In 2013 Google Play have suspended my account with over 1 million downloads due to false violation claims such as keyword spam (relevant keywords), Copyright Infringement (either my app or hired by a company to make it), Misleading Description (Described exactly what the app does), or SSL Vulnerability (My app used the version of OpenSSL in their own SDK and didn’t collect any users personal information).
Now what I noticed is that the same thing have been happening to other developers who keep on receiving copyright infringement for apps that qualify for fair use, or keyword spam takedowns without reasonable explanation. The thing is google has an algorithm that detects android apps automatically and sometimes sends false claims.
What happens after Google Play Violations: You try to reply to Google Play support and almost automatically you get an email that says: “We have reviewed your appeal and will not be reinstating your app” When androidmarket was sold to google play, Google started basically ruining the developer community and people’s careers. When you look at websites such as the Opera Mobile Store, 1mobile, or other alternatives, you notice that they don’t have so many restrictions on developers. I tried publishing more apps after that on other places and weren’t able to make as much of a revenue stream or as many downloads. Now I currently make 30 cents a day.
Did I also forget to mention that sometimes google play also suspends adsense accounts when an app is suspended, and they basically steal all the developer’s hard earned revenue. Google is a dog eat dog business with corrupt employees and a low moral compass.
I completely agree with gamer456148 same happened with many small developers and small companies with low budgets including me. We small developers build android store for Google in start. After that big developers come for android after that then f**king Google start banning small developers without any reason.
Hey guys I tried publishing on Nokia Store and haven’t ran to any account trouble problems. The thing is I get less downloads on that site. Also I may now switch to Media.net or Aarki to monetize my larger apps, because if I use admob for them, who knows what may happen. In response to hackformore, is the apple store better then google in terms of leniency?
First link you provided was by a spammer with a keyword list containing hundreds of bands and other music artists. The one in the second link got his account back because of a misunderstanding. If your spamming was minor, google usually sends you a warning and gives you one week to edit your description. Most people losing their accounts though did heavy violations like using copyrighted names or huge keyword lists to boost their ranking. It should be common sense that something like this is forbidden. Still some developers insist in their innocence and talk bad about google like this guy in the first link even though they heavily violated the policy.
It would be way easier though if they’d just add a pre-review system like apple does. It doesn’t make sense to let every app pass, if they review it later anyway.
As a developer with more than 1mio downloads I’m really surprised you never considered to release on iOS as well. You usually get less downloads on iOS but multiple times more revenue per download and you also have a way higher user retention. If you violate apples policy when uploading an app it gets rejected and they tell you why in detail. Then you edit your description/app and upload it again. After this your app is save.
The thing is the app with a million downloads got copyright infringement even though it was my own app, and the videos in the app I had permission to use, I tried contracting google about the infringement but they replied seconds after the email was sent saying they won’t reinstate my account. I doubt someone even looked at my email in that short period of time. The second one got his account back probably because deleting his account gave negative publicity towards google, and a google employee may have read the article.
I Started android development in 2011. same thing happened to me few years ago and one of my app got banned without any reason.(in the email there was some random reason). once your app got banned, you cant fight back.
then i started to create poor quality spam apps to keep continue my revenue. when an account get banned, i create a new one or buy a new one. Google made me a spammer!. dont be loyal to google or googe play since they don’t treat us in that way.
