Facebook sues developers behind malware
Facebook is going after more shady app developers for abusing its platform.
The social media company filed a lawsuit against two app developers it says used malware-ridden Android apps to engage in "click injection fraud." According to Facebook, the developer used malware embedded in its Android apps to fake clicks on ads to make money off unsuspecting users who downloaded their apps.
This lawsuit is the latest example of Facebook aggressively pursuing shady app developers who break its rules in the wake of Cambridge Analytica. But unlike Cambridge Analytica, which used ill-gotten Facebook data from a personality quiz app, it appears these developers were attempting some good old-fashioned ad fraud.
The apps in question came from Singapore-based JediMobi and Hong Kong developer LionMobi, and are marketed as calculator and anti-virus apps. But they also "installed malware designed to intercept ad-related data and inject fake clicks in order to deceive Facebook's Audience network and Google's AdMob into crediting the the apps for fake clicks that did not occur," according to the lawsuit.
The two apps, "Power Clean - Antivirus & Phone Cleaner App," and "Calculator Plus," have been installed millions of times, according to their listings in Google's Play Store. Both apps were still available at the time of publication. Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Facebook didn't say how much money the app developers made from these schemes, but it was apparently lucrative. During a two-month period in 2018, the "calculator" app generated more than 40 million ad impressions and 17 million clicks, according to the lawsuit. The supposed antivirus app generated fake clicks via Google's AdMob.
Ad fraud is nothing new, and these kinds of schemes have been particularly prevalent in the Google Play Store for years. But the fact that Facebook is suing both developers in addition to booting them off of their platform signals how much more seriously the company takes app developers that break its rules. The company previously sued a South Korean app developer it says refused to cooperate with its investigation into its data policies.
"Our lawsuit is one of the first of its kind against this practice," Jessica Romero, Facebook's director of platform enforcement, said in a statement. "Facebook detected this fraud as part of our continuous efforts to investigate and stop abuse by app developers and any abuse of our advertising products."
UPDATE: Aug. 7, 2019, 9:43 a.m. PDT In a statement, LionMobi, developer of the "Power Clean" app, blamed a "third-party SDK" for causing its app to break Facebook's rules.
"In December 2018, LionMobi realized some of the integrated third-party SDK may lead violations of policy," the company said. "As soon as we can, we investigated the third-party SDK integrated into LionMobi products, and removed all third-party SDKs that may be suspected of violating the policy.
"LionMobi respects and abides by Facebook's strategies and policies over app monetization."
Featured Video For You
Apologies in the tech world, a timeline
(责任编辑:关于我们)
- When will Trump and Harris debate? The presidential campaigns snipe over ABC News’ rules.
- New era as Mbappe becomes France captain
- 本月中旬免费来听课 培训合格可申请小额贷款
- IBA says IOC misused information about its officials
- Value Judgment
- I Deleted All My Social Accounts: Three Weeks Without Social Media
- 家装案例 小户型装出地中海田园风情
- Motorola patent application seeks to track people who switch phones
- Ratcliffe makes revised Man Utd offer
- Arshad Nadeem receives Hilal
- FIFA increases World Cup compensation for clubs
- Elon Musk: Your time to buy a Tesla car is limited
- Get £75 off the new Casper Hybrid mattress with this code
-
13 Places to Find Little Legends and Compact Cryptids
Many of the creatures from folklore or urban legends are large creatures that roam through forests o ...[详细] -
本报讯 近日,天全县所有娱乐场所、游艺场所视频监控系统全部投入使用。至此,天全县将实现对全县娱乐场所、游艺场所24小时常态监管,这是继网吧实施视频监控监管措施后,天全县对文化市场监管采取的又一新举措。 ...[详细]
-
Get £75 off the new Casper Hybrid mattress with this code
TL;DR: The innovative Casper Hybrid mattress has just launched in the UK, and you can get £75 ...[详细] -
Mental strength key for new season: Bagnaia
LONDON:Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia reckons MotoGP riders will need all their mental fortitude to ...[详细] -
13 Astronomical Clocks Connecting Time And Space
Composed of intricate dials and mechanisms, astronomical clocks more closely resemble eclectic works ...[详细] -
You're screwed if you want to repair the new iPad
Apple's new iPad is thin, powerful—and a nightmare to fix when things go wrong.iFixit, a websi ...[详细] -
Facebook's AI crushes professionals in six
An artificial intelligence bot, created by researchers at Facebook and Carnegie Mellon, can beat hum ...[详细] -
Harassment prompts a woman footballer to quit Mexico
MEXICO CITY:A Mexican professional women's football club urged authorities Friday to do more to ...[详细] -
Alcaraz vs. Van de Zandschulp 2024 livestream: Watch US Open for free
TL;DR:Live stream Alcaraz vs. Van de Zandschulp in the 2024 US Open for free on 9Now or TVNZ+. Acces ...[详细] -
Mental strength key for new season: Bagnaia
LONDON:Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia reckons MotoGP riders will need all their mental fortitude to ...[详细]
- NASA says Earth just had the hottest day ever recorded
- Ridiculously strong coffee is here to keep Americans wide awake
- Ridiculously strong coffee is here to keep Americans wide awake
- Is 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' getting a revival?
- 雅安公安接连破获两起汉源湖非法捕捞案
- Google is testing a Play/Pause button for Chrome's toolbar
- Tesla breaks quarterly record with 95,200 delivered cars