Ad fraud is twice as high on Android devices as it is on iOS smartphones and tables, according to a recent report by Datavisor.
The report, which studied 140 million app installs across almost 500 ad networks and publishers, says that average app install ad fraud on Android is 5.8%, while on iOS it is 3%.
The app install business was almost a $6 billion business last year in the U.S., the report says, citing eMarketer, while Business Insider estimated it to be $5.5 billion. I’ve studied mobile ad fraud extensively, and I’ve estimated the size of the global market at north of $10 billion in 2017, and possibly as high as $15 billion.
App install fraud occurs when fraudsters fake app installs, falsely claim credit for legitimate app installs, or use malicious apps to download real apps onto real users’ devices without their knowledge.