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

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

#71

Post by wombatpm » Wed, Apr 28, 2021, 5:24 AM UTC

cmeacham98 wrote: post #53

ulrikrasmussen wrote: post #48

> Google will never tell you why they banned you from AdSense/AdMob. (Honestly, it sort of makes sense that they share no evidence, because Google doesn’t want people to learn how Google detects click fraud.) No, I don't think that makes sense. Google is not sharing this information because they want to protect their own business, but in doing so, they are shifting all risk to the app developers. If you have a busine…

I'm not aware of any major business that publicizes this kind of information. Try going to your bank and ask them for details on how their anti-fraud system works. The problem here is this imperfect click fraud ban can ricochet into your app getting banned too.

But the bank will point to a specific transaction as the reason or a series of transactions to show a pattern.

i.e., You've had 15 $9000 deposits over the last 15 weeks in what appears to be an attempt to avoid reporting to to the federal government.

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

#72

Post by bryan_w » Wed, Apr 28, 2021, 5:27 AM UTC

snotrockets wrote: post #17

busymom0 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Epik and Namecheap are pretty good imo. Definitely don't use GoDaddy. EDIT: One can find several instances where users search domain names on GoDaddy and they are available at regular price but when they try to place the order, the domain is no longer available and must be bought at a premium price.

Epik is excited to provide services for white supremacists. I'd think thrice if this is a vendor I'd like to have my name associated with.

And namecheap protects spammers.

I'm pretty sure this is the combo you go with if you want to do borderline illegal things.

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

#73

Post by KorematsuFred » Wed, Apr 28, 2021, 5:28 AM UTC

jaimex2 wrote: post #2

If there's a good alternative never use Google anything. The sole fact that there is no appeal system to account shutdowns and the way they just kill services at random should be enough reason for anyone.

Google is pretty good at weeding out bad players and all these bad examples are often on margin. Unfortunately the bad guys are getting more and more sophisticated. Google is not entitled to admit every publisher into their program but needs to provide enough assurance to advertisers that their money will be well spent. Hence they are likely to make mistakes on side of caution. This hurts developers like us but it benefits a business like Google.

Sadly, there is no clear quality alternative to Google as of today. I have worked for the adnetworks that boast to be second to Google but in reality are pretty disgusting and filled with crappy advertisers and even shady publishers.

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

#74

Post by cwkoss » Wed, Apr 28, 2021, 5:28 AM UTC

What sort of legislation could be put into place that would effectively prevent these sorts of situations without having horrible side effects?

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

#75

Post by ARandomerDude » Wed, Apr 28, 2021, 5:33 AM UTC

FpUser wrote: post #67

ARandomerDude wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Chinese authoritarian state intervention isn't a bogeyman, it's a real threat first and foremost to its own people, and secondarily to those who do (especially tech) business there. Just because a real threat is widely acknowledged doesn't make it a bogeyman. Bogeymen, after all, are mythical. Chinese tyranny isn't.

Sure, that is why all big gorillas are there. Go talk to them and see how receptive they are. Or try to convince you government to cut all ties.

I didn't understand this comment at all. Could you please rephrase it?

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

#76

Post by smcl » Wed, Apr 28, 2021, 5:34 AM UTC

busymom0 wrote: post #23

snotrockets wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Epik is excited to provide services for white supremacists. I'd think thrice if this is a vendor I'd like to have my name associated with.

Here we go again with the "white supremacist" boogeyman. Not worth discussing this because such discussions never change anyone's minds.

Well we are talking about companies with questionable ethical practices. It would be weird to NOT mention the neo-nazi tolerance when suggesting epik in a discussion like this.

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

#77

Post by ximeng » Wed, Apr 28, 2021, 5:34 AM UTC

twright0 wrote: post #51

ryandrake wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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. This should really go without saying. I’m sometimes shocked at the extent to which it has become normalized to mix up one’s personal accounts with work. I can’t count the number of times a colleague accidentally sent me an email using their personal account, or tex…

Firm agree on mixing work/personal contexts. However, in practice, using "Sign in with Google" by default dramatically increases resilience to most failure modes for almost everyone without a sophisticated threat model. > To save what? An additional password? The average person does not manage their passwords in a sophisticated way; if someone is signing up for many different services, they are probably using the sam…

Using Google SSO is fine unless Google arbitrarily closes your account with no recourse.

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

#78

Post by renewiltord » Wed, Apr 28, 2021, 5:36 AM UTC

Ah interesting. That is actually actionable advice. Using non-Google ads with Android devices seems safer. Good tip.

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

#79

Post by yjftsjthsd-h » Wed, Apr 28, 2021, 5:37 AM UTC

snotrockets wrote: post #17

busymom0 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Epik and Namecheap are pretty good imo. Definitely don't use GoDaddy. EDIT: One can find several instances where users search domain names on GoDaddy and they are available at regular price but when they try to place the order, the domain is no longer available and must be bought at a premium price.

Epik is excited to provide services for white supremacists. I'd think thrice if this is a vendor I'd like to have my name associated with.

Okay, but we're in a discussion about avoiding services that randomly ban people, so that sounds like a positive: If they won't even ban white supremacists, they probably won't ban me.

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

#80

Post by nickphx » Wed, Apr 28, 2021, 5:37 AM UTC

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…

I would exercise caution doing that. If the accounts are created from the same infrastructure (IP, computer, mobile device), they are easily associated and can be swept up in a ban.