Google Suspends Ethereum Wallet & Browser MetaMask’s Android Client

Google has suspended the Ethereum wallet and decentralized app browser MetaMask’s Android client from its Play app store, announced the Ethereum Dapp browser on Dec. 27.

In the last week, the MetaMask Android client was suspended by the Google Play App Store @googleplaydev. They cited their policy that bans mining on mobile, which we don't. Appeal rejected. #ProtectWeb3.https://t.co/rfP4EbOAqv!?zippy_activeEl=cryptocurrencies%23cryptocurrencies

— MetaMask (@metamask_io) December 26, 2019

MetaMask took to Twitter to share that the tech giant cited their policy that bans mining on mobile as the reason behind this ban. Google's policy reads,

“We don't allow apps that mine cryptocurrency on devices. We permit apps that remotely manage the mining of cryptocurrency.”

But MetaMask says they don’t offer mining and its appeal has also been rejected. The rejection also cited the same policy that no mining is allowed on Android. The company wrote,

“It's unclear whether the reviewer doesn't understand the policy, or whether they are enforcing an unwritten policy. Either way, it's time to ProtectWeb3.”

Need for Decentralized Options

This, however, hasn’t been the first time that Google has blocked the crypto wallet of MetaMask that has an estimated 200k active users. That last time the search engine delisted it from the Chrome Web Store but the community spoke out and got it re-listed.

If it is left banned, MetaMask says they will be working on other ways to bring their services to Android users.

Meanwhile, it wants the community to speak out and show their support by using other browsers Firefox and Brave.

Earlier this year, MetaMask suffered a blow when fake MetaMask apps hiding malware were found on the Google Play Store.

This week we also saw Google-owned YouTube removing videos of crypto-related content creators. But it has revealed that the removal was done in error and some of the content has been stored. However, this event sparked the need for decentralized video hosting platforms.

MetaMask is “totally overwhelmed”

In another news release, a MetaMask contributor said its team is “totally overwhelmed” and not prioritized by its parent company ConsenSys.

In a Dec. 25 Reddit post titled “Help MetaMask out of its Activity-Trap,” says the team has several unresolved issues and its workflow structure isn’t either transparent or decentralized.

The Redditor and project contributor Lazardiscom specifically criticized its structural issues despite ConsenSys founder J. Lubin,

“trying to convince everyone that ConsenSys is a non-hierarchical company. It is not.”