Google Removes App That Helps People Boycott Pro-Israel Companies

A mobile application telling users which companies to boycott based on their stance in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has been removed from the Google Play app store.

On X, formerly Twitter, the @NoThanksBoycott account announced that its mobile app, called NoThanks, was temporarily suspended from the Google Play app store due to a line in its description speaking about Israel.

“The app has been suspended from play store for this sentence, I removed it in the new update and play store will review it and release it again,” the account said in a post that included a screenshot of the description line which said, “Welcome to NoThanks, here you can see if the product in your hand supports killing children in Palestine or not. All you have to do is scan the barcode or write the serial number in the search bar.”

On October 7, Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel and fighting between the two has continued since. The ongoing war has prompted an array of responses from people in the U.S. and throughout the world with some supporting Israel’s efforts. On the other hand, many have criticized Israel over the deaths of Palestinian individuals.

Throughout the U.S. there have been dozens of protests and rallies for support on both sides of the war and many have continued to call for a ceasefire.

According to the Associated Press, over 13,000 casualties have been reported by officials in Gaza, while Israel’s death toll has surpassed the 1,000 mark, as of Friday.

The @NoThanksBoycott app was first announced on X on November 7 where its creator said, “I’m a Palestinian developer and I made an app that would help everyone in the boycott movement, all you have to do is to scan the product barcode and it will tell you, the app will be released soon in android and iOS.”

In another post, the app shared a video showing a person using the software to scan a barcode while inside a store in order to see if the company is actively supporting Israel. “download the app and help us by boycott the products that supports this massacres,” the post said.

On November 29, the account said the app had received over 100,000 downloads on the Google Play app store.

Following the removal from the Google Play app store this week, the @NoThanksBoycott announced it was sharing an “apk version,” on its Telegram channel.

Newsweek reached out to Google’s press office for comment on the app’s removal from the Google Play store.

Last month, McDonald’s Israel faced calls for a boycott after they announced they were giving away free and discounted food to Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldiers.

Newsweek reached out to the @NoThanksAccount via X direct message for further information.