Google Play has started to struggle with paid app ratings

Developers should not try to manipulate the position of their apps on Google Play by encouraging users for downloads and good reviews.

This was reported by representatives of Google Play in a blog for Android developers.

The ban includes cheating ratings, writing custom reviews and increasing product installations using illegal means, including encouraging users to download applications and leave reviews, promising them money, goods and other bonuses for this.

“Installations made for the purpose of manipulating the placement of the application on Google Play will be identified and filtered, and applications will be removed from the store,” the company’s representatives promised.

Google explained that in general they are not against encouraging users as such, although they do not recommend developers to resort to such measures to promote their applications.

According to the Google Research team, users attracted by the promotion are less likely to stay in the app and make purchases in it less often than the audience received through organic traffic channels.

Measures will be taken in the event that developers fall for purposeful cheating of the application rating.

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• Source: Android Developers blog