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Google can ban your Android app if they think you’ve clicked on your own ads

danfabulich.medium.com

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Re: Google can ban your Android app if they think you’ve clicked on your own ads

#231

Post by kypro »

CGamesPlay wrote: post #7

I'd extend this even further: never use a single account for more than one purpose. Create a separate account at the same company for the other purpose. Some examples: - Every product/project you manage should be on a separate account on Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc. - Nothing tied to your consumer accounts should be used for anything business related. - Your Amazon shopping account and your AWS account should defin…

While this is good and practical advice, it does irritates me that there isn't more of a push for regulation to protect people against automated actions like this. I know in the EU we have protections under GDPR which allow us to request an explanation for an automated action, but I don't believe we have anyway to request human review.

Part of the problem it seems is that even if these actions are unfair and unjustified it still makes financial sense for these companies to be trigger happy with automated account bans rather than implementing a more nuanced and intelligent approach which would likely require some human intervention or investment in more intelligence automated systems.

If we had some way to request human review or dispute automated actions it would become far more expensive to take unjustified automated actions as people would just complain and request a human reviews the case. Personally I think we've become far too comfortable with tech companies making it almost impossible to contact them. Requiring a human review process for automated actions and requiring companies have some way for customers to contact a human would create jobs and give us some legal right to adequate consumer service. It's weird to me that we have rights when it comes to how our data is used (at least in the EU), but no right to basic consumer service when our business is destroyed overnight because Google takes some automated action.

Re: Google can ban your Android app if they think you’ve clicked on your own ads

#232

Post by mleonhard »

AgentME wrote: post #160
CGamesPlay wrote: post #7

I'd extend this even further: never use a single account for more than one purpose. Create a separate account at the same company for the other purpose. Some examples: - Every product/project you manage should be on a separate account on Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc. - Nothing tied to your consumer accounts should be used for anything business related. - Your Amazon shopping account and your AWS account should defin…

> - Your Amazon shopping account and your AWS account should definitely not be the same account. My Amazon account has been locked for a few days now because I tried to buy a friend a gift card, and I can't even access my AWS account at all. Thankfully all I have on there currently is some old backups in S3, but I previously used AWS for some projects and this could've been a fucking disaster. I tried to buy an Amazo…

At least you can talk to staff at Amazon who have the power to help you.

Re: Google can ban your Android app if they think you’ve clicked on your own ads

#233

Post by roofwellhams »

blibble wrote: post #47
o-__-o wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Creating a subsidiary business for every type of Google account you have would be quite expensive Costs roughly $1000/yr to run a properly sheltered LLC. Just saying, that’s a low barrier to overcome for any company turning modest revenue.

why so expensive? in the UK it's £13/year (under $20)

What about accountants, paperwork, bank account fees... 1000 usd easy per year

Re: Google can ban your Android app if they think you’ve clicked on your own ads

#234

Post by bambax »

jraph wrote: post #96

Also teach people to use and prefer F-Droid over Google Play when possible, and make your open source app available on it: - no obscure ban for application vendors - no mandatory account for installing apps and from which you can be banned - no user tracking If you don't like vendor lock-ins and its consequences, push for the alternatives.

Maybe. How many users are on F-Droid though?

I think the alternative is a simple web app. For many many apps it would work just fine. If it works in a browser on a PC, it really should work on a browser on a phone.

Re: Google can ban your Android app if they think you’ve clicked on your own ads

#235

Post by FridayoLeary »

grishka wrote: post #187
epicalex wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've just had a similar experience with ebay. About 75% of the times I log on to ebay, (no exaggeration, I only purchase something a few times a year and this happens almost every time), my account gets locked for suspected unauthorised access and I'm forced to reset my password. I have a static IP, and only ever use the same two devices. I have a strong unique password. I spent 15 minutes on the phone with their acc…

I had this same issue with "suspicious activity" many years ago, and I had to call a US number to have it sorted. Though I did have it sorted. They keep spamming me with the meaningless "help us protect your account" emails tho. The kind with a lock icon and zero useful information. I set up a rule to auto-delete those.

you can just go onto your account settings and uncheck the relevant box to stop the messages

Re: Google can ban your Android app if they think you’ve clicked on your own ads

#236

Post by strogonoff »

kevingadd wrote: post #109
anoncow wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why were the accounts banned?

"without ever telling us why" indicates that they do not know.

Sometimes one may be able to take a good guess at where one did not comply with the letter or the spirit of a certain rule, but still not be told which specific violation was detected and triggered a ban. Both are useful information and the question could have referred to either.

Re: Google can ban your Android app if they think you’ve clicked on your own ads

#237

Post by camhart »

55555 wrote: post #59
blibble wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

why so expensive? in the UK it's £13/year (under $20)

It can be much cheaper in other good states. $250 to 400 yearly rings a bell for WY, NV, DL

WY is even less than that--more like $50. $52 if you pay with a credit card. Though you'll need to pay for the registered agent $25 / year.

https://sos.wyo.gov/Business/docs/BusinessFees.pdf https://www.wyomingagents.com/

But yes--if you live in another state, you'll need a company in that state regardless.

Re: Google can ban your Android app if they think you’ve clicked on your own ads

#238

Post by nmfisher »

Digit-Al wrote: post #110

I just don't see how this can be legal. How can they be allowed to completely destroy a business with no evidence and no appeal process? This surely must class as abuse of a monopoly position. I guess the fact that they haven't been sued yet must be evidence that their terms are fairly tight but it feels like I've seen something that states that terms are only enforceable if they can be shown to be "reasonable" and i…

I agree, I think it's totally insane that we are allowing this to happen (and I'm most the liberal/free-market person I know).

Google is literally one of the most profitable companies in the world. It could easily implement a fair, open and transparent appeals process if it wanted. It's choosing not to. That is a massive "fuck you" to everybody who has invested huge amounts of time and money to build businesses that basically now operate at the whim and mercy of an unaccountable giant.

Suing also isn't at good solution. If your business suddenly get cut off from 100% of its customers, do you think you're going to have enough cash sitting around to pay employees and lawyers for the next 3 years waiting for your case to be heard? There needs to be a mandated appeals process that is audited by an independent government agency.

Re: Google can ban your Android app if they think you’ve clicked on your own ads

#239

Post by skinkestek »

smcl wrote: post #183
skinkestek wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who has a lot to lose if nazis ever get back in power: isn't the correct thing to still register their domains and just go to the police with it? Based on my sysadmin background I actively try to know as little about my customers as possible: sure I might become a hero whistleblower but more likely I'll taint myself in various ways.

I think life as a neo-nazi should be as difficult as humanly possible so I'd try find a way to boot them off any service I operate. It's likely many hosting providers etc have a "no illegal stuff or neo-nazi shit" clause in their TOS. A few of these sites have bounced around providers before landing with Epik, so it doesn't seem to be rare or hard to do. It's a choice Epik have made to, if not welcome them then toler…

> I think life as a neo-nazi should be as difficult as humanly possible

We are not far away from each other on the goal here it seems only in how to achieve it.

Re: Google can ban your Android app if they think you’ve clicked on your own ads

#240

Post by inull »

Google is a joke! Title should of said, NEVER use Gogle at all. They will ban you from AdSense even for menu or search design/style not looking how they like it. There automated system is horrible, they make money and don't care about there customers. So don't use google at all everyone!
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