Bible and Quran apps flagged NSFW by F-Droid

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Scope and Meaning of the NSFW Flag

  • NSFW is defined by F-Droid as content a user “may not want publicized,” including nudity, slurs, violence, intense sexuality, “political incorrectness,” etc.
  • Some argue religious apps clearly qualify: Abrahamic texts contain genocide, rape, slavery, torture, and sexually explicit passages; by normal media standards they’d get high age ratings.
  • Others stress the intent of typical users: many Bible/Quran readers actively want their faith visible, so the “user may not want this publicized” criterion is not met.

Consistency, Targeting, and Bias

  • A major complaint is selective enforcement: Bible/Quran apps flagged while violent games, Reddit clients, Wikipedia, manga/anime readers, and other obviously NSFW-capable apps are not.
  • This is seen by some as anti-religious or “r/atheism-tier” bias masquerading as neutral policy.
  • Defenders call missing flags on games an oversight to be fixed via more PRs, not evidence of targeting.

Practical Impact and Censorship Concerns

  • NSFW apps are hidden from search unless users explicitly enable NSFW, which also exposes them to genuine porn/smut.
  • F-Droid maintainers have said they will stop accepting NSFW apps and plan to remove existing ones; critics say this turns a “user filter” into effective censorship.
  • Some argue a private repo has full right to curate; others see this as incompatible with F-Droid’s “freedom” ethos and akin to a package repo banning ideologies.

Safety, Minors, and Privacy Arguments

  • Pro-flag voices frame it as:
    • Protecting minors from graphic or indoctrinating content without parental consent.
    • Protecting users in hostile environments (e.g., apostasy-criminalizing states, intolerant families, or workplaces) where visible religious affiliation can be dangerous.
  • Opponents counter that:
    • History/education content would also qualify by that standard.
    • It stigmatizes religion as “not normal” and blurs lines between neutral metadata and moral policing.

Meta: Policy Design and Alternatives

  • Several suggest dropping NSFW entirely, or splitting it into clearer categories (e.g., “pornography,” “religious,” “graphic violence”) instead of one broad, value-laden tag.
  • Others suggest separate repos or PWAs, or simply building a competing store if F-Droid pursues ideological curation.