Crypto business and Google bans: is resistance futile?
Google, the vast digital corporation and search engine platform, is banning cryptocurrency ads since June 2018, as witnessed by the latest news on its announcement. Unconfirmed messages coming from the businesspersons related to cryptocurrency mobile applications suggest that Google is starting to oppress them too, either without even answering to inquiries or stating the ban is not crypto-related.
Regardless of the actual truthfulness of the messages on the latter topic, Bitnewstoday has decided to ask various experts on both issues:
- Is it possible to bypass bans imposed by Google?
- What to do for advertisers and what to do for app owners in case of any bans?
- Is the option to move to other platforms (Telegram, other social media) able to replace Google ads, Google Play and AppStore and still keep the business profitable?
The most important question is about the ban bypass and about actual chances to bypass it. It would be logical to begin with the answers on this issue.
One can change “ICOs” to “token sales”, Ivan Golenko (Chief Marketing Officer at Storiqa) thinks. Using more neutral statements might also help.
Despite this, most experts interviewed by Bitnewstoday agree that the resistance to the ban is futile. In the long term, similar tricks will not help to keep advertising afloat. This has been stated by both Vitaliy Tsigulev, Digital Finance CEO, and financial analyst Alexander Kuptsikevich from FXPro who often sends Bitnewstoday his opinion on the latest crypto market events. Alexander Kitchenko from Bitcoin Foundation who has investments in digital currency has also stressed that Google will just use any renaming tricks as another reason to prove the “dishonest” behavior of the app owners and delete apps anyway.
Evgeny Lifshitz, member of the Russian Parliament expert group on cybersecurity, thinks that while the app developers can change names and description and even pose as other organizations, this might help in some cases with websites and ads, but AppStore will not keep digital currency-related apps for long. The expert has noted that Google has automatic means of scanning for ads and apps they deem undesirable and resisting to this scan might prove hard. Rospatent and Vneshekonombank-developed blockchain work group coordinator Alexei Yurov noted that there are alternative app markets present, for example, DAO. While it maybe a shame to lose such a good source of revenue and popularity, Yurov noted that the measure of Google about apps may actually cleanse the market of those who just try to play on the hype. He also noted that in the case with the ad ban, Google might be acting under directives from the government.
What should advertisers and mobile application owners do in case of bans other than trying to bypass it? The vast majority of experts, if not all of them, agree that the social media channels existing today can actually help the developers of cryptocurrency applications and advertisers to keep the business going as long as the social media management is good. Alexander Kuptsikevich, for example, agreed that Telegram is a very perspective SMM platform. Vitaly Tsigulev offered to use Bitcoin PR Buzz and the forums of crypto enthusiasts on Reddit and BitcoinTalk along with Medium. In conclusion one might consider the opinion of Evgeny Lifshitz who called this very probable migration an evolutionary process.
The options for those who play fair and still received a strike or a ban are not exactly wide. They can send an inquiry to Google, Evgeny Lifshitz and Alexander Kitchenko both tell. Mr. Kitchenko also believes that what is not prohibited today can become banned tomorrow and thus the need for new decentralized solutions arises. Decentralized platforms will not have any moderators whose decision might easily destroy startups. Of course, first they have to actually appear.
Bitnewstoday reminds that the experts’ opinion might not necessarily be a panacea and that every business and investment decision should be made after doing the vast analysis of materials on the decision topic.