Google Play prohibits encouraging users for good grades

The policy regarding marketing companies and developers encouraging users to leave “false ratings and reviews” is being tightened.

On November 29, Google announced that it has gained the ability to identify and remove fake comments and stars with greater accuracy. By the latter, the platform means those that did not come from real users, as well as paid or motivated ones (for example, asking for five stars for a discount or a game bonus is prohibited).

Applications of those developers who resort to this practice will be removed from Google Play.

A representative of a foreign marketing platform noted in an interview with App2Top.ru that the innovation “hit all [market participants]. In the future, it will also hit Google Play itself, since the platform will eventually become less interesting for developers.”

“There is a suspicion that Google Play will soon cut the charts and tops, transferring everything to the steppe of private recommendations. Developers will no longer pay money to agencies and traffic providers, but to the platform itself so that their applications are shown to certain groups of users. Perhaps there will be good targeting for similar applications and activities. For example, those who constantly log in to Google Play and constantly download something will cost more than those who log in less often. Competition will begin for them. As a result, developers will pay more attention to alternative storages, perhaps there will even be some exclusives, at least temporary. Thus, Google Play will slowly squeeze the audience,” the source added.

Source: Google