The TikTok clone Mitron app, much talked about for its growth hack and amassing 5 million downloads within a few weeks, has now been suspended from Google Play Store.
While the exact reason for suspension of the app is yet to be ascertained, a CNBC- TV18 report said that the app violated Google Play Stores’ ‘spam and minimum functionality’ policy.
As per the policy, any app on Play Store should provide users with a basic degree of functionality and respectful user experience and shouldn’t copy the content of other apps.
One major reason could be not disclosing the apps details and its privacy policy during its launch and was uploaded only on June 1.
The app, with many bugs, gained popularity at a time when Chinese video-sharing app TikTok was receiving flak from its Indian users. The negative sentiments against TikTok also helped Mitron gain quick downloads.
Mitron app has similar functionalities and features like TikTok and users also started calling it a clone of the Bytedance-owned company.
Suspension of apps from Play Store isn’t new. In the past, several apps have been suspended and later made available on the Play Store after rectifying the Google identified flaws.
For the past one week, Mitron app was targeted by many users and experts over missing its privacy policy and basic details of the developer and the company. A recent report also revealed that Shopkiller e-commerce, the promoter of Mitron app’s entire source code, including its full set of features and user interface, was bought from a Pakistani software developer company Qboxus for about $34.
Qboxus, which also reached out to Entrackr and alleged that Mitron’s developer had taken their exact product, changed the logo and uploaded it on Play Store. According to Qboxus, Mitron is a re-branded version of TicTic, which is a short video app made by the Pakistan-based software company.
