Thread by @dhh

Google just banned a kids app produced by Danish Public Radio because some characters were using a pipe and fighting ninjas. Patently absurd. How many more instances of cultural imperialism does the EU need? politiken.dk/kultur/medier/…»Man-er-nødt-til-at-sætte-en-grænse-et-sted«

Also yet another example that EU has backed itself into a corner where it has zero control over its own culture or destiny. When Google decides that a Danish kids program violates prudent American norms, it's just banned. Nowhere to go, nowhere to appeal. FFS, wake up.

It's hard to underscore just how absurd this situation is. Danish Public Radio is operating on a public-service license issued by the Danish government. That's who they're accountable to for their programming, not some fucking big tech conglomerate from Silicon Valley.

Statement from the Danish cultural minister: "Google doesn't know what they're talking about. Danish Radio has been world-leading in programming for children for half a century, and there's absolutely nothing Google can teach DR about talking to children" 🔥

But watch this likely turn into nothing. Google is going to reinstate the app because the Danish government is involved, and nothing fundamentally is going to change. This is utterly intolerable for a sovereign democracy like Denmark. Work with the EU, don't be a digital colony.

Ah yes, standard playbook has been fulfilled. Whenever a particularly egregious example of monopoly overreach is publicized and gets attention, the abuser backs down on the individual issue, such that they can maintain the legitimacy of the overall order.

Another example, this time from Norway’s public service television station NRK. Their app for small kids is being classified as only suitable for 9 years or older because the character is... farting?! Absolutely grotesque. nrk.no/kultur/_-googl…

"For far too long – in our excitement over technology – have we accepted standards in the digital world that we would otherwise never accept", the Danish parliament is now pushing to have Google's insufferable dictates of Danish media brought up in the EU. politiken.dk/kultur/medier/…

While the kids app from Danish Radio has been reinstated, smaller Danish producers are still caught in the Kafkaesque process of the app stores. Google censuring Danish children's shows is cultural imperialism done out of indifference and power. Enough. politiken.dk/kultur/medier/…

"Even when we try to distribute without YouTube, and make our own platform for movies, the app still has to be authorized by Google. So in the end, we still have to bow, if we want our app accessible", says the developer.

The Danish cultural minister notes "from a democratic perspective, it's super problematic that Google can just censure content from one day to the next". But what's her answer? Inviting Google to a meeting to "hear their thoughts". No. You're the government. GOVERN.