The App stores should remove online gambling apps
These apps are far more dangerous than the already blocked apps about alcohol, smoking, or sex.
To maintain their huge revenue shares on mobile app spending, Apple and Google use their app stores to control what apps people can access. I don’t think these companies should control our devices and there have been some modest reform efforts, especially in the EU. But until this happens, we live in a world where the regulation of online safety has largely been privatized.
Both companies currently ban apps that ‘encourage’ consumption of alcohol or cigarette smoking. These types of apps are legal according to the government, but are being blocked by Apple and Google at their own discretion, ostensibly for user safety.
Meanwhile, both app stores currently allow online gambling apps (the gambling companies are required to block signup and use in locations where online gambling is banned) and they accept advertising from online gambling companies.
From a safety standpoint, this approach is completely backwards. Gambling apps aren’t just encouraging people to gamble, they are directly providing the addictive service. The risk of losing your life savings to gambling is caused by the app itself.
We need a public campaign to push Apple and Google to block gambling apps in the app stores. While online gambling would remain legal on websites, an app store ban would dramatically reduce the initial rate of exposure to online gambling and the number of people who develop gambling addictions.
It would also reduce Apple and Google’s potentially liability in class action lawsuits from families harmed by online gambling apps that are designed to be addictive and which pay to be promoted on these app stores. If public safety concerns won’t convince these companies, maybe liability will.
Agree 100%.
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