Promoted on TikTok, ‘No Thanks’ boycott app targets products tied to Israel

A pro-Palestinian app created to help consumers boycott Israeli products has gained traction on TikTok amid calls in Hebrew-language media for Google to ban it.

The free app, called “No Thanks,” was launched by Palestinian graduate student Ahmed Bashbash last November. Downloaded by 100,000 users within a month, the app enables consumers to scan product barcodes to determine if the item has connections to Israel.

By the start of April, “No Thanks” reported one million people had downloaded the app. Millions of users had viewed tikTok influencer videos promoting “No Thanks,” contributing to the app’s growth of 900,000 downloads in four months.

Linkerbaan,
@Linkerbaan@lemmy.world avatar

Great app works very well. Users can submit barcodes and brands and the database is really significant by now. I tried it on a few articles and it correctly recognized each of them.

natural_motions,

I guess I’m curious if the user submitted products are vetted or not. Seems tough for one guy to keep up with that.

Linkerbaan,
@Linkerbaan@lemmy.world avatar

It checks for the brand of the product and if it is on a boycott list it even provides a link with information why.

Most brands on the boycott list are major global brands such as Mondelez, Unliver, Pepsico etc. As their products have similar barcodes worldwide most of the brands check out between countries.

x4740N,

Is the app open source ?

Linkerbaan,
@Linkerbaan@lemmy.world avatar

I can’t find info on that so I am guessing at the moment it’s not. Though it seems to be more of a small volunteer project than a big group effort for now.

WamGams,

Hint: if an aoo is collecting your data and tracking you, as this app does, it is not open source.

This implies they are selling your data to brokers.

fawanen,

No it doesn’t.

WamGams,

It doesn’t collect your data or it isn’t selling that data?

Another user on this very thread pointed out the specific trackers being used by the app. Unless that person is lying about them collecting the data, they will almost certainly be selling it.

That’s the thing about data collection: its a lot of money to store. How are they funding the operation unless turning you into the product?

fawanen,

Look up specifically what Admob, Crashlytics, and Firebase analytics track.

That’s the thing about data collection: its a lot of money to store. How are they funding the operation unless turning you into the product?

Are you referring to data on users, or data on the products this app tracks? The app doesn’t need to store user data beyond what is required for it to function. Even if it stored such data, each user will only take up kilobytes to maybe a few megabytes because it’s just text data.

As for the data on the products, by far the largest files would be images. The rest is just text data.

Standard Google Cloud Storage is $0.20/GB per month. There’s no need for this app to store 16k+ photos, so the actual storage costs are negligible.

WamGams,

Let’s hope you are right. I personally think an app of this nature should be fully open source.

Linkerbaan,
@Linkerbaan@lemmy.world avatar

It claims " no data collection" in the play store

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/701d8db2-f76e-4573-ad54-ce323f9d54bf.jpeg

WamGams,

That is great.

But I also think leftists should not be downloading protest apps directly through google, because they have that data.

We need to better expose protest movements to things like fdroid and how to combat the surveillance they carry in their pocket.

Short termz the app seems like a good thing, but we need to move away from google play long term.

Artemis,

Looks like it has Google AdMob, CrashLytics, and Firebase Analytics trackers…as well as FB Share according to Exodus. While I totally support the cause, this app is definitely tracking/profiting off of it’s users behind the scenes.

sugar_in_your_tea,

Sure, but is it open source?

fawanen,

He doesn’t know but still wanted to feel useful.

Artemis,

Day old account with tonnes of down votes and attacking people just trying to help…you are very clearly a troll. Also, I must be a guy since I’m commenting about tech? 🙄

lunarul,

How are crashlytics and firebase analytics profiting off of users? I cannot imagine not including those in an app you’re actually hoping to improve.

Artemis,

There are other privacy-respecting trackers that could be used for app improvement. At the end of the day, Google profits from the data collected here, and Lemmy has a big community of users looking to avoid this. Tangentially, Google also has massive contracts with the Israeli military that have recently come under fire in the news…just another reason to use different app-improvement trackers if the goal is to truly boycott/divest, etc.

fawanen,

I’m guessing you have no idea what those technologies do.

Google Admob is literally for serving ads.

Crashlytics is for monitoring crashes.

Firebase analytics is for monitoring firebase usage, which is required for things like push notifications when using firebase.

Try uploading an app to the Google Play store yourself before you spread FUD on matters you know nothing about.

Artemis,

I pointed out the trackers that are included in this app for full transparency…not everyone likes having Google and Facebook on their phone. The inclusion of these trackers also hint that the app isn’t open source, which was the initial question. I’m not sure any of this called for such an inflammatory response…

ModernRisk, (edited )
@ModernRisk@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

I have the app and the developer is a Palestinian himself. I genuinely hope it survives, the app helps a lot to boycot products that deal with Israel.

It’s unfortunate to see that so many products have deals with Israel. Some products are sadly impossible to avoid.

Here’s a screenshot about the app from within the app itself

Thi No Thanks Origin Story

The app on the AppStore (IOS): No Thanks App

EDIT: apologies, should’ve read your post in its entirety. You already mentioned the developer was a Palestinian.

Salix,

I find it interesting that it didn’t get review bombed on Apple.

On the Google Play Store, it’s pretty bad

play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bashsof…

AllNewTypeFace,
@AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space avatar

Interesting how the App Store page doesn’t mention Israel or Palestine.

Cuttlefish1111,

Great effort and execution. Wonderful job. We also need one to identify Koch products and halt project 2025. They want to do terrible things.

evasive_chimpanzee,

There was an app called Buycott that lets you join “campaigns” of things you are either for or against, and when you scan something, it tells you which positive and which negative campaigns apply to that product and the company as a whole. Koch was on there. Seems like it may have been abandoned years ago, though.

Diabolo96,

The website you link being timesofisrael is a bit ironic. Great app nonetheless! If they’re writing about it then it’s working and is among the most probable reasons of the tiktok ban

ech,

Yes, the legislation that’s been in discussion for years is because of this app released 5 months ago. That’s definitely how cause and effect works.

andrewrgross,

I don’t think they mean that tiktok is being banned over this app specifically: I just interpreted their comment to mean that tiktok has been an ongoing nuisance to the American mainstream political establishment.

Diabolo96, (edited )

Damn, so it’s been discussed for years but nothing happened. Israel commit atrocities (like always ) but unlike it’s other domestic media, the US government and some of its billionaires can’t censor, lie and push their narrative anymore, so the youth finally see the truth about the genocidal apartheid, ethno-state that is Israel. Now, they ban tiktok.

This is just another perspective you haven’t thought about, or don’t want to think about because of it’s morbid implications about your country (if you’re from USA)

technocrit,

The campaign against TikTok isn’t so much ironic but more an organized campaign against journalism, free speech, truth, etc.

WamGams,

Tik tok is not a journalism app. China does not have free speech, nor do they export it, and if what they are telling you is true, than let’s talk about the genocide of the Uyghurs.

andrewrgross,

I find the Times of Israel to be a decent source. They’re obviously biased in favor of Israel, but it’s not behind a paywall and they’re far more informative than The NY Post, for instance. I think they seem less biased then the WSJ, frankly.

Overall, a useful insight into mainstream discourse in Israel with fairly accurate reporting.

Diabolo96, (edited )

Okey, but let’s put it in another context. would you trust a British colonizer owned newspaper with its news articles exclusively being written by other white colonizers during the 80s Apartheid era south Africa ? Would you consider it to be a decent source of what’s happening in South Africa and what’s happening to the black population ? Heck, apartheid era south Africa wasn’t even an ethno-state and wasn’t doing a grand scale genocide. It’s more akin to a nazi Germany newspaper.

andrewrgross,

Obviously not. But that’s true to some degree for all news sources. I don’t blindly trust any newspaper. I read Times of Israel through a lens of context, just like I do for the NY Times, The Guardian, The Intercept, etc.

I think it’s incredibly useful to see what a country reads about itself. Not only is that true even for countries engaged atrocities: it’s especially true for countries engaged in atrocities.

gravitas_deficiency, (edited )

Edit2:

https://media0.giphy.com/media/3o85g2ttYzgw6o661q/giphy.gif

Please ignore me. It’s the age rating. 🙃

Was launched by Palestinian graduate student Ahmed Bashbash last Novemberhttps://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/51e3c268-b24f-4739-8dd1-cabdc71c11f2.jpeg

🤔

Edit:

To clarify: the point I’m making is that I did an absolutely trivial, cursory accuracy check on one of the central points of the timeline of the article, and it was immediately and obviously discernible as false.

But seriously, don’t take my word for it. Check it yourself.

And yeah, the Israeli government these days is comically hypersensitive to stuff like this, i agree. I just have made a habit of checking easily verifiable facts like this, and trying to point out where I observe discrepancies. Sometimes it’s nothing; sometimes it’s something, but not really a related issue. Sometimes it’s highly pertinent. Regardless, I think it’s a good thing to point out, simply in the interest of showing others how easy it is to increase your media literacy and detect hinky propaganda-leaning ”journalism” that seems to be getting a lot more common these days across the political spectrum. (Addendum) And sometimes I am not as careful as I should be and I point out something entirely unrelated :D

Linkerbaan,
@Linkerbaan@lemmy.world avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    gravitas_deficiency,

    Nah I just looked at the wrong thing because I rarely download new apps and am apparently unfamiliar with the AppStore interface lol

    Phanatik,

    The Age rating is who can use the App, not how long it's been up.

    Spiralvortexisalie,

    Thats an age rating (like for content like Movies with Violence), the version history shows v1.0 came out 3 months ago

    gravitas_deficiency,

    Yes, you’re right; edited to reflect that. My mistake.

    ModernRisk,
    @ModernRisk@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

    The text is from the TimesOfIsrael website, so blame them for being wrong.

    Screenshot of TimesOfIsrael

    What matters is that the app exists and helps to boycot and from what I understood is that Israel wants to see it banned.

    Heni_meat_smasher_69,

    Nice ads

    Jackthelad,

    Imagine being sad enough to do this with everything you buy, as if you’re actually going to make a difference to anything.

    NoneOfUrBusiness,

    Uh... There's a reason Israel hates BDS's guts and that's not because it doesn't work.

    reddwarf,
    @reddwarf@feddit.nl avatar

    I can just about guarantee that most of your day to day life is influenced by what people did in the past in regards to protests. Could be as huge as in civil war or smaller local protest to combat small issues. Your rights and comforts have been written in the blood of those who preceded you. Sometimes metaphorically, sometimes very real blood.

    Protesting helps and did help.

    SharkAttak,
    SharkAttak avatar

    Imagine being sad and cynical enough to do this kind of comment. And if it's not "actually going to make a difference", why Israel want it banned?

    muse,
    muse avatar

    ok

    fawanen,

    Boycotts work.

    IcePee,

    Not always and not all the time. One only has to look at the many rightwing outrage, astroturf boycotts.

    ModernRisk, (edited )
    @ModernRisk@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

    I think you haven’t watched the news about the boycotts on for example; Starbucks and Mcdonalds. Also about Samsung leaving Israel.

    1. Samsung Next Withdraws From Israel
    2. McDonald’s to buy back Israeli restaurants after boycotts
    3. Starbucks loses $12B market cap amid sales concerns, boycotts over Israel

    You have to start somewhere and slowly build up the boycott.

    ianovic69,
    @ianovic69@feddit.uk avatar

    Screenshot from Google Play.

    https://feddit.uk/pictrs/image/c0e7df21-502f-40f8-977e-fcb1e331aa43.jpeg

    Odum,

    Holy crap that app has been review bombed like crazy on the Play store. Down to 2.0, claiming it uses your phone to make calls, kills your battery, etc. One even claiming it’s “trying to push it’s own agenda on you without letting you choose how to use for your own benefits” like wtf? The bots and trolls just need enough text to seem legitimate, I suppose.

    fawanen,

    Zionists don’t play fair.

    They are religious nationalists, after all.

    Linkerbaan,
    @Linkerbaan@lemmy.world avatar

    I think that’s another one. The current app is at 4.8

    Play store link

    https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/804f09a8-d11b-436b-84b4-6396b604998a.jpeg

    cosmicrookie,
    @cosmicrookie@lemmy.world avatar

    This is the one you linked to, through my phone https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/e7def9b5-98d4-485a-a96a-8068ab742db2.jpeg

    XeroxCool,

    Maybe it’s rapidly changing via bot/invalid review washing. A screenshot from 3 hours prior to your comment shows it at 4.3 but still 14k reviews

    Cethin,

    I think I’ve heard at some point that the review score there are region based. Different people may see different values based on where they are.

    moitoi,
    @moitoi@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

    Scores are regional. I have 4.8 stars in a European country.

    VonReposti,

    It’s 2.9 for me right now

    sness,

    2.0 now.

    XeroxCool,

    2.2 for me now. Clicking the ratings it warns me “ratings are based on recent reviews from your region by people using similar devices to you”. I didn’t check it before, just relayed other comments.

    capital,

    Gab users will be users of this app.

    fawanen,

    Interesting. I’m definitely going to be checking this out.

    If I have to decide between two products and one of them has fewer ties to Israel, you know which one I’m going to pick.

    cyd,

    It’s gonna get pulled from app stores for “promoting antisemitism”. You don’t need to be the Kwisatz Haderach to foresee this.

    IcePee,

    Slightly off topic, but wasn’t there a general purpose boycott app? One that allowed one to figure out the political stance behind products. Initially it was marketed as the anti-woke app, but further investigation showed that anti-woke was only one profile of many you could subscribe to.

    andrewrgross,

    That’s cool. Do you have any details?

    Anon518,

    www.buycott.com

    metasaval,

    tried the other posters buycott site, but the play store link leads to a “can’t find app” page. at least in America.

    this app seems to be similar and is available. messing with it for a few minutes and it works. www.goodsuniteus.com

    Andromxda, (edited )
    @Andromxda@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

    It’s a great app, unfortunately it’s not open-source. According to the Exodus report, it contains some tracking SDKs, but their network activity can be blocked in DNS. It also displays an ad banner by default, but this can easily be turned off in the settings.

    Today,

    I tried at and found it a little misleading. If you click Barbie, the proof is a Variety article about Hollywood condemning Oct. 7. That was in the first 2 minutes of scrolling the list. Uninstalled. Gonna try BoycottX

    Linkerbaan,
    @Linkerbaan@lemmy.world avatar

    I checked it, Paramount Studios publicly proclaimed as one of the very first that they stand with israel. So the boycott claim is completely valid.

    They also donated 1 million dollars to israel and I cannot find anything about them donating to Palestine

    Today,

    The articles about supporting Israel and donating are from October 12th. That’s not anti-palestinian, that’s anti-hamas.

    Linkerbaan,
    @Linkerbaan@lemmy.world avatar

    It is pro israel and they are not showing any type of support for Palestinians. Their statement amounts to manufacturing consent for Genocide only.

    This app shows products with ties to israel. Paramount studios clearly falls under that. If you don’t want to boycott israel that’s up to you.

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