alt Hacker NewsI see the exact same thing on Play Store, and I think Google is outright complicit in fraud. The top result when you search for an app, even if by exact name, is always, literally 100% of the time, not the app you are looking for, but some other ad-infested knockoff spyware shit whose developer paid Google to be placed before the real thing.
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I saw a google authenticator copy (using the old icon but named Authenticator) about two weeks ago. It was the top result but an ad and not by Google. Sad I didn't screenshot it, couldn't find it when searching Google Authenticator again.
I was using someone's computer who didn't have ad-block and this is rampant with Google's web search too.
It's unreal to me that you can search for a specific doctor's name in a specific town and end up seeing a sponsored result that uses the doctor's name in the ad's title but it's not the real office, instead it's someone else entirely.
Same on iOS App Store. Search for “pocket cast” and you see “Pocket FM”. Search for “notion” and you will see “Notix: AI note taker”.
Ha truth. Was looking for Uber app today. The first result was Flixbus. To be fair it is stated as "sponsored" in tiny letters.
No regulations -> fraud and scams
Expecting that the rich will do the right thing out of their good hearts is not just naive but actively damaging for society.