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One of the things that is really troubling about the Google Android Play store is the ease that an app developer can develop an app and remain totally anonymous

One of the things that is really troubling about the Google Android Play store is the ease that an app developer can develop an app and remain totally anonymous unless you are forced to file a lawsuit or subpoena to Google to reveal information. I own and operate a fairly popular audio streaming platform, and I've had to deal with numerous instances of unscrupulous app developers who steal API keys from our licensed developers, release apps wrapped in tons of ads, and are able to remain totally anonymous by: 1) Setting up what is presumably a fictitious company 2) Privacy policy link that directs to pastebin 3) Email address for support where nobody responds These apps steal tens of thousands of dollars of ad revenue from my business monthly, and I have absolutely zero recourse. Filing DCMA and other complaints with Google typically goes into a black hole, and when they do respond or address the issue its typically "we don't see the need to take any action here" - presumably because these apps are generating enough revenue for AdMob and the Play Store that Google has zero incentive to take action. How often does this happen in the Apple App Store, almost never. It's absolutely infuriating.

076ae80a-3c97-4 8y ago
Time to cycle API keys?
- lima 8y ago
  App update cycles are slow so this would break old versions of his apps.
  - blantonl 8y ago
    That, and they can steal the new API keys just as fast as we rotate them. And since these API keys are licensed to third-party developers we've got to manage business impact for that third-party. The problem is Google has no incentive to address these issues, because they prioritize their own platform growth revenue over user and partner experience. With all the frustration one can have with the Apple App Store, including huge wait times for new releases, arbitrary reasonings for declining apps etc, it's almost worth it vs the wild-west of the Google Play Store.
OoooooooO 8y ago
Maybe automate an API key change every X hours to limit the time those apps can grab traffic?
def_true_false 8y ago
> These apps steal tens of thousands of dollars of ad revenue from my business monthly Avoiding ads is not stealing. Neither is wrapping someone else's content in ads.
- saiya-jin 8y ago
  > Neither is wrapping someone else's content in ads. What the hell are you talking about? If I take Office 2016, create custom launcher which will just pop ads here and there, offer it to companies, I can't possibly claim this as legal business anywhere where copyright law can be upheld
  - def_true_false 8y ago
    I'm not saying it's legal or anything of the sort. It's probably some kind of fraud or copyright infringement, but it's not theft.
    - rat9988 8y ago
      Why not? You can't just someone else app and use it as if it was yours.
      - testvox 8y ago
        Sure you can, that is what this post is about, it's just not legal to do so. But just because something is against the law doesn't make it theft anymore then it makes it murder.
    - testvox 8y ago
      Accessing a paid service by taking the API key out of another app without the consent of the service provider would be theft of services. In most US states theft of services falls under the same law as theft of personal property.
      - def_true_false 8y ago

076ae80a-3c97-4 8y ago

Time to cycle API keys?

lima 8y ago
App update cycles are slow so this would break old versions of his apps.
- blantonl 8y ago
  That, and they can steal the new API keys just as fast as we rotate them. And since these API keys are licensed to third-party developers we've got to manage business impact for that third-party. The problem is Google has no incentive to address these issues, because they prioritize their own platform growth revenue over user and partner experience. With all the frustration one can have with the Apple App Store, including huge wait times for new releases, arbitrary reasonings for declining apps etc, it's almost worth it vs the wild-west of the Google Play Store.

OoooooooO 8y ago

Maybe automate an API key change every X hours to limit the time those apps can grab traffic?

def_true_false 8y ago

> These apps steal tens of thousands of dollars of ad revenue from my business monthly Avoiding ads is not stealing. Neither is wrapping someone else's content in ads.

saiya-jin 8y ago
> Neither is wrapping someone else's content in ads. What the hell are you talking about? If I take Office 2016, create custom launcher which will just pop ads here and there, offer it to companies, I can't possibly claim this as legal business anywhere where copyright law can be upheld
- def_true_false 8y ago
  I'm not saying it's legal or anything of the sort. It's probably some kind of fraud or copyright infringement, but it's not theft.
  - rat9988 8y ago
    Why not? You can't just someone else app and use it as if it was yours.
    - testvox 8y ago
      Sure you can, that is what this post is about, it's just not legal to do so. But just because something is against the law doesn't make it theft anymore then it makes it murder.
  - testvox 8y ago
    Accessing a paid service by taking the API key out of another app without the consent of the service provider would be theft of services. In most US states theft of services falls under the same law as theft of personal property.
    - def_true_false 8y ago