Click Injection

What is click injection?

Click injection is a type of click-spamming that is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Essentially, fraudsters publish or have access to an Android app that listens to "install broadcasts." They then use this app to detect when other apps are being downloaded and trigger clicks before the installation are complete. By doing so, the fraudster can receive credit for installs as if they were responsible for the download.

One of the main concerns with click injection is that without proper fraud prevention tools, fraudsters can use a junk app to hijack a device at the right time and with the right information to create an "ad click" that appears to be legitimate. This can result in CPI payouts that are not deserved.

To combat click injection fraud, it is important to have proper fraud prevention tools in place. These tools can help detect when fraudulent activity is occurring and prevent fraudulent clicks from being counted as legitimate. Additionally, it is important to stay vigilant and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity that may indicate click injection is occurring.

Why is click injection important?

Click injection is important in the in-app marketing area because it can lead to inaccurate attribution, which can impact the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

If fraudulent clicks are counted as legitimate, this can lead to inflated click-through rates (CTRs), which can make a campaign appear more successful than it actually is. Additionally, inaccurate attribution can lead to businesses allocating resources to the wrong channels, resulting in wasted ad spend and lost revenue.

As an app marketer, it is crucial to be aware of fraudulent practices such as click injection that can compromise data used to inform ad spend distribution, and to have a clear understanding of how install broadcasts work in order to make the most of their potential for app marketing.

What are install broadcasts?

Install broadcasts, on the other hand, are signals sent from a newly installed app (or an app that changes status in some way, such as when it is uninstalled) on Android devices.

This feature is useful for creating a tight connection between different apps, allowing apps to streamline login with a deep link to a recently installed password manager, or give users more direct options to transfer into a specific web browser.