As my app (Thief Face Trap Mini, TFTM, com.terboel.tftm) does not seem to
have any more spy-like features than similar apps - such as Wheres My
Droid, Android Lost, Prey, Find My Phone, GotYa Face Trap
Security, or even Avast Anti-theft - I assume that it was NOT removed
because of its features. Then it must have been removed because Google
suspected that it contained a virus (or malware).
When I started scanning this app using different AntiVirus apps, I saw to
my surprise that some of them indeed listed it as a Virus. Some even
characterized it as a Trojan!
See
https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/6346C6F089551B8D3DE3EF80D44134DCBC1FB3DC5E7D1DF44A0B19A6BBA490CC/analysis/
where I also have posted a comment. This is a web site owned by Google,
where anyone can scan an app using most known AntiVirus apps.
As I have witten all of this app myself, I am quite certain that it does
NOT contain any virus or malware.
It seemed that some AntiVirus app first THOUGHT that it detected a virus in
mye app - possibly because it at some time contained a string with the
letters LMPM, which MAY (incorrectly) have been associated with a LMPM
Windows Trojan Virus. As many of the AntiVirus Apps copy from each other,
it was not long before several of them reported my app as being a high risk
virus or malware.
I tried to appeal to Google, claiming that any virus listing must be caused
by a FALSE POSITIVE, but Google said that they would not reinstate the app,
and that their decision was not appealable.
So, now I have started trying to get the AntiVirus publishers to REMOVE my
app from their list of viruses and malware. Which is much harder than I
though.
So far a few publishers of AntiVirus Apps have tested it - and removed it
from their list of viruses. That includes BitDefender, QuickHeal and
ForeSafe. E.g. check this:
http://sandbox.foresafe.com/2014/03/comterboeltftm_5.html
Others do not even reply to my removal request, and some even claim that my
app is really a virus - or at least a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) or
PUA (Potentially Unwanted Application). Strangely enough, they seem to be
unwilling to remove a FALSE POSITIVE. One should think that it would
increase the quality of their AntiVirus Apps - and make them more
trustworthy, but I do not understand how they are thinking. After having
seen how lightly some of them list an innocent app as a virus, I have
doubts about their quality.
I write this because it may be of interest of other app developers - as it
could easily also happen to their apps - and because I hope that the Google
Play Support may also read this. If I should ever succeed in removing this
app from being listed (as a virus) by ALL Android AntiVirus Apps, I still
hope to get Google to reinstate my app.
Regards, Terry
On Tuesday, March 11, 2014 7:24:58 AM UTC+1, Terry wrote:
Google has removed my app from the Play Store.
Now I would like to know WHY.
The Reason for Removal was Dangerous Product.
The app is the free Theif Face Trap Mini, or TFTM, with
id=com.terboel.tftm
For those who would have a look at it, it can still be found at various
places, e.g. at the 1Mobile Market.
Regards, Terry
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups Android Developers group.
To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
Android Developers group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.