Google is cracking down on fake Play Store reviews and ratings

Google Play Store

Google plans to take action confronting developers that purchase fake ratings and reviews for their ain apps and competing apps in an try to ruin their competition'due south reputation, the visitor announced on Monday.

The search giant says that the crackdown is gear up to target app developers that use in-app rewards for ratings and reviews, a mutual tactic featured in many costless-to-play mobile games that include pay-to-win mechanics.

"Google Play ratings and reviews are extremely important in helping users decide which apps to install. Unfortunately, fake and misleading reviews can undermine users' trust in those ratings. User trust is a top priority for us at Google Play, and nosotros are continuously working to brand sure that the ratings and reviews shown in our store are not being manipulated," writes Google in a recent weblog post.

Further, Google is asking Play shop users to study reviews they suspect are breaking the visitor'south new rules. With thousands of shady websites out there offering botnet-powered Play Store fake reviews and ratings for various fees, this is a good decision on Google's part.

Google says that it has already removed millions of imitation Play Store reviews and ratings throughout the by week, as well as removed thousands of apps that have received shady reviews and ratings. Though the Play Shop beingness so open is role of what separates Google's marketplace from Apple's closed-garden iOS App Store, information technology looks like Google is taking more control over at least some aspects of its app market.

Regardless, this change in policy is a pace in the right management and a welcome modify. That said, it will likely exist a long time earlier the shift in app store policy is apparent to the average user.

Source: Google Via: ZDNet