The App That Lied About Cleaning Your Phone & Robbed You

About this video

• Video Title: The App That Lied About Cleaning Your Phone & Robbed You
• Channel: Byte
• Speakers: None explicitly named in the transcript.
• Duration: 00:13:41 (819.399 seconds)

Overview

This video exposes how the popular Android app "Clean Master" deceived over a billion users with false promises of phone optimization. It details how the app actually slowed down phones, drained battery, and engaged in widespread ad fraud, data harvesting, and insider trading, ultimately leading to its ban and the downfall of its parent company, Cheetah Mobile.

Key takeaways

• False Optimization: Clean Master did not optimize phones. Its "RAM boost" feature actually slowed devices by constantly closing cached apps, forcing them to reload and consume more CPU and battery.
• Useless Junk File Cleaning: The app deleted useful cache data, which would be immediately re-downloaded or recreated, leading to increased data usage and slower app performance.
• Fake Phone Cooling: The "phone cooler" feature was a sham as apps cannot control hardware functions like CPU frequency or voltage without root access.
• Ad Fraud and Data Harvesting: Clean Master generated millions of dollars through ad fraud by falsely claiming credit for app installs and collected user data by posing as a utility tool.
• Consequences and Bans: BuzzFeed News' investigation led to Google banning Clean Master and other Cheetah Mobile apps from the Play Store. The company faced massive financial losses, stock crashes, and SEC charges for insider trading.
• Broader Issue: The video highlights that many Android "cleaner" and "antivirus" apps are "snake oil," exploiting users' lack of understanding about how their phones work.
• Improved Detection: While past scams were rampant, Google has improved its detection of fraudulent apps, and users are becoming more educated, making such widespread deception less likely today.