WireGuard removed from Google Play Store, rectification in progress

WireGuard removed from Google Play Store, rectification in progress

[Jason A. Donenfeld]

Hi,

After waiting several days for Google to review our app -- apparently
the process is manual now and they're quite backed up -- I was
delighted to learn this morning that the app was approved. Then, 20
minutes later, I received a letter saying that the entire app listing,
not just the latest version, has been removed and delisted from the
Play Store.

They said it was because we're in violation of their "Payments
Policy", presumably because we have a link inside the app that opens
the user's web browser to wireguard.com/donations/ . I appealed using
their website appeal form. Thirty minutes later (was this automated,
unlike the manual app review process?), I received a rejection of the
appeal.

I immediately made this commit --
https://git.zx2c4.com/wireguard-android/commit/?id=f0bab44b4a17b65e9f7e718a9ba9b2bc37041268
-- and uploaded a new version. We're now waiting for a new, presumably
manual, review of the app. Until then, it is entirely unavailable on
the Play Store.

Sorry for the inconvenience. I'm sure many users are just as annoyed
as I am. In the interim, luckily F-Droid has our app:
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.wireguard.android/

I'll send an update once we're reinstated on the Play Store.

Regards,
Jason
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Re: WireGuard removed from Google Play Store, rectification in progress

[Jason A. Donenfeld]

Hi again,

I expected to send this email sometime next week due to usual Play
Store review process delays, but it seems like the attention the prior
email received has sped up the process considerably. This is a notice
that the app has been relisted on the Play Store in its usual
location: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wireguard.android
. Sorry again for any inconvenience this has caused users, or caused
developers who depend on the availability of our app for use by their
own users. We won't be making any similar changes unless we're certain
that we won't be delisted.

Regards,
Jason
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