Can you use airpush/startapp account that was used in an account banned in play store

Monetizing, Advertising & Marketing Advertising Networks
1

So, I managed to get myself banned. Got another account, uploaded my previous apps there. Everything went well for
15 days. Bam! banned again.

The email said, previous account violations. I think they somehow linked my recent account with my past account. I was foolish enough to do the following

  1. Accessed and uploaded apps to my new account from laptop that shares the same network that my desktop used for the first banned account.
  2. I may have opened my first banned account from the laptop, I do not remember.
  3. I was using the same Airpush, Startapp account.

I have few thousand dollars in those account and can not close them now.
I have back up accounts, am going to use a VPS from now on. My question is

Do I have to get new accounts from Airpush and StartApp? Is that what helped google to connect my two banned accounts to each other ?

2

did you pay with a credit (debit) card that you use at your first account?

3

The cards are not connected.

4

maybe your apps are the issue, why were you banned in the first place? i had my account banned for a copyrighted background images,got a new account with different CC/address and it’s been over a year and a half, no issues. i even login with my banned account (only to gmail) on internet explorer. i used the same airpush email/account when i republished my apps.

5

I publish games, puzzles, utilities. Last time, they did send me warning emails. But this time around no warning. Just banned.

One more thing, I did update the description of one app which had Airpush and StartApp in it, after the policy update. 48 hours later I get banned for policy violations.

This is what was in email google sent me

This is a notification that your Google Play Publisher account has been terminated.

REASON FOR TERMINATION: Prior violations of the Content Policy and Developer Distribution Agreement by this or associated accounts as outlined in previous emails sent to the registered email address(es) of the Publisher account(s).

6

Using the new account in the same network and browser as the banned one allows Google to very easily identify you as the previous account owner. Other than that, if you didn’t sufficiently modify your apps (at the very least, changing the package name to something entirely different), they could use that to identify you as well.

7

So using the same Airpush and StartApp account is not going to be the problem. I did change the package name. I guess I have to change the looks too.

8

Well, it could still be a problem, depending on what Google looks for, exactly. They could be comparing meta-data fields, which would have your developer/app keys in them, and hence be identical to the previous (banned) app. However, no one outside Google really knows the process they use for tracking, we can merely speculate.

In any case, why not create new Startapp/Airpush accounts, just to be on the safe side?

9

I changed the keys that I use to sign my apps. But I use the same desktop to compile my apps. Do not know if that leaves a signature. Startapp told me to go ahead and create another account but havent heard anything from Airpush. I have few thousand dollars in those accounts.

10

Smart choice to sign the new apps with a new key, but what I was referring to were the meta-data fields that some networks require you to include in the manifest, such as:


<meta-data
            android:name="com.startapp.android.DEV_ID"
            android:value="..." />
<meta-data
            android:name="com.startapp.android.APP_ID"
            android:value="..." />

Again, I have no idea if this is actually used by Google to track previously banned developers.

11

I do not know, but I have this feeling that my use of the laptop, same network, same looks, same code base, same advertising ids is what did me in.

12

If your google developer account is banned, the startapp account is safe?
a lot of people make spam apps, and monetize it with many adnetworks. I know that google, when ban the developer account, also ban admob account. But, i don’t know what happen with the other adnetworks, like start app, air push, rev mob, etc…

13

wow, you used banned account & new account with same laptop & network?

14

yup, googles banning system just make no sense to me. i had 2 accounts, each had completely different apps. but i would login to both of them from the same PC and upload apps to each account on the same day.

when 1 account was banned, the other was fine. i ended up having to buy a 2nd account, but i used it the same way as b4. the reasons i was banned were just basic copyright, could have even argued fair-use but i do not have a lawyer.

but usually i try to stay under googles radar by complying with policy’s on time, and never using questionable ad networks.