Google just announced it's going to release a new system on the Play Store that can detect and filter apps being boosted illegally by its developers to attain higher rankings in the top charts. It will crack down apps using illicit installations, hoax reviews, and other illegal methods.
This move is a step forward on Google's technology to further manage the applications in the Play Store attempting to influence its rankings on the charts. Apps with sketchy movements in charts are detected by the system, then filtered. The company warns developers who persists in doing this activity that their apps will be removed, Tech Crunch reports.
These manipulations foster biased rankings which affects the Play Store community. Not only it violates Google Play Developer Policies, as well as, it creates an unfair environment for all app developers. These manipulations will cause organic high-ranking apps in the charts to turn out in the lower end, due to the users altering their standing in the charts, the site further explains.
In addition, this issue is also faced by other app stores such as iTunes App Store, wherein app developers purchase their own applications to boost their ranking, since app stores base their rankings on install and download metrics.
Countless methods have been encountered in relation to this like bots, app install ads, fake reviews and many more to generate high-rankings for the apps.
However, unlike iTunes App Store, Google Play users are initially greeted with recommended applications based on previous downloads and installations. Google urges developers to acquire legitimate third-party marketing services only.
The Google Play Store is the biggest Android app marketplace to date, and millions of people rely on it for their different applications. Hence, the company constantly develop ways to ensure the public and its developers a fair play environment.
