UCWeb provided Gadgets 360 with an official response: However, the real problem (at least according to UCWeb), wasn't with malicious advertisements - it was a setting in the app itself. One Twitter user, claiming to be a UC Browser employee, also said misleading ads were to blame: Since this notice came only a few days before the app's removal from the Play Store, it looked like Google caught wind of the malicious advertisements, and decided to pull UC Browser. The company reinstated the program a few months ago, but it seems like ad problems have been cropping up again. This isn't the first time this has happened either - UC Union previously pulled the affiliate program after some partners resorted to malicious ads. That seemed to indicate that misleading and malicious/redirecting ads were being used to increase installs for UC Browser recently. (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. 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 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, A week ago, we received this email from the company:ĭear 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.ĭO NOT use the Malicious Promotion method(s) or STOP such behavior immediately if you are acting so.
Now it appears that a setting in the browser itself, rather than rumored data theft or misleading promotions, is the reason it has been removed.Īndroid Police previously signed up as an affiliate of UC Union, the browser's parent company (though we are not currently working with them). But just two days ago, the app was removed from the store. UC Browser is massively popular in India, with over 500 million installs on the Play Store.