It seems that Google decided to ban pop-ups, meaning that you cannot send the user to Google Play without him taking any action. So, “Free apps” buttons are 100% safe.
I have 3 different accounts in Google Play and Admob. I use a single “analytics/cross app ads” platform of my own which I have developed myself. When a user opens my app, a request is made to my server and an ad of any other of my apps are shown to the user in banner format. Clicking on these banners takes the user to the respective pages of the apps.
Do you guys think that this will be a problem?
“More apps” button should be ok, but for me this new “App Promotion” section in policy is another way for google to ban apps that they don’t like.
The real question is:
Does all banners and interstitials (e.g. from startaApp, applovin) are compliant with new policy? A lot of adds doesn’t clearly say what will happen if user click them e.g:
- startapp overlay add with “you have (1) new app” message and continue button or startap interstitials with 3d cube.
- applovin “you have (1) new app” with Mobogenie market to download.
Those are just few samples. According to google developer policy:
“Our content policies apply to any content your app displays or links to, including any ads it shows to users and any user-generated content it hosts or links to.”
That means all adds in your app must follow “App Promotion” section in new policy:
"App Promotion
Apps published on Google Play may not directly or indirectly engage in or benefit from the following behavior:
Promotion via deceptive ads on websites, apps or other properties, including simulated system, service, or app notifications or alerts.
Promotion or install tactics which cause redirection to Google Play or the download of the app without informed user action.
Unsolicited promotion via SMS services.
It is your responsibility to ensure that no ad network or affiliate uses such methods to direct users to pages that make your app available for download."
Even google admob is not compliant right now, because I have seen ads with no info what happen when user click it. Maybe that is the reason why google admob stats haven’t been updated since friday.
“More apps” button should be ok, but for me this new “App Promotion” section in policy is another way for google to ban apps that they don’t like.
The real question is:
Does all banners and interstitials (e.g. from startaApp, applovin) are compliant with new policy? A lot of adds doesn’t clearly say what will happen if user click them e.g:
-
startapp overlay add with “you have (1) new app” message and continue button or startap interstitials with 3d cube.
-
applovin “you have (1) new app” with Mobogenie market to download.
Those are just few samples. According to google developer policy:
<i>Our content policies apply to any content your app displays or links to, including any ads it shows to users and any user-generated content it hosts or links to.</i>
That means all adds in your app must follow “App Promotion” section in new policy:
<i>App Promotion
Apps published on Google Play may not directly or indirectly engage in or benefit from the following behavior:Promotion via deceptive ads on websites, apps or other properties, including simulated system, service, or app notifications or alerts.
Promotion or install tactics which cause redirection to Google Play or the download of the app without informed user action.
Unsolicited promotion via SMS services.
It is your responsibility to ensure that no ad network or affiliate uses such methods to direct users to pages that make your app available for download. </i>
Even google admob is not compliant right now, because I have seen ads with no info what happen when user click it. Maybe that is the reason why google admob haven’t been updated since friday.
Clicking any button or banner or icon IS “informed user action”. What they ban is opening Google Play out of a sudden, without any user action or with not related action (for example during loading of a stage suddenly Google Play appears).
excellent logics. hats off 
He @hanfoosh. At Pollfish we are investigating latest updates of Google policies. However on a first look I do not see any problem on incentivizing users to fill a survey to open content or gain virtual goodies unless you force them to do it. Users also can opt-out at any time from survey with three different ways. However, what might be an issue according to new policies is to incentivize users to complete a survey to remove ads. We will see if this is an affected case.We will notify our users regarding this issue as soon as possible within these days.
@jonathan, if I have a "gift’ like icon in the action bar and I use the clicktag ads on click of this icon in action bar. Is it valid?
fellow developers are give some inputs.
Hi @javaexp,
Yes, it’s fine. Because the user requested this action to be taken when he clicked on the gift icon.
The main issue Google is dealing with in this case are the pop ups, which randomly appear and take users away from the app to Google Play. This is now forbidden. But when a user expressed a clear desire to install a gift, a free app or whatever you want to name it - it is OK for them (at least until they change the rules again).
to sum up:
Clicks - allowed
Pop ups - not allowed
Stupid policy. Now you can run bad ads to your competitor and get him banned.
airpush used to do this popup thing a lot. Thanks for the reply.
and how this affects tapjoy like incentivized networks?
In one app I use tapjoy to remove ads + to make it like paid app (without waiting). Now this also forbidden or not? It is written in the description that by “earning points” you can remove ads + remove timer.
Honestly what worries me most is this new policy is the Google play Advertising ID.
After August all the ADS SDK need to have this.
How this can affect our ads and now google can control our ads?
If I have some APP banned by google, he can stop to send ads like he does in admob?
I’m not familiar with this popup thing. Could you explain more what it is?
I did not sign my apk files with eclipse but direct with JarSigner.
Yet he banned 3 accounts, but the strange thing is that other 3 accounts were not banned.
It’s impossible to really understand the rules.
Sorry guys wrong thread.
ShitStorm here:/ for me, nothing changed…free apps buttons allowed, redirect from ad to play - allowed, random redirect to play when app started or user action like won level - not allowed.
August - required Advertising ID? No, if ad network will not use IMEI, MAC, SSAID or any constant device id - less data for ad network. Mostly networks have own developer id but it’s not device id. They don’t need to store IMEI. Only installation counter can be a problem but … airpush deleted installation number stats, guess why ?
I got confused from the comments. I have couple questions:
How this affects tapjoy like incentivized networks?
In one app I use tapjoy to remove ads + to make it like paid app (without waiting). Now this also forbidden or not? It is written in the description that by “earning points” you can remove ads + remove timer.
And also having a button “download pro” that redirects you to play store is also forbidden? As I don’t have advertiser ID here, but both are my apps (and also same play account)
when user completes a level, your ads take him to play store or show him a default alert dialog with ads.
Banner and smartwall are compilant or not with this new policy ?
waht is popup , Airpush smartwall is a popup ???