{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,17]],"date-time":"2026-03-17T16:27:19Z","timestamp":1773764839114,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2016,11,14]],"date-time":"2016-11-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1479081600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["ICS"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2016,11,14]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This paper aims to investigate Google\u2019s top developers\u2019 apps with trust badges to see if they warrant an additional level of trust and confidence from consumers, as stated by Google.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Risky app permissions and in-app purchases (IAP) from Google\u2019s top developers and traditional developers were investigated in several Google Play top app categories, including Editor\u2019s Choice apps. Analysis was performed between categories and developer types.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Overall, Google\u2019s top developers\u2019 apps request more risky permissions and IAP than do traditional developers. Other results indicate that free apps are more dangerous than paid apps and star ratings do not signify safe apps.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Because of a limited number of Google\u2019s top developers and Editor\u2019s Choice apps, conclusions are drawn from a small sample of apps and not the entire market.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Google\u2019s top developers\u2019 apps are suited well for increasing revenue for Google and developers at the consumer\u2019s expense. Consumers should be wary of top developer trust badges.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Social implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>As the lure for \u201ctop free\u201d and \u201ctop developer\u201d software is strong among consumers, this research contributes to societal welfare in that it makes consumers aware that Google top developer app trust badges and free apps are more dangerous than traditional developer and paid apps, as they request risky permissions at a much higher frequency. Therefore, consumers should be very careful when downloading apps that are advertised as \u201ctop free\u201d or \u201ctop developer\u201d.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Google\u2019s top developers\u2019 apps and Editors\u2019 Choice apps have not been investigated from the perspective of permissions and IAP before.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/ics-11-2015-0044","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,11,18]],"date-time":"2016-11-18T13:13:52Z","timestamp":1479474832000},"page":"474-495","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Consumer trust in Google\u2019s top developers\u2019 apps: an exploratory study"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"24","author":[{"given":"Mark A.","family":"Harris","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Amita G.","family":"Chin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2020121122342425100_ref001","unstructured":"Android Developer (2015a), available at: http:\/\/developer.android.com\/guide\/topics\/manifest\/manifest-intro.html#perms (accessed 17 May 2015)."},{"key":"key2020121122342425100_ref002","unstructured":"Android Developer (2015b), available at: http:\/\/developer.android.com\/training\/permissions\/requesting.html (accessed 24 October 2015)."},{"key":"key2020121122342425100_ref003","unstructured":"Appthority (2014), \u201cMobile app reputation report\u201d, available at: www.appthority.com\/learn\/ (accessed 1 May 2015)."},{"key":"key2020121122342425100_ref004","unstructured":"Arxon (2014), \u201cState of mobile app security\u201d, available at: www.arxan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/assets1\/pdf\/State_of_Mobile_App_Security_2014_final.pdf (accessed 1 May 2015)."},{"key":"key2020121122342425100_ref005","unstructured":"AV Comparative (2012), \u201cMobile security review\u201d, available at: www.av-comparatives.org\/images\/docs\/avc_mob_201209_en.pdf (accessed 1 May 2015)."},{"key":"key2020121122342425100_ref006","first-page":"311","article-title":"Is this app safe? 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