users to create yet another account/password during signup. This always infuriates me as a user - especially in the days before iOS 18 when there was no password manager support on iOS.
It doesn't really feel like "forcing users into adtech surveillance platforms" if they're using Android - they already have a Google account it's literally built into the operating system.
The goal was and is to minimize friction and maximize security. For all the flaws of consumer subscription as a business model, it's beauty is that we don't have perverse incentives. Users pay us to protect their attention so we make money by being good at that. We don't have to or want to sell their data.
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