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CPI guys! THIS WILL EFFECT YOU! - Google new app developer policy (46)

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new policy effective March 30,2014

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.

http://www.androidcentral.com/google...hey-enforce-it


What this means: They are targeting CPIs that advertise to get their apps installed/promoted.

We've been already seeing ads getting disapproved that were approved a week ago. IE: Connecting a persons problem with a solution - "Is your phone slow? This app can help! Install it now "

What's worse is this new rule affects ALL Traffic sources (not just adwords) because they are going after the app developers (think Clean Masters, other top apps) who won't enforce it.

This might mean the end of all other problem+solution type of 'persuasive' ads because they might violate their developer rules above. Maybe the end of CPIs??

Thoughts?

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"Promotion or install tactics which cause redirection to Google Play or the download of the app without informed user action."

Not sure how that makes your example inappropriate? That sounds like unprompted redirection to the page store or app installation, the latter is of course unwanted. If a user clicks a normal banner ad there should be absolutely no problem since they did so of their own volition.

The simulation of system alerts is more of a hit to affiliates since it's been a tactic for a long time.

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It seems like this is clearly targeting CPI campaigns, and imho especially antivirus ones that are more or less borderline, I know I feel targeted ^^

This was meant to happen one way or the other, if it's not google, I was wondering when we'll start hearing about FTC craking up on "you are infected" affiliates ... :/



Mehdi

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Clean Master, CM Security, all of kingsoft apps and many offers are going on pause globally on all networks very soon. Just got inside info from Kingsoft. Thank you google

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The problem here is for APP makers, that use affiliates to market their apps and encourage installs. Google is going after them. Big International CPIs are going down, which is going to hit hard for everyone

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I don't think this is what it means at all.

They are not targeting CPIs, but rather the shadier and more misleading/deceptive practices in CPI which usually act against the consumer's interests.

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correct you are, they are going after apps which trick users into installing other apps, apps that have incentives like you must install mobogenie to access this wallpaper, and other stuff like that

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how the hell will they figure out, if the user actually arrived by deceptive ads or just normal ones ???

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Bet a lot of users made complaints to them. I saw it coming but never expect it would come so quick, + it's from Google themselves. Kiss goodbye to Clean Master campaigns.

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Say hello to running your dirty campaignes with cloaker ^^

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I don't think you get it, but if Google finds out the app is being advertised in a way they don't want, they will probably ban the app. All the responsibilities are now at the offer instead of the affiliate.

This is pretty much the same as what FB did with dating. If an ad is found that violotes their ToS, the brand (dating site) will get removed from the whitelist.

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Well direct apks will still remain

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Yup similar to push..

If an app is found to be allowing this type of advertising, it will be removed from play store.

Push is now pretty much dead.. the writing's on the wall.

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SO FB banned dating, and there was a flood into mobile utility apps..

Now, utility apps will be very hard to convert at the low payments..

What's next for the easy money? Cloaking and popping over clickbank/products on PPV?

Oh wait...

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Direct Download APK offers will be there to stay. Guess advertisers who want to get their apps downloaded would choose to do the APK way.

Again, here comes another question - how long will that last?

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This is a bit similar to when Microsoft updated IE with the warnings and it cut conversions. A way will be found around it. The you have "1 virus" ads were pretty shady anyways. Maybe push a direct apks with a page that has a lot of trust.

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Makes sense

Where there is a will, there is a way ^^

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APK downloads are not allowed by most ad networks...and those who allow it will start banning it soon. Its the easiest way to install malware on someone's phone.

This is a very bold move by Google. Would be interesting to see how they enforce it.

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So 3 months ago, FB banned dating. And now, big G is slapping app install developers+affiliates.

What's next?

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Another FTC sweep?

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This has nothing to do with the FTC.

Google are generally just big bullies but in this case they did not have much of a choice. The amount of people "caught" by deceptive ads and landing pages lead to enormous amounts of complaints.

A BIG problem is that Google Play just don't have the same care when reviewing which apps they allow on to the store. They basically allow any old crap and then they are left to make policy changes like this to correct it further down the line.

My prediction is that Android will crumble further in the future. The Samsung App store is already gaining ground and hopefully there will be more in the future

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I know it was sarcasm to the post i quoted. He was saying its one thing after another whats the next thing that can happen etc.

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Don't run without confirming compliance for your angles and getting approval for creatives - even when not required. And be especially careful if running uncapped high volume. We can expect to see many trigger happy advertisers. Other than that - as someone said the other day here - keep on trucking

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I know mate

Its not that far off though. "Native Advertising" on mobile is highly controversial and I have no doubt that the FTC will have a look soon

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Google is using Play Store as a monopoly power play to restrict developers, affiliates, marketers from using other sources. They say, if a developer wants 0 worry about potential tricky/shady promotion technique then simply don't advertise anywhere else other than Google Adwords. Because we won't approve creatives that violate our own policies, removing the threat and risk of having an app suspended/removed from app store.

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This is not the case at all.

This is not about forcing app developers to only use a certain advertising channel. Nothing is preventing Spotify or Penultimate or Whatsapp or Three from advertising their apps on non Google owned channels.

Instead, this is about cleaning up the Google Play Store so that it becomes a trustworthy platform.

Suppose you owned a shopping mall and you keep on getting complaints about one of the stores to which you lease space. When you investigate these complaints further, you discover that these store operators not only engage in very shady, scammy behaviour, but also they pose a significant legal threat for you and they turn away customers from other stores in your mall.

What would you do?

There are plenty of examples of Google abusing its market power in ways that harm consumers. This, however, is not one of them.

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I am not seeing that sorry.

A google channel would be admob I suppose, where most of us are not advertising there. We are using other ad networks (non google owned channels as you say), but the end result is the same, we all go to the google play store, unless it is an apk install.

So I am not getting your point.

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It seems pretty clear to me what cmdeal is saying, let's be honest developers are pushing their apps (through affiliates) to visitors through false advertising. Google can control it's own channel (adwords, admob), but if it would not somehow punish developers who keep on using these techniques outside of Google it will keep on hurting Android's reputation. If you are an android user you will keep on getting the "your phone has a virus", "your phone is slow" messages, what would you do here if you were Google?

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And the email comes from an affiliate network..

http://i.imgur.com/K4DIGcC.jpg

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...So what will people do? Go the road of APK?

That's fine and great atm; but i see multiple threats ahead.

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Just another change, adapt to change and move on.

Change is always bad (some might disagree), but once you're familiar with it, everything is back too normal.

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Heads up! New policy update today, tracking domains are now getting suspended on Google

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Care to clarify?

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Yes, could you clarify this? Do you mean ALL tracking domains - ie, anything that redirects through any tracker domain to an offer domain (mytracker.com -> theoffer.com; where if you input mytracker.com it is auto banned immediately), or are you talking about specific tracking domains that have not followed their policies in the past?

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If you mean google is looking closely at campaigns that use a tracking redirect this is nothing new. Anytime they have cracked down on anything in the past they always start with campaigns that have redirects.

This is why the smart people cloak using php includes and utilize tracking that does not need to redirect. Sorry if this is not what you meant.

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https://play.google.com/about/develo...nt-policy.html

That's all there is to it. Vague as always from Google... Unfortunately this leaves a lot of room for hearsay and misinterpretation. Give it some time, don't slash your wrists just yet.

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I may be wrong but I think people keep misinterpreting things:

"Promotion or install tactics which cause redirection to Google Play or the download of the app without informed user action."

Let me highlight the salient point:

"Promotion or install tactics which cause redirection to Google Play or the download of the app without informed user action."

WITHOUT INFORMED USER ACTION

A user who clicks a banner saying "install now" or "get the app" or "learn more" has committed an informed user action. I therefore see absolutely no problem.

A pop-under that loads to the app store would be the opposite - the user has been sent there without an informed user action.

Not sure why redirects are even a moot point. Tracking systems virtually always involve clicks passing through the tracking system and out to some destination. Prohibiting that would be wildly inflammatory. What would happen to Cake and HasOffers for mobile app install tracking? Or the many other systems that are useful for mobile?

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"A user who clicks a banner saying "install now" or "get the app" or "learn more""

Install now, get the app, Download, NOT ALLOWED as per new policy

Learn More is allowed and other stuff like that where you are not TELLING the user what to do.

I know this, because our google rep sent examples to policy team, and they wrote next to every single example allowed, not allowed, etc ..and explained why..


Their policies are not defined clearly that is why Mobogenie, Clean Master, All Baidu Offers (DU Speed Booster, Browser, Battery Saver) and tons of other apps are on pause now. They are simply scared, because they don't know how to interpret it. Does google care? Not at all.


New google law, obey it or die. We had many trackers suspended, SITE SUSPENDED saying we violated policy. Our rep investigated, and the policy team says their newest algo which checks banners, etc visited document root of the tracker domain and found that its empty. So it suspended all banners that linked to that URL. To fix it, we simply have to make pages with unique content and put it in the root so its not empty.

Their new algo that suspends based on this wants the highest user experience, they assume if the root is empty the website is offline so if a user will visit it, it will be bad user experience. WTF.

But can't do shit, adept or die!

Anything google says, we follow, YES SIR!

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Seems like they are almost anti-marketing. Can't tell the user what to do? Stupid. One of the points of good marketing is telling the user exactly what to do, it's a call to action.

Wouldn't be surprised if Google backtracked on some things realising how stupid certain things sound. Then again, it is Google.

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#affiliatemarketingisdeadagain

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lol, im sure many feel that way, but those with the right connections benefit from all this google BS

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UPDATE: So it's been quite some time since March 30th, google still didn't fix their automatic banner approval system. They admit there's a big problem, and working on it.
What that means to guys running adwords - banners will one day be approved, only to get rejected the next -- have this occur too much, and your accounts will be limited, then suspended. Not because its your fault, but because of their system.

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More similar updates from Google: https://googleonlinesecurity.blogspo...d-buttons.html

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They're going to replace deceptive ads with this? (or the sites that display the deceptive ads).



Not sure how they could police this on a large scale.


Everyone wants in on hacking the ad game these days, little do they know, it'll just push advertisers to make better, smarter ads. Nice try, Google.

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This would be relatively easy to do through collaborative filtering.

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I'm glad to see google making these changes.

The thing about these shady adware downloads that people don't seem to realize is that, they are slowly but surely ensuring the reduction/elimination of all your affiliate revenue.

When you buy traffic from a non adware source (Google, Bing,fb, display etc) and that person has adware installed, any/all of your affiliate links can get overwritten with the affiliate links of the adware owner or whoever they sell the links/pop ups to.

So they are basically paying you a one time fee, to have the ability to steal commissions or sell you back low quality traffic.

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