Slashdot Mirror
Google Bans Cryptocurrency Mining Apps From the Play Store (bleepingcomputer.com)
The Google Play Store is no longer welcoming apps that mine cryptocurrencies on users' devices. The new policy plainly states: "We don't allow apps that mine cryptocurrency on devices." As a result, Google will start to remove any app from the Play Store that violates these terms. It will however still allow mining apps that are used to control cryptocurrency mining operations on remote devices -- such as servers or desktops. Bleeping Computer reports: Preventing cryptocurrency mining on Android is crucial because untethered mining operations can easily overheat or destroy batteries -- or even devices if the battery case deforms, leaks, or catches fire. Such scenarios have already happened. Android malware strains like Loapi and HiddenMalware have been known to cause physical damage to infected smartphones. Google didn't publicly announce the policy change, but developers who had apps removed complained on Reddit. Other policy changes were also made, such as the decision to ban apps with repetitive content. You can read the new "Restricted Content" section of the Play Store Policy Center here, and compare it to an earlier version here.
Or, indeed, get a refund on a phone/OS that obviously isn't fit for purpose if user-level software running at 100% can cause physical damage to it.
Destroys battery life, causes overheating in devices leading to hardware failures, makes products using their OS run like an Apple device post an obsolescence "update". It wasn't hard really. Now factor in "background" being added to "free" applications/games. See where this is going? Obviously not.
No problems here at all. If you want to cook your android device by running constant encryption on it, generating coins at a cost of many times their market value - go ahead and sideload the miner.
But most of the apps containing mining software are tricking users into mining for the app developer - and it's a good thing that they are being removed.
Prediction for end of Universe #42: Fencepost error in Quantum_bogosort.cpp
You can run what you like on your phone. Google is perfectly entitle to choose what it allows in its app store, however if you have a burning desire to run malware-infested crypto-mining apps (or any other kind of restricted apps for that matter), you can get them from an alternative app store, or sideload the apk.
Oh no... it's the future.
the Electroneum app appears to be unaffected, even-though it allows "mobile mining" for ETN coins.
I mined 100 of those ETN for 1 night with a 1080TI, and with my phone I couldn't even mine 1 for a few days, so I don't know if it is even worth it to waste battery and hinder the phone's performance with such an activity as "mobile mining".
Thus the quote marks.
Seriously, why would Google possibly care? In what way does it have any impact whatsoever on the Android Eco-system?
Several ways.
1) It makes Android less attractive as an ecosystem. (ruins battery life, performance, privacy, etc)
2) It provides marketing fodder for competitors to use against them
3) It impacts Google's revenue from their ad business
4) Many of these apps are obvious attempts at fraud
5) Liability due to the above issues
Who is it hurting to run this software?
Most of the people running it as well as Google and companies depending on the Android ecosystem.
If someone wants to use their phone to run cycles on mining or watching hard core Japanese porno, who's fucking business is it?
No one but nothing is preventing you from doing that. Doesn't mean Google is under any obligation to help you do it though. Go ahead and sideload the stuff if it is that important to you. None of us will care I assure you.
I've been purchasing computers since 1995 and every one I've purchased, I've been allowed to choose what to run on it, and had the choice to run software that max'd the CPU if I wanted to. ... five or ten years ago I predicted that smartphones would usurp the desktop, and I was wrong, they remain basically toys / dumb appliances, with a few useful applications (e.g. navigation, flashlight, camera).
{...}
This is why smartphones have failed utterly at competing with the desktop, and why desktops are still years ahead for getting real work done
"- What are these 'desktop' and 'workstation' thingy you keep mentioning ? I find these concept fascinating " - Typed some hipster on his ultra slim Mac Book laptop.
Then suddenly his beard caught fire, because the laptop was over heating.
But he didn't regret, the laptop was sooo thin, and so shiny, and such elegance with so few ports...
--
You might have not noticed but (except for us geeks who still dwell on /. ) for the rest of the world, the computing experience has devolved into mostly "navigation", mostly a couple of social websites and a few webapp (that some other hipster wrote in Javascript using 10MiB worth of frameworks on their craptops).
Shitty (from our point of view) laptop and crappy (ditto) smartphone have successfully replaced the desktop, because in practice we're the last bastion that actually *uses* any computer for anything more than posting meme GIFs.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
They aren't controlling what the customer does. They are controlling what is allowed to be downloaded via their service. I disagree with the blanket disallowing of the apps, but as long as they allow them to sideload, they are only changing which contracts that their system will facilitate.
No, a company is not entitled to forever control what their customer does on the device they sold some time ago.
It's a good thing they aren't doing that, then. They're controlling what apps the user can get from their store, full stop. Google doesn't remove apps from your device retroactively when they ban them from the store. You may go now.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"