Google Play Store threatens to remove AnkiDroid over donation link dispute
The open-source flashcard app faces worldwide removal after Google rejected updates due to a conflict over tax-exempt donation policies.
Google has rejected recent updates to AnkiDroid, a widely used open-source flashcard application, because the app contains a link to Open Collective for community donations. The dispute puts the app at risk of being removed from the Google Play Store worldwide, excluding India and Russia, by September 11, 2026, if a resolution is not reached.
According to the AnkiDroid team, Google began rejecting updates on August 28. The conflict centers on Google's billing policies, which state that Play billing must not be used for payments involving "tax exempt donations" unless they meet specific, strict criteria. AnkiDroid relies on Open Collective to sustain its development, but Google has determined that these donations do not qualify under its current interpretation of the policy.
The Tax Status Conflict
The impasse stems from a technical distinction in U.S. tax law. While Open Collective is registered as an IRS 501(c)(6) organization, donations made by users to specific hosted projects under this status are not tax-deductible for the donor. This nuance has led Google to conclude that the donations are not truly "tax exempt" in the manner required by its platform rules, effectively blocking the app's ability to link to its primary funding source.
Implications for Open Source
This confrontation highlights the precarious nature of free and open-source software (FOSS) when hosted on proprietary platforms. AnkiDroid is a critical tool for millions of users, boasting over 10 million installs with heavy adoption in language learning and medical education. When rigid corporate policies clash with non-traditional funding models like fiscal sponsorship, essential educational tools can be threatened by administrative technicalities.
What's Next
The AnkiDroid team is currently seeking a resolution to avoid the September 2026 deadline. The outcome of this case may serve as a bellwether for other open-source projects that utilize third-party platforms for community funding, as it tests the limits of how Google enforces its billing and donation policies on the Play Store. This situation underscores the tension between the open-source ethos of community-driven support and the centralized control exerted by mobile ecosystem gatekeepers, potentially forcing other FOSS developers to reconsider how they solicit financial support from their user bases.