Does Google Inserting Deceptively Placed Ads in the Play Store seem icky to anyone else?

They’ve started inserting a subtle ad as the first result instead of the actual app you’re searching for.

This has to have been a change over the last month or two I feel like?

I’m having to reprogram myself to view the first result as irrelevant. Really makes me want to increase the F-Droid alternatives that I use.

modifier,

Google rocketed past ‘icky’ long ago, around the time they awkwardly removed ‘don’t be evil’ from their motto.

mob,

100% agree that Google is icky/morally corrupt.

But imo, having “don’t be evil” isn’t a great motto even if it was for the most moral company to ever exist. It’s just a really suspicious motto

Imgonnatrythis,

Really? They were evil way before that.

XbSuper,

It clearly says sponsored, so not really no.

eskimofry,

deleted_by_moderator

    •
    XbSuper,

    What? When did law get brought into this? Lemmy is weird.

    Polar,

    Lemmy users are so fucking annoying. All of the shitty people from Reddit moved here.

    eskimofry,

    You and the moron who thinks that when some one talks about a comment that feels like it came from a google lawyer also sound like you came from reddit.

    eskimofry,

    Lawyer != law. In my mind, this comment just sounded like it came from a nitpicky lawyer representing google.

    Flax_vert,

    Isn’t that normal?

    sik0fewl,

    Hey, it worked for Amazon.

    Kodemystic,
    @Kodemystic@lemmy.kodemystic.dev avatar

    Dude they’d place adds directly in your medula spine fluid orif somethin if they could.

    sagrotan,
    @sagrotan@lemmy.world avatar

    F-droid’s your friend

    bigdog_00,

    Use the Aurora Store!

    macattack,

    I have a new convert now, thanks for the suggestion!

    netchami,

    You can use the Aurora Store, it’s basically the Google Play store but without the annoying ads.

    Mojojojo1993,

    How legit is it ?

    netchami,

    It pulls everything (apps, metadata, search results, etc.) directly from Google Play. It’s entirely free and open source and recommended by almost everyone in the Android and privacy community, so yes, it’s definitely legit.

    Mojojojo1993,

    Sweet so use that over Google play? Why isn’t it used instead of gapps and such

    netchami,

    Yeah. Some Android Custom ROMs ship Aurora instead of the Play Store. I try to get all of my apps from F-Droid, but when something isn’t available there and I can’t get it through Obtanium, I go with Aurora.

    Mojojojo1993,

    Can you use F-Droid without root ?

    netchami,

    Yes you can

    thisisnotgoingwell,

    Thanks, just downloaded it.

    macattack,

    Thanks to the suggestions in this thread, I started using it today and it’s amazing! Thanks for the recommendation.

    isVeryLoud,

    Yes, happens all the time.

    Some sort of malware will always pop up before the app you’re looking for.

    moldyringwald,
    @moldyringwald@lemmy.world avatar

    Yeah I think it’s pretty wack. If I search doordash then Uber eats will be the first result or if I search Uber eats then doordash will be the first result lol the ads are getting so extreme it pretty much evens out in the end and it’s all completely pointless aside from making everything more annoying for the user

    IamAnonymous,

    Same thing on iOS. I just search for the app on the browser so it takes me directly to the app without these ads.

    derpgon, (edited )

    Remember, the end user is always the one paying for the ads. Either by the company making you pay more for their products (Apple) or taking bigger cuts from whatever they mediate (Uber, Doordash).

    Kase,

    You’re telling me that not only am I seeing the ads, but I’m also paying for them??? I think I’m gonna be sick, how do I get off this ride 😭

    derpgon,

    If you buying their products or paying for their services - absolutely yes. If you are just seeing them, then it’s free 🤣

    But, seriously - uBlock Origin, AdGuard, PiHole, use FOSS, buy brands that do not advertise (or do not advertise as much), use services that are known because they are good, not because they advertise themselves.

    It’s not feasible or possible to 100% this, let’s be real, but partially possible and helps fbe whole picture.

    peg,

    It’s gross and deceptive. I report them every time.

    TheDarksteel94,

    Just like Google Search results. I don’t even really notice those anymore because my brain ignores them automatically.

    bignate,

    I used to think the same thing: first three results or so are always ads, so just ignore. And then recently they’ve changed to be 90% ads even after the initial few. It’s hard to find something that someone hasn’t paid to display :(

    fne8w2ah,

    uBlock Origin is your friend.

    Kbobabob,

    How does this work in the Google Play store?

    alphapuggle,

    Ads in any kind of app store search should SUPER NOT BE ALLOWED. Microsoft does it, Google does it, even the Apple app store has it. I don’t want my grandma to be looking for her bank app and download Fast Cash Transfer Free 2024 Edition instead

    soggy_kitty,

    Omg if you search for Barclays or NatWest you get other apps as the first result.

    What options do I have to stop this shit?

    alphapuggle,

    f-droid.org

    Scrollone,

    Good luck finding your banking app there.

    FederatedSaint,

    The digital zeitgeist is a fuckin dystopia.

    dynamojoe,

    It’s about as icky as looking at my bank account and my bank highlighting a transfer to an investment house and suggesting its’ own in the same line.

    robinj1995,

    Please tell me this is in the US

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