Villanelle(staff)
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6 years ago •
Jun 5, 2017
The Cage App Press Release, Google, Censorship & More
As some of you know we've recently released an app for THE CAGE that will allow people to access all of the features of our website on the go from your phone or tablet. Nice, right? But guess what? Google won't allow us in the Google Play Store because of 1) bdsm and 2) sex - our two most favourite things! With all the talk recently about regulation of big platforms like Google and Facebook we think it's time us kinky people got together to make sure BDSM and sex positivity are part of the conversation. To that end I've put together a bit of a press release/rant about our struggle promoting our app with Google and elsewhere and am hoping some of you will help us spread the word. You'll find my press release below. I'd love to hear your thoughts...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spring, 2017 by Eva Cage THE CAGE (www.thecage.co) WHY WE’RE HOT UNDER THE COLLAR (NOT JUST GENERALLY HOT, ALTHOUGH WE ARE THAT TOO) After a year of hardcore coding and self flagellation us kink loving types at THE CAGE recently launched a spanking new online BDSM social network app to compliment our website (www.thecage.co). “Finally,” we thought, “the first Android application for us! Won’t it be great to socialize with our kinky friends from the comfort of our latex covered sofas or basement dungeons just like we do on Facebook or Twitter?” Well, it turns out it’s not going to be quite so easy. And this might be a bit more pain than even we can bear…. Like most app developers we are keen to have THE CAGE app included in the Google Play Store, the biggest Android app marketplace worldwide. But guess what? Google isn’t so keen on us. And it’s not just THE CAGE that’s a hard limit for Google Play, it’s any app that promotes sexual content: “We don’t allow apps that contain or promote sexually explicit content, such as pornography. In general, we don’t allow content or services intended to be sexually gratifying.” https://play.google.com/about/restricted-content/sexually-explicit-content/ This statement about sexual content is posted on Google’s Developer Policy Centre - Restricted Guidelines alongside other prohibited content: “Child Endangerment”, “Violence”, “Bullying & Harassment”, “Hate Speech”, “Sensitive Events” ( apps that lack reasonable sensitivity towards or capitalize on a natural disaster, atrocity, conflict, death, or other tragic event), “Gambling”, and “Illegal Activities”. Ummm..okay. We’re on board with everything else Google Play is prohibiting. But we can’t help but wonder, “What’s wrong with kinky sex and why on earth does Google think it belongs on this list?” Seems like Google needs a little bit of educating. If we ever needed a school teacher cosplayer with a yardstick ruler it’s now, dammit. IS THERE SUCH A THING AS APP DEVELOPER DROP? We were left feeling... deflated. We had two choices: we could severely dilute THE CAGE user experience by heavily censoring our content, i.e. take out all the good stuff like BDSM and nudity. Or we could opt out out of Google Play altogether and simply have the app download link on our website. We chose the latter. Without inclusion in the biggest app store in the world, we are pretty much guaranteed limited exposure. We think that’s pretty unfortunate because THE CAGE has a lot of good stuff to offer (more about that in a moment). Don’t even get us started on IOS for Apple. If you think Google is uptight, Apple likes it tighter and more rigid and.... okay, we’re getting off topic here. You get the point. Apple isn’t so keen on us either. WHY WE THINK GOOGLE IS WRONG Google Play is a service that includes parental controls to prevent your kid from using your credit card to buy dozens of Pokemon Gold Eggs (for example). Surely this could easily be modified to screen out adult content. Why isn’t Google doing it? Google knows what type of porn I’m searching for before I do. It’s not like they don’t have the ability. So are we okay with Google restricting our access in this way? How is it different from your local phone company restricting your filthy (because we know you) phone calls and text messages to your partners? How different are the two, really, in an age when Google is positioning itself as more of a necessity than an option? Isn’t Google just being squeamish and arbitrary? Should we care? Of course we should. Because... SEXUAL EXPLORATION AND SELF ACCEPTANCE IS IMPORTANT For our physical and mental health. For our pleasure and enjoyment as part of the human experience. For our civil liberty! For a million reasons. And there is a real argument that access to platforms that support these goals is not a privilege to be granted but a right that these corporations are morally obligated to not deny or obstruct. WHY THE CAGE IS SUPER AWESOME AND EVERYONE (EVEN GOOGLE) SHOULD LOVE US THE CAGE was born from our belief that exploration of BDSM shouldn’t be a shameful experience. Adults have the right to unrestricted access to information about sex and kink. THE CAGE offers the opportunity for self exploration in a friendly, supportive and shame-free environment. We also take pride in welcoming all genders and orientations, with a pro-queer and feminist friendly stance. Our website and now our app allow users to join discussions, live chats, listen to podcasts, post and respond to kinky personals and much more. We bring some good stuff to the table and we deserve to be heard. So do you. HOW TO GET THE APP Unlike most apps, THE CAGE app isn’t currently available via Google Play or The Apple Store (did we mention that already?). For now the free CAGE app is only available via a direct download from THE CAGE website (www.thecage.co) We hope you’ll help us spread the word. In the meantime we’ll keep looking for ways to increase our visibility and accessibility for everyone interested in BDSM. We hope you'll drop by and take a look inside THE CAGE. We also hope you’ll join us in asking why Google, Apple, and other platforms don’t feel we’re appropriate content. It all feels pretty damned appropriate to us. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Btw if you haven't got www.thecage.co on your phone or tablet yet, why not? Just visit our website and download 
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Online now
Rod(dom male)
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6 years ago •
Jun 6, 2017
Great work guys, wonderful to see the Cage progressing so well.
Unfortunately I can't see there being any change in Google's attitude in the near future, their problem I think stems not from any real objection to us or sexual content in general but more from the bully tactics of governments world wide cracking down on internet porn. This puts them in a tricky legal place, in many jurisdictions simply suppling access or means of access to porn makes them complicit. I suspect that rather than risk further censure and direct interference as in the EU they have chosen the path of least litigation and stopped all sex related apps being hosted by them. As for Apple, well, enough said... |
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Link(sub female){No collar}
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6 years ago •
Sep 21, 2017
wow
I had no idea
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