UC Browser vanishes from Google Play Store

UC Browser, a mobile browser app designed by China-based UCWeb -- backed by Alibaba group, is reportedly taken down from the Google Play Store. The browser had almost 500 million downloads across the globe with over 420 million users.

The browser is quite popular in India with a user base of almost 100 million. The delisting of app has seen no response from UCWeb or Google and, therefore, is reported to be a temporary delisting. However, an email received by Android Police founder -- an online technology news portal – states that the UC Web’s affiliates are using malicious redirect ads to inflate installs. This may have prompted Google to delist the browser.

Here is a snippet of the e-mail shared by Android Police founder on Reddit:

Dear Partner, We hereby emphasis again that UC Union prohibits any and all misleading/malicious advertising method(s) to procure new users when promoting UC Browser campaigns, such as by using slogan inconsistent with the Product functions, or by using inductive slogan.

DO NOT use the Malicious Promotion method(s) or STOP such behavior immediately if you are acting so.

Upon discovery a Malicious Promotion, UC Union is entitled to

(i) STOP your payment settlement, or DEDUCT your corresponding payment made to you;

(ii) compensation in recovery of the loss suffered by UC Union, including but not limited to loss of UC Union's good will, loss of users of UC Union Product(s), removal of UC Union Product(s) from Google Play or Apple Store, and any other loss as a result of your Malicious Promotion;

(iii) require you to CLARIFY the facts for elimination of the negative impact shed upon UC Union; and (iv) resort to any other legal measures if necessary.

UC Union is looking forward to cooperating and developing with you in a healthy UC Union ecosphere.

Another Twitter user named Mike Ross, who claims to works with UC Browser posted a tweet confirming that the app was taken down for a similar reason.

Mike wrote, “I work for UC Browser, I got mail today morning it said that UC Browser was temporarily removed from play store for 30 days because it used “Misleading” and “Unhealthy” methods of promotion to increase installs.”

This is not the first time UC Browser has been alleged for misleading activity. In a news report in Business Standard on August 22 citing sources reports that UC Browser sends user and device identifiers such as IMSI (international mobile subscriber identity) and IMEI (international mobile equipment identity) numbers and location data to a remote server based in China.