EFF Calls Google Out Over Lack of Transparency, Draconian Approach to Android Market

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has taken to their blog to voice their displeasure with Google's recent pulling of Grooveshark from the Android Market.  As they see it, Google is headed in a completely different direction from the open and transparent Utopia promised back in 2007.  The EFF speculates as to why Google might have pulled the music application, positing that it could be copyright law-related or, worse, a potential competitor to their rumored Google Music service.  Given that Grooveshark still doesn't know exactly what they did to get the boot, they could not retool the application.  Meanwhile, Grooveshark has begun offering the music app directly from their website, away from the Android Market's policies.

Is the EFF correct in calling Google heavy handed or Draconian? It's hard to say exactly.  We're still only a couple of years into the whole app distribution game and with few players involved, things are constantly in flux.  We're in a very litigious time with large companies who can be held accountable or punished with financial penalties that reach millions or billions.  Perhaps Google is only trying to shore things up a bit and protect themselves from a major lawsuit.  On the other hand, maybe they see the benefit in exercising more control.

How do you feel about Google and the Android Market policies? As a customer, do you find them fair?  How about you developers reading this?

bobomb

Um, is the EFF all over Apple's ass regarding their app store practictes? Cause, uh... Google is light years better than Apple in that regard. Now if Google has done something wrong, then they need to be called out, but I would think the Grooveshark thing seems like a clear case of trying to get the RIAA to STFU.

http://twitter.com/chuckfalzoneChuck Falzone

Yes, they're all over Apple, too: http://www.eff.org/search?text

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