AnkiDroid: Google Play no longer allowing Open Collective donation link
⚠️ AnkiDroid: Google Play Restricting Open Collective Donation Links
Issue Reference: Issue #21656 | Google Ticket: #9-2777000041594
🚨 Urgent Summary
The Goal: AnkiDroid needs clarification from Google regarding whether an IRS 501(c)(6) determination qualifies as a "tax-exempt donation" under their policies.
The Call to Action: Please disseminate this information, particularly to individuals within Google who can intervene or provide guidance.
📉 The Current Crisis
Since August 28, 2026, Google has been blocking all updates to AnkiDroid on the Play Store. If this impasse is not resolved, AnkiDroid faces a worldwide removal from the platform on September 11, with the sole exceptions of Russia and India.
🔍 Situation Overview
AnkiDroid is a volunteer-led, open-source flashcard application with a user base exceeding 10 million, heavily utilized in language acquisition and medical studies. To sustain development, they utilize the Open Source Collective as a fiscal host.
The conflict centers on the definition of "tax-exempt." The legal status can be summarized as:
⚖️ The Policy Clash
| Entity | Position / Policy | Argument |
|---|---|---|
| Google Play | Payments Policy | Apps cannot link to external payment methods unless they are "tax exempt donations" (Section 3). |
| AnkiDroid | IRS 501(c)(6) | They provide a determination letter proving the fiscal host is a tax-exempt non-profit. |
| Google Support | Enforcement | Claims the organization is "not tax-exempt," specifically citing a preference for status. |
Google's stance (via email):
- Aug 6: Donations must be for a "validated tax-exempt organization" (e.g., a ).
- Aug 7: Despite receiving the letter, Google insisted the app "allows users to contribute donations to an organization that is not tax-exempt."
🛠️ Immediate Response & Roadmap
Because the survival of the app on the Play Store is at stake, the team is taking the following steps:
-
Submit IRS determination letter to Google -
Appeal the policy violation - Remove all donation links from the
2.24.XPlay Store build (This is being done under protest to avoid total removal). - Seek community outreach to Google employees.
📅 Timeline of Events
👥 About AnkiDroid
It is important to understand the nature of the project:
- Volunteer Driven: Developed and maintained entirely by volunteers.
- Zero Monetization: Nothing is sold within the application.
- Funding: The Open Collective is the only source of funding for the project's maintenance.
- Independence: AnkiDroid is not affiliated with AnkiWeb, AnkiMobile, AnkiHub, or the main Anki desktop client.
- Transparency: All financial records are available via a
hiddenpublic ledger.
🔗 Essential Resources
📄 Original Notice Fragment
The following is a translated excerpt from the initial automated warning received on 2026-07-20:
Status:
Further Action RequiredViolation: Your app contains content that does not comply with the Payment Policy.
Consequence: Your app will be published to Google Play users in India and Russia starting August 03, 2026. If this issue is not resolved, the app will be removed from Google Play in other countries/regions.
Resolution Path:
- Provide documentation of tax-exempt status.
Remove the donation feature.- Use Google Play's in-app purchase system.
- Enroll in the External Content Links program.
🖼️ Evidence & Assets
