Opt out or How to stop google bot accounts from my app

Question

we have an android app which uses the Firebase and google sign in.

The app has been deployed to the Google Play Store since 2019, we release updates once a while, and some times 2 updates a week, happened a lot lately.

the problem when ever we release an update on the open testing before we promote to production tens of new bot accounts get created and sign in with google sign-in. They all have the format firstname.lastname.xxxxx@gmail.com. some times 16 accounts sometimes 23 accounts or more, its so annoying that this is coming from google, we do not want this kind of fake account in our database, we can delete them but we thought its kind of testing bots that test the app every time we release an update, so we was okay with it at the beginning but now we probably have almost 1k of this fake accounts and it keep happening and happening, we even received report against other users and products and those reports and flags was raised by this bot accounts, also our users receiving fake messages like (text) looks like the bots testing our production app and messing with our users?

Our question is there a way to opt out of this? and why google dont just use the same first few accounts was created before instead of creating more and more bot accounts and ruining our database.

we can create something to prevent this but that the last solution we want to do, does google sign-in offer an opt out or there is a way to stops this kind of abuse to a production app?

Answer 1

It sounds like you are experiencing an issue with Google creating bot accounts that sign in with Google Sign-In on your app, and you want to know if there is a way to opt-out of this or prevent it from happening. Unfortunately, there is no direct way to opt-out of this behavior or prevent it from happening, as these bots are likely automated testing accounts that Google uses to verify the functionality of apps on the Play Store.

However, there are some steps you can take to mitigate the impact of these bot accounts on your app and its users. One option is to implement more robust user verification methods, such as two-factor authentication or email verification, to prevent the bot accounts from registering in the first place. Additionally, you can monitor your app's user activity closely and take action against any suspicious or abusive behavior, including reporting and banning bot accounts as necessary.

Another option is to contact Google support and explain your situation to see if they can provide any assistance or insights into why these bot accounts are being created and how to prevent them. Additionally, you can submit feedback through the Play Console to provide feedback to Google and request changes to their automated testing processes.

Overall, while it may be frustrating to deal with these bot accounts, it is important to remember that they are likely created with the intention of improving the quality and security of the apps on the Play Store. By taking proactive measures to prevent and address their impact, you can ensure that your app remains safe and functional for all of its users.