Why some developers need new Accounts...

A developer has published the same 2 apps many, many times across several app categories to get millions of downloads. They spam users with TapContext, Airpush. : BadApps

Interesting business model you have there…

google is very poor in fighting fraud. Given they hire the best talent, they have not been able to stop invalid clicks from adsense ads and now that has spill over to play store.

Interesting to read the Google link to report an app:

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/contact/takedown

it includes “Third Party Market” or “Third Party Store” as reasons for flagging also …

Which some users could use for things like (which might be legitimate):

  • Tapjoy/GetJar
  • Amazon products being sold through your app (even though they are physical goods)

Outlined in more detail here:

If your app is removed, they give a link to use to contact (why doesn’t e-mail work for Google or via the Google Developer Console - suddenly developers are kicked out of the system altogether ?):

Policy Enforcement
In the event that your application is removed from Google Play, you will receive an email notification to that effect. If you have any questions or concerns regarding a removal or a rating/comment from a user, you may contact us at Play Console Help. Serious or repeated violations of the Developer Distribution Agreement or this Content Policy will result in account termination. Repeated infringement of intellectual property rights, including copyright, will also result in account termination. For more information on Google’s copyright policies, please see here.

I wonder what is the status of pointing users to download the “paid” version of the app from Amazon or another store (if Google Payments are not available at developer location). This “pointing to” could just be a statemet that if users want a paid app, they can download Amazon App from “this” link and then download the paid app from there.

Would that qualify as a violation of Google Play ?

Why is there no clarity on these issues - and developers left to daydream among themselves about what is possible and what not - why can’t there be a single team at Google responsible for dealing with developer questions - or some live chat channel or something …

I saw this dev too… In my country in top 100 there are 3 volume boosters looking the same… Reported.

These guy have a balls. On the other side some HQ games can not acquire attention because some spammers are all the time in the ‘Top new’ section. Its sad.

The dev, who is a member of this forum ( @furioussoftware ), saw the thread here on MMWA after @mind posted and went there on the Reddit explain himself.

I had seen/posted on that specific thread already, such occurrences are pretty common there, thats why that reddit exists.

this topic is being discussed on reddit thread.
those interested can watch there the progress and my expainations.
thanks!

I can’t see any actual violations in the thread. If @furioussoftware is telling the truth about different family members being registered to each account then there is nothing bad actually going on here.

They may just re-branded, low-quality apps, but nothing wrong is being done here as far as I can see; based on Google’s developer policy.

So basically @furioussoftware reskinned and uploaded the “almost same” apps to multiple accounts with different names, yet he got many downloads on every app! Interesting. If all the accounts are really of different family members, there’s nothing wrong with it since its his source code he can reuse it.
By the way @furioussoftware did you loose any apps/accounts due to the reports?

i wish i also kenw how many flags are required to suspend an app :slight_smile:
however i didn’t wait to see what happens and unpublished some of the apps myself. i will unpublish most of the apps tonight.
i don’t want any trouble and i hope people will be understanding with my case and stop flagging and allow me to remove the apps.
by the way, only two of the apps got successfull, not ‘every app’.

So all of them are your accounts!
And Why not just upload all those apps under one account? There is nothing wrong with it.

Either one account or multiple accounts, its against Spam policy #1 “Do not post repetitive content”. If it exists already on the store and you duplicate it, it’s not helping the store or the users: it’s repetitive. Doesnt matter if it’s another account, what matter is the content (the app itself).

you are wrong. they are not my accounts.
uploading the apps under one account is considered as spam
please read the reddit thread for a detailed explanation.

but i see lots of slots games and hundreds of princess or nail polish or crazy dentist games… isn’t that repetitive content?
i guess the rules apply only for the same account.

I also don’t see any wrong done by the developer if he can really prove that all those developer accounts are registered by different users. After following the conversation on Reddit, its clear the dev is remorseful and is willing to make changes then he should be given a chance.

the people have voted. the reddit moderators have deleted the thread.
i have cooperated and shown good faith, unpublishing the apps in question.
valuable lessons learned for me today :slight_smile:
i’m glad everyone is happy. thanks for your support dear mmwa devz :wink: if u ever need my help just ask, we’re like a family here and we should stick together.
cheers

OK, the thread was removed from Reddit.

Some final thoughts of mine:

  1. It is obviously wrong what he was doing. Both by the rules (repetitive content) and by common sense (what good does it bring to have multiple repeated apps?). It was so obviously wrong that he is unpublishing the apps himself.

  2. Not only that, but the apps used then-unethical now-illegal “malware” ads. If he respected his users he wouldn’t put that, or would have removed that the first day Google officially said it was wrong (and not wait until the last day to screw a few more users).

  3. He acknowledging it does not make it good. It is nice tho that he is worried and is fixing the problem.

Anyway, more than this specific case (this is just one on the dozens or hundreds of reported cases on that Reddit): it just shows that iGoogle MUST do something that “fixes” this kind of behavior, or we’ll lose the credibility of the users, and that is a loss for all the developers.

Google REALLY needs an approval mechanism for its apps submissions (like all the other companies do: Apple, Amazon and Samsung).

I think you take as all for fools: first you cheat and disrespect the users with shameless spam for quick profit, and second you take us, on this forum, for fools by claiming those accounts are not yours. Of course they are yours. You don’t see everyday such large families and so much programmers in it (I counted at least 10 accounts on the list published earlier). I think no one here is that stupid to buy your crap. Come on! I’ve tried some or your apps: they are the kind of spamming garbage because of which Google changed its policy on August 23. So because frauds like you all the rest of us have now will earn less. I think you and your so called “family” should be banned for life from Google and serve as an example for anyone who will think about cheating in the future.

I will report you to Google as a fraud. I hope many more will do the same, until it’s not to late and Google changes again it’s policy to affect all the hard working people on the market.

Hello,

Wake up people! You think he unpublished those apps because he suddenly had a revelation and grew a conscience? Or is it more probable that he would do and say anything to avoid being banned, only to do it again more subtle next time and perhaps unnoticed?

I am reading this forum since January, but now I had to make an account and make a point here, seeing how one individual plays you. Sorry if I seem too upset, but as I was saying, if we don’t do something ourselves, Google will make our developer lives harder by enforcing more policies. And for what? For a few “rotten apples” which are not willing to play by the rule? So shameful :(.

Dear puny, I understand your frustration and want to clarify the problems you described.
First I have never cheated on anyone never in my life, i have totally respected and obeyd both google policy and developer terms.
The accounts like i said have an owner on their own, they are not mine, and by the way, google does not prevent a single user buying multiple accounts on his name, so even if they were mine, it would be in my own rights to have them.
Not everyone is a programmer indeed. In my family me and my brother are programmers. There are lots of online markets where you can buy already made code and publish it with minor changes. You do not have to be a programmer to publish an app on google play. Also there are lots of app builder tools that will pop out an app with minimal knowledge. There are also the freelancers, and the examples could go on. I don’t see any wrongdoing in helping my family to ‘code’ an app. I’m sure you would help out your siblings too. And yes, we are a large family.
Some of the accounts listed there are not even mine, are just similar clones made after my apps. Do you know that every week I track at least 5 decompilations of my apps? Cloners are a dime a dozen like you said.
Yes google changed the policy on august 23 but it will enact in 23’rd september. Until then no changes to the apps are necessary.
And trust me, i’m a hard working people too, I have a 9 hours/day job and write android code for my business until 3-4 am in some nights. I’m usually exhausted both mentally and physically.
I haven’t broken any terms of anyone, your report to google will probably put your own account at risk. I know life is not fair my friend, i may have exagerated a bit with those apps but i was just following other’s footsteps in this, the big shark on this forum know what i’m talking about but i have also apologised for my mistake and rectified the issue.
So i believe you last sentence to be a bit cruel and harsh, i hope you’ll apologise for that.
All the best.