As Google sits back and watches, terrible ads are ruining Android’s free app ecosystem

Remember the early days of Android? It felt like the Wild West in the best way possible. You could hop onto the Play Store, type in a random app or game you wanted — like a flashlight, a simple unit converter, or a quirky indie puzzle game — and download a completely free app that did exactly what it promised.

Sure, there might have been a tiny, unobtrusive banner ad at the bottom of the screen, but it was a fair trade. You got a great tool, the developer made a few pennies, and everyone went home happy. Fast forward to today, and that beautiful, open ecosystem is actively suffocating.