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Ask HN: Can I keep my information private while publishing an Android app?

4 points by mitm2mitm ↗ HN
If I make a simple Android app (Google Play store), will I be able to keep my information private? Even when somebody make an in app purchase. Like using a fictional company name (I never registered one) so nobody knows it's me. Only Google would have my real name and everything else.

There's no nefarious reason. I'm just your usual paranoid pc enthusiast who doesn't like his name and entire life decisions indexed and available to everybody.

3 comments

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newjersey
Are you in the United States? you might want to consider forming a shell corporation. As long as you are willing to disclose all receipts and pay all taxes, you should be fine. Don't take my word for it though. Hire a good lawyer and describe to them exactly what you wish to accomplish here. Perfect anonymity is probably very difficult but someone will have to make a minimal effort to track you on the play store.

Or better, consider making your app free and open source and make available on F-Droid. (: (I can try to convince you, can't I?)

mitm2mitm
No, and I don't want to make another company just for this. I might abandon this whole idea if that's necessary.
newjersey
If you make your app free and open source (GPL 2 or any version thereafter), I can try to find someone who will gladly take responsibility of publishing it to the play store.