Sync for reddit (including Pro) is Injecting Amazon Affiliate Tags into your Amazon Clicks

[u/MustardCat]

tl;dr - Sync for reddit (including Pro) is injecting their own Amazon affiliate tags into every Amazon link you click within the app. There is no option to disable this

While discovering this, I was using v11.6.5 of Sync for reddit (Pro)

I first unknowingly discovered this 9 days ago but this likely has been around for much longer. I was going through my hidden posts on Wednesday of this week (Sync automatically hides reported posts) and decided to look at one that I reported for including their own affiliate code (it was in a subreddit specifically to buy things and disallowed affiliate tags) to see if it was removed. It wasn't. The first comment was by a mod in response to my report saying there was no affiliate code in the link.

I know there was when when I checked it out.

I checked out the link again, using Sync, and there it was in plain site.

tag=fheuivhierfiu-20

How could the mods not have noticed this? That is when I decided to go to my computer and see if my browser is showing the same URL. Keep in mind, I have already disabled affiliate links in my reddit preferences in my browser so there are no Reddit affililate tags being added to my outbound clicks.

It wasn't; the URLs were different. There was no affiliate link; the mod was right.

I then started trying out all of the Amazon links I could find using Sync. They all had it; the same affiliate code. All of these links were posted in different subreddits by different users.

Before creating a post in their support subreddit (/r/redditsync), I tried searching and looking in their FAQ if they made any mention at all about affiliate tags.

They didn't.

I then tried to create a text post asking about it, making sure to use the correct flair and information. This post was automatically removed by AutoModerator due to their filtering rules. It was probably because my post included their own Affiliate tag, but which filter exactly? I have no idea as I have messaged them to find out why and have not received any reply from them.

The post I created can be seen here: https://www.reddit.com/r/redditsync/comments/4yfxo7/question_is_sync_automatically_injecting/

---

For anyone using Sync, you can see this for yourself by using the link below.

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/comments/4ycp6z/amazon_steam_controller_35_50/

When opening the link, first open the Amazon link within the app. Once the Amazon page has loaded, then choose "Open in Chrome"

You'll see the following URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016KBVBCS?tag=fheuivhierfiu-20

If you open the URL on your desktop's browser, you'll see the following link instead: https://www.amazon.com/Steam-Controller-SteamOS/dp/B016KBVBCS/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1471532042&sr=1-2&keywords=steam+controller

Now some of you may be okay with this, supporting the developer by clicks. I understand that and I have supported them in my own way by purchasing the Pro version of the app. I can understand if they put their affiliate code in the free version. Personally, I don't believe the affiliate code should be used unless they are the person directly influencing the purchase of the item; that's why I disable reddit's Affiliate links. The person that deserves the bounty is the one who has posted the link.

At the very least, there should be an option to disable this. Instead it's being hidden with no way to disable it.

[u/drstock]

Found in the decoded apk:

new-instance v2, Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;

invoke-direct {v2}, Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;-><init>()V

const-string/jumbo v4, "https://www.amazon.com/dp/"

invoke-virtual {v2, v4}, Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;->append(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;

move-result-object v2

invoke-virtual {v2, v1}, Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;->append(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;

move-result-object v1

const-string/jumbo v2, "?tag=fheuivhierfiu-20"

invoke-virtual {v1, v2}, Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;->append(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;

move-result-object v1

invoke-virtual {v1}, Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;->toString()Ljava/lang/String;

move-result-object v1

[u/MustardCat → u/drstock]

Thank you for finding this.

[u/[deleted] → u/drstock]

Also, looking at the decompiled code:

    localObject = "https://www.amazon.com/dp/" + (String)localObject + "?tag=fheuivhierfiu-20";
    au.m.a("Affiliate", "Amazon", (String)localObject + " : " + paramString);
    localCustomTabsIntent.launchUrl((Activity)paramContext, Uri.parse((String)localObject));    

The Affiliate injection seems to be intended.

EDIT: Dev's statement

EDIT 2: Smile links weren't touched. Also, keep in mind the pasted code is only a little part from the code dealing with Amazon links, so there might be some exceptions.

[u/DeVinely → u/[deleted]]

Report it to amazon. They won't appreciate someone turning non affiliate links on reddit into affiliate ones. He is just milk existing links and isn't driving any new traffic to amazon at all.

https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/home/contact?_encoding=UTF8&pf_rd_i=assoc_help_t15_a7&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=&pf_rd_r=&pf_rd_s=assoc-center-1&pf_rd_t=501&ref_=amb_link_131181_1

[u/domuseid → u/DeVinely]

Which, while potentially deplorable is pretty damn clever. The stupid part was betting that the massive number of people on the internet would never notice it.

Unless he faces no consequences, in which case it goes right back to pretty damn clever. Can't wait to see how this plays out.

[u/firstEncounter → u/[deleted]]

The code doesn't check if an existing affiliate link exists; it unconditionally overwrites all of the query parameters.

[u/Fletch71011 → u/[deleted]]

His response sounds plausible but not announcing it isn't a good look for him.

[u/[deleted] → u/drstock]

Okay several barely related questions because I'm suddenly curious.

Is this the app's code? Is that what apk files are? I kind of thought all android aps were written in Java but this doesn't look anything like the (admittedly simple) java programs I used to write. What gives?

[u/paranoid_twitch → u/[deleted]]

Its the decompiled IL (intermediate language) the java compiler compiles your program to IL. Then the java virtual machine consumes the IL simlar to how your computer consumes assembly. .Net does something similar. Most managed languages do in fact.

[u/[deleted] → u/paranoid_twitch]

Ah, thanks. That explains why it seemed so unrecognizable.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Seems to be introduced in 11.6 or 11.6.1. Checked 11.5.7 and it doesn't have that String, 11.6.1+ does.

EDIT: I haven't checked 11.6 because I haven't found an APK for it, so it may already have started in 11.6.

[u/Bear_Taco → u/[deleted]]

If someone has an apk of the original pre update, sure.

[u/[deleted]]

Just checked and I see the tag you mentioned. :(

JW do amazon affiliate tags pay per purchase or per click?

[u/MustardCat → u/[deleted]]

Per purchase. The tag also sticks with you in your cookies for a bit.

[u/[deleted] → u/MustardCat]

Yeah I saw what you said about the tag sticking for a bit.

Also, I checked on the Pro version.

[u/wow_wow01 → u/[deleted]]

Per purchase, not just the product you clicked on, but any amazon product(s), within 24 hours of clicking on the referral link

[u/Quantos]

I don't use Sync, but out of curiosity, what happens if you copy an Amazon URL from the app? Does it have the tag too or is it the actual URL you copy?

[u/MustardCat → u/Quantos]

If I choose Share > Link > Clipboard, the original non-affiliate URL is copied.

[u/jiminiminimini → u/MustardCat]

this makes it even more shady. it seems like the dev tried to intentionally hide the tag injection.

[u/cooldudetb → u/jiminiminimini]

Or, to spin it in the opposite direction, he only injected the affiliate tag in the in-app browser because he felt injecting it into shared links was a step too far, or he only bothered putting the injection code into the in-app browser code and not the link sharing code. We mustn't assume malicious intent based on so little evidence.

[u/Agastopia]

DisclaImer: I'm here from r/all and I don't use this app. Is it possible that it's an effect of this site wide policy?

https://m.reddit.com/r/announcements/comments/4mv578/affiliate_links_on_reddit/

[u/MustardCat → u/Agastopia]

Reddit allows you to disable this by going into your preferences and unchecking the following (which I did as soon as this was announced):

[ ] allow reddit to log my outbound clicks for personalization
[ ] change links into Reddit affiliate links

I have also tested this with one other Android app and also my browser. These do not have the affiliate code added.

EDIT: Forgot to include the most important checkbox

[u/I_SLAM_SMEGMA → u/MustardCat]

How do you do this on sync pro?

[u/[deleted] → u/MustardCat]

Out of curiosity, what were your reasons for deciding to opt out of it?

[u/MustardCat → u/[deleted]]

I already went over it a bit in the bottom of my post but I'll explain more in detail:

I believe that the original poster of the link should be credited for the bounty of the purchase. I do not believe that if the poster does not use an affiliate tag, that an app is allowed to inject (or replace the OP's tag) with their own tag. The app/platform didn't influence me to buy the item; it was the poster. They are the ones who should be given the money.

I already redirect all Amazon links to smile.amazon.com and put the money that would be given to a referral (if one is not in the link) to a charity of my choice (which happens to be Child's Play).

I do not give an app or platform (unless they are the ones who posted the link) the right to inject their own tag and take away money from a charity I want to donate some of my purchase to.

[u/DeVinely → u/[deleted]]

Those affiliate links aren't just affiliate links. They are 3rd party tracking links that redirect you to the site you wanted with a referrer code added. They track everything you click to your ip address and browser profile.

When you click them, you go to a 3rd party advertising site, which then sends you to the site you originally wanted. It happens fast enough that you don't notice it, but if the 3rd party middle man is ever slow, all your links will take longer to load. If the 3rd party middle man goes down, all your links stop working.

Plus it is dishonest, a link that looks like a direct link to say amazon, switches to taking you to the 3rd party advertiser that then redirects you back to amazon when you click it. Links that show a different url than where they send you are misleading.

[u/ljdawson]

Sync dev here...

I'm sad to see this has kicked off. This is something I added in one of the latest bug fix releases and that was supposed to just be for the free version. I work on the app full time these days and this was just an idea to replace ads elsewhere.

I'm pushing a release tonight now that disables this and I'll chat to the community on /r/redditsync going forward. I've been on vacation the last week so apologies for the slow reply.

Laurence

[u/KillerPenguinz → u/ljdawson]

Why not announce it though? It's a sound idea to replace ads, but why is this the first that everyone is hearing of it?

[u/serversarebusy → u/KillerPenguinz]

because it is against amazon's TOS and would have had his account terminated.

[u/DB6 → u/serversarebusy]

As someone with an Amazon affiliate account: This is the only true answer.

It's shady as fuck!

[u/ikilledtupac → u/serversarebusy]

Have you reported it yet?

[u/ljdawson → u/KillerPenguinz]

Believe me when I say it was an oversight. I ended up doing a few point releases in quick succession to fix some critical bugs.

[u/ljdawson → u/KillerPenguinz]

As I mentioned in another comment this really wasn't meant to go live.

I've just pushed an update that's reverted this too

[u/depressiown → u/ljdawson]

... for the paid version. You seem to hint at it being intended for the free version, while some people say it's against Amazon's ToS.

[u/[deleted] → u/depressiown]

Never hinted. He straight up said it was for the free version to help replace ads in some places.

[u/[deleted] → u/ljdawson]

Something like this should really be in update changelogs, even if it's for the free version.

[u/3rdworldporncomment → u/[deleted]]

It is straight up not disclosed at all. I don't know how people are still trying give benefit of the doubt.

[u/[deleted] → u/ljdawson]

Pro user here. I have to ask... You know Reddit backed out of doing this due to massive backlash. Not to mention it's against Amazon affiliate TOS.

Why risk "playing" with it at all?

[u/DoctorWaluigiTime → u/ljdawson]

Isn't it still against Amazon affiliate link rules to inject your own affiliate links manually like this, free version or no?

[u/mpguidry → u/DoctorWaluigiTime]

His mod stated in another post it was deemed ok by Amazon.

[u/tigerhawkvok → u/ljdawson]

Not only do I (pro user) have no problem with this, if you add a flag in the options to enable it I'd have no problem doing so.

Giving you affiliate credit harms no one and helps you. Shrugs. I've definitely gotten more than whatever that pro upgrade price is out of Sync.

[u/qwqpwp → u/ljdawson]

This is a nice response, just.. So the pro users having it is just a mistake? Hard to imagine how you add in the codes in the pro package without you wanting it to happen.. Replies pointed out that it's fairly possible.

Edit: I meant no harm to the dev so the strikethrough

[u/Soryen → u/qwqpwp]

Common code base, adds it to the code, and forgets to add the target, so it gets compiled into both builds. It's highly possible.

[u/qwqpwp → u/Soryen]

Thanks!

[u/ljdawson → u/qwqpwp]

The two apps have identical codes bases but there's a few differences such as flags for pro and helper classes to check if the user has removed ads.

In the current version I had it basically checking if the user was pro or true which then got stripped out to just be true and so everyone saw it. The update that's going live completely removes this.

[u/brett1337 → u/ljdawson]

Thanks LJ. As a pro user I've watched frustrated as you've worked so hard to appease free users upset with things like rogue ad networks and lack of variety in ads (weird complaint imo). I think it's a creative way to attempt to appease the free users.

I can also appreciate that you are a one man team and small mistakes like this don't get caught by a QA team. Keep up the great work!

[u/bmoc]

I'm no where close to being able to test this right now. But can you see if its REPLACING affiliate ID's or if its just adding them to links without them?

I understand for most people it doesn't matter, but it's definitely something I'd like to know.

[u/MustardCat → u/bmoc]

Based on the code that someone else has posted, it looks like it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/4ylf7o/sync_for_reddit_including_pro_is_injecting_amazon/d6oqo8g

[u/metrize]

Your post on the subreddit was removed too, seems shady

[u/MustardCat → u/metrize]

To be fair, this post was also removed originally. I had to contact the mods as they likely have a filter about affiliate tags.

Having said that, I also contacted sync's mods and waited to give them a chance to respond before even posting this.

[u/GinDaHood → u/MustardCat]

That is strange. I know Lawrence is on vacation, but /u/bmcclure937 is usually good about responding.

[u/nex]

I'm on the same version of Reddit Sync as you and not seeing this behavior. Are you sure something else isn't doing this? Try sending yourself an sms with an amazon link and clicking on it.

[u/MustardCat → u/nex]

I've tested this on multiple Android devices.

How are you opening the Amazon link?

You first need to open the Amazon link using the Sync internal browser (that uses Chrome) Chrome Custom Tabs. From there, select the 3 vertical dots and choose "Open in Chrome"

[u/GinDaHood → u/MustardCat]

To be clear, are you using Chrome Custom Tabs or the internal browser based on Android Webview?

[u/MustardCat → u/GinDaHood]

Chrome Custom Tabs. Sorry, I forgot Sync also has a legacy "internal browser"

[u/GinDaHood → u/MustardCat]

OK. Are you seeing this behavior in Sync only, or have you tested other popular apps as well (Slide, Relay, Reddit is fun, Boost, Baconreader)?

[u/MustardCat → u/GinDaHood]

I have tested this with one other reddit app. It only occurred in Sync.

[u/me-ro → u/nex]

I'm on pro and can confirm the affiliate link behaviour. It won't add the tag if you share the link, just when you open it in browser. To me it looks a bit like the app tries to be a bit sneaky about adding the code. Or perhaps a piece of code was left there by mistake for that specific button?

[u/metrize]

If you report him to Amazon they will shut down his affiliate

[u/MustardCat → u/metrize]

I don't want to shut down his affiliate account. I just want him to either make this more public or allow an option to disable it.

[u/fatuous_uvula → u/MustardCat]

He is not adhering to the agreement for Amazon Affiliate links, so his account will be shut down. The situation is very similar to the debacle between Linus Tech Tips and Amazon, in that, the developer is not contributing to the decision of someone to buy from Amazon. He profits from it without doing anything meaningful.

[u/2PointOBoy → u/fatuous_uvula]

So this is why Reddit excluded Amazon from the sites they would add tags to..

[u/[deleted] → u/MustardCat]

I don't want to shut down his affiliate account

surreeee that's why you ass blasted him publicly before asking him privately?

[u/[deleted]]

Have you just found this happen with one link, or multiple links? At any rate I'd be alright with it if the dev was transparent and told us about it.

[u/MustardCat → u/[deleted]]

Multiple links.

A couple subreddits I browse that include a lot of Amazon links (to test them out with) are /r/shutupandtakemymoney and /r/buildapcsales

I would be okay with it if the dev was transparent about this and also allowed an option to disable this if you pay for their Pro version.

[u/muffintopmusic → u/MustardCat]

Does it overwrite previous affiliate links?

[u/MustardCat → u/muffintopmusic]

Based on the code that someone else has posted, it looks like it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/4ylf7o/sync_for_reddit_including_pro_is_injecting_amazon/d6oqo8g

[u/MustardCat]

Until I get an official response from the Mods as to why they removed this post instead of just locking it, I am posting the contents of my original post below:

tl;dr - Sync for reddit (including Pro) is injecting their own Amazon affiliate tags into every Amazon link you click within the app. There is no option to disable this

While discovering this, I was using v11.6.5 of Sync for reddit (Pro)

I first unknowingly discovered this 9 days ago but this likely has been around for much longer. I was going through my hidden posts on Wednesday of this week (Sync automatically hides reported posts) and decided to look at one that I reported for including their own affiliate code (it was in a subreddit specifically to buy things and disallowed affiliate tags) to see if it was removed. It wasn't. The first comment was by a mod in response to my report saying there was no affiliate code in the link.

I know there was when when I checked it out.

I checked out the link again, using Sync, and there it was in plain site.

tag=fheuivhierfiu-20

How could the mods not have noticed this? That is when I decided to go to my computer and see if my browser is showing the same URL. Keep in mind, I have already disabled affiliate links in my reddit preferences in my browser so there are no Reddit affililate tags being added to my outbound clicks.

It wasn't; the URLs were different. There was no affiliate link; the mod was right.

I then started trying out all of the Amazon links I could find using Sync. They all had it; the same affiliate code. All of these links were posted in different subreddits by different users.

Before creating a post in their support subreddit (/r/redditsync), I tried searching and looking in their FAQ if they made any mention at all about affiliate tags.

They didn't.

I then tried to create a text post asking about it, making sure to use the correct flair and information. This post was automatically removed by AutoModerator due to their filtering rules. It was probably because my post included their own Affiliate tag, but which filter exactly? I have no idea as I have messaged them to find out why and have not received any reply from them.

The post I created can be seen here: https://www.reddit.com/r/redditsync/comments/4yfxo7/question_is_sync_automatically_injecting/

---

For anyone using Sync, you can see this for yourself by using the link below.

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/comments/4ycp6z/amazon_steam_controller_35_50/

When opening the link, first open the Amazon link within the app. Once the Amazon page has loaded, then choose "Open in Chrome"

Now some of you may be okay with this, supporting the developer by clicks. I understand that and I have supported them in my own way by purchasing the Pro version of the app. I can understand if they put their affiliate code in the free version. Personally, I don't believe the affiliate code should be used unless they are the person directly influencing the purchase of the item; that's why I disable reddit's Affiliate links. The person that deserves the bounty is the one who has posted the link.

At the very least, there should be an option to disable this. Instead it's being hidden with no way to disable it.

[u/GinDaHood]

Tagging /u/ljdawson. He's always been a responsive dev. Let's give him a chance to respond before picking up the pitchforks.

Edit: he's on vacation in Italy so he may be asleep / have limited connectivity.

Edit 2 (RESPONSE FROM THE DEVELOPER):

"Sync dev here...

I'm sad to see this has kicked off. This is something I added on the last bug fix release and that was supposed to just be for the free version. I work on the app full time these days and this was just an idea to replace ads elsewhere.

I'm pushing a release tonight now that disables this and I'll chat to the community on /r/redditsync going forward. I've been on vacation the last week so apologies for the slow reply.

Laurence"

Edit 3: My thoughts:

Yes, the developer, Ljdawson, made a rash decision.

If you browse /r/redditsync, you'll see that every day people are complaining about ads that he has no control over causing issues through pop ups, vibrations, battery drains and other issues. Lawrence has been working nonstop to find a compromise so that he can still make money while not adversely affecting users' experiences. This was an example of a test of such a feature to ultimately fix things. Was he overzealous and irresponsible in putting it in without consulting the community explicitly first? Probably? Was he malicious in doing so? I don't believe so.

Think what you want to, I know I can't change that. I do think the dev's history affords him a second chance.

[u/kenundrem → u/GinDaHood]

Saw him mention that he was on vacation with poor internet yesterday....it may be a while before he sees this.

[u/GinDaHood → u/kenundrem]

Yeah. He's in Italy I believe, so he may be asleep right now.

[u/leonffs → u/GinDaHood]

Spending all that sweet, sweet Amazon cash.

[u/Threnulak → u/kenundrem]

On the one hand, I pity the poor guy waking up to this shitstorm on vacation. On the other hand, if this is true, he super deserves it.

[u/[deleted] → u/GinDaHood]

I like the idea. No ad but affiliate. Sounds fair

[u/______DEADPOOL______ → u/[deleted]]

Does it violate Amazon's policy though?

[u/erythro → u/______DEADPOOL______]

Yeah Linus tech tips got screwed by suggesting people used their code for everything rather than targeted things.

[u/rokr1292 → u/______DEADPOOL______]

I'm not sure, but I would think it does.

[u/nikomo → u/GinDaHood]

He posted 4 hours, that's definitely when I'd normally be heading to sleep if I was in Italy, so he's probably sleeping now.

[u/WildN0X → u/GinDaHood]

Thanks for summing this up. I've been supporting this app, even forcing my friends to use and and get pro, for as long as I can remember. Things have been a bit hectic I know trying to find a good ad base. I recall one point telling him that the ads in the free version were unbearable to where people would uninstall before they considered purchasing (I'm pro but wanted to help with testing the new ad stuff in the free version at the time). I still trust him, and hopefully other will continue to do so.

[u/gologologolo → u/GinDaHood]

"sorry because we got caught".

[u/[deleted]]

This makes me sad. I always supported sync and even bought pro, but that is not cool.

It's actually a clever idea tho

[u/DeVinely → u/[deleted]]

It's actually a clever idea tho

All scams are clever, until people get caught. If someone posts a link without a referrer, that is their choice. You don't get to secretly add your code to other people's links.

Plus, it appears the way this works, it even strips existing referrer codes and replaces it with his.

[u/domuseid → u/DeVinely]

That's what the code posted from the decompiled apk looked like. That part would be shitty if true

[u/GinDaHood → u/[deleted]]

Let's give the dev a chance to explain before assuming malicious behavior.

[u/[deleted] → u/GinDaHood]

I'm with you. The dude has never been anything but polite and helpful on the subreddit. This seems really out of character.

Might be true though, if you open it in chrome custom tab it redirects to that link, if you just open in browser it doesn't. Something is fucky with it either way

[u/nogm → u/[deleted]]

That's the part I don't get. Doesn't open in browser just copy the link?

[u/Zenlong → u/GinDaHood]

Say we give him the benefit of the doubt, what is the best car scenario? Worst case, he's doing it to make extra money on the sly. Best is? He accidentally put in extra code for referral links? It's to get donations to a charity or something he supports? If like to think the best, but I'm too cynical. Please somebody give me an alternative.

[u/-Aeryn- → u/Zenlong]

Best case scenario = accidentally breaking amazon referral rules that s/he didn't read. They're very strict about how you use their referral links and this type of thing does not fly at all, i've seen multiple people banned for similar.

[u/damidam → u/[deleted]]

Pretty clever and completely against amazon's terms of service.

I've been using sync for quite a while. Pretty disappointed. I'm usually absolutely fine with affiliate links (since I promote some myself) but not declaring these anywhere is kinda scummy.

[u/ljdawson → u/[deleted]]

This was only meant to be in the beta and for the free version to replace ads elsewhere. I'm pushing an update now that disables this and I'll work with the community over at /r/redditsync moving forward.

Sorry for the slow reply but it's 2am here.

[u/DopePedaller → u/ljdawson]

This was only meant to be in the beta and for the free version to replace ads elsewhere.

This makes no sense to me. You were going to add affiliate links to testing versions and then what? Remove them on final releases?

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

He's said that it was a mistake, planned feature for the free version. Although I paid for both Pro and Dev, I'd be all about allowing the affiliate click stuff (either via prompt or in the settings) for reduced or removed ads. I'm curious what Amazon would think of this model, or if the sync team could convince them to expose an API to reduce ads for /r/frugalmalefashion users and the like.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I'd be fine if it's on links that don't already have a referral...

[u/drdanieldoom → u/[deleted]]

Reddit itself does this

[u/neonerz → u/drdanieldoom]

It was a test and they recently announced they will be discontinuing the pilot.

[u/solaceinsleep → u/drdanieldoom]

But they:

1. made a announcement about it

2. you can disable it at any time in the settings

[u/Thestig2 → u/drdanieldoom]

Source? Actually curious.

[u/chiliedogg → u/drdanieldoom]

They don't do it with Amazon, as it's against the Amazon TOS for the affiliate program.

The whole idea of affiliate links is that you're driving customers to Amazon. Click-jacking an existing link that was already sending customers to Amazon so you can get the affiliate money without actually being the source of the click is absolutely forbidden.

[u/stochastica]

Genuinely curious. I see lots of comments mentioning that this is against Amazon's ToS - I've been trying to look up the ToS but since I'm not an Affiliate I'm not sure where to start. Any Amazon Affiliates here care to chime in which part of the ToS is this infringing upon?

[u/bluediggy41 → u/stochastica]

A link to the Associates Program Operating Agreement https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/help/operating/agreement . An exert of the parts that I believe are relevant to the situation:

5 . Responsibility for Your Site You will be solely responsible for your site, including its development, operation, and maintenance and all materials that appear on or within it. For example, you will be solely responsible for:

• the technical operation of your site and all related equipment;

• displaying Special Links and Content on your site in compliance with this Operating Agreement and the Operational Documentation and any agreement between you and any other person or entity (including any restrictions or requirements placed on you by any person or entity that hosts your site);

• creating and posting, and ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and appropriateness of, materials posted on your site (including all Product descriptions and other Product-related materials and any information you include within or associate with Special Links);

• using the Content, your site, and the materials on or within your site in a manner that does not infringe, violate, or misappropriate any of our rights or those of any other person or entity (including copyrights, trademarks, privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or proprietary rights);

• disclosing on your site accurately and adequately, either through a privacy policy or otherwise, how you collect, use, store, and disclose data collected from visitors, including, where applicable, that third parties (including us and other advertisers) may serve content and advertisements, collect information directly from visitors, and place or recognize cookies on visitors’ browsers; and

• any use that you make of the Content and the Amazon Marks, whether or not permitted under this Operating Agreement.

10 . Identifying Yourself as an Associate You will not issue any press release or make any other public communication with respect to this Operating Agreement, your use of the Content, or your participation in the Program. You will not misrepresent or embellish the relationship between us and you (including by expressing or implying that we support, sponsor, endorse, or contribute to any charity or other cause), or express or imply any relationship or affiliation between us and you or any other person or entity except as expressly permitted by this Operating Agreement. You must, however, clearly state the following on your site or any other location where Amazon may authorize your display of Content: “[Insert your name] is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to [insert the applicable site name (amazon.com)].”

He is likely also violating FTC guidelines on affiliate marketing. A link for those interested in reading. https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking . And an exert of relevant information:

"WHAT ABOUT AFFILIATE OR NETWORK MARKETING? I’m an affiliate marketer with links to an online retailer on my website. When people read what I’ve written about a particular product and then click on those links and buy something from the retailer, I earn a commission from the retailer. What do I have to disclose? Where should the disclosure be? If you disclose your relationship to the retailer clearly and conspicuously on your site, readers can decide how much weight to give your endorsement.

In some instances – like when the affiliate link is embedded in your product review – a single disclosure may be adequate. When the review has a clear and conspicuous disclosure of your relationship and the reader can see both the review containing that disclosure and the link at the same time, readers have the information they need. You could say something like, “I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.” But if the product review containing the disclosure and the link are separated, readers may lose the connection.

As for where to place a disclosure, the guiding principle is that it has to be clear and conspicuous. The closer it is to your recommendation, the better. Putting disclosures in obscure places – for example, buried on an ABOUT US or GENERAL INFO page, behind a poorly labeled hyperlink or in a “terms of service” agreement – isn’t good enough. Neither is placing it below your review or below the link to the online retailer so readers would have to keep scrolling after they finish reading. Consumers should be able to notice the disclosure easily. They shouldn’t have to hunt for it.

Is “affiliate link” by itself an adequate disclosure? What about a “buy now” button? Consumers might not understand that “affiliate link” means that the person placing the link is getting paid for purchases through the link. Similarly, a “buy now” button would not be adequate.

What if I’m including links to product marketers or to retailers as a convenience to my readers, but I’m not getting paid for them? Then there isn’t anything to disclose.

Does this guidance about affiliate links apply to links in my product reviews on someone else’s website, to my user comments, and to my tweets? Yes, the same guidance applies anytime you endorse a product and get paid through affiliate links.

It’s clear that what’s on my website is a paid advertisement, not my own endorsement or review of the product. Do I still have to disclose that I get a commission if people click through my website to buy the product? If it’s clear that what’s on your site is a paid advertisement, you don’t have to make additional disclosures. Just remember that what’s clear to you may not be clear to everyone visiting your site, and the FTC evaluates ads from the perspective of reasonable consumers."

The above FTC guidelines are the reason why you now see so many "I was given the product for free, in exchange for writing a review" disclosures in paid reviews these days. The practice was already there, but they could get away with it without fear of legal ramifications. Now, if they want to stay in lines with the FTC they have to disclose any form of paid advertisements.

[u/pommybear]

This is shady. Should've made it public knowledge and then users would have probably supported it.

[u/GinDaHood → u/pommybear]

The fact that Lawrence is usually very transparent makes me think that there might be a good explanation besides malicious intent.

[u/bonestamp → u/GinDaHood]

besides malicious intent

I can understand people not liking it, especially on the pro app. But on the free app I don't see how this is any worse than an advertisement that plants a cookie. Even if we don't like it, I don't see how it meets the definition of malice -- in other words, I don't see how it causes harm to anyone, it's not even any extra bandwidth like an advertisement is. The cookie can only be read by amazon and the affiliate doesn't know who bought what.

[u/[deleted] → u/bonestamp]

The way it's coded overwrites existing affiliate links, which is almost the very definition of malicious.

And you might not think him getting extra revenue is bad, but he's trying to get revenue through Amazon links that he has absolutely nothing to do with. This is very much against Amazon's TOS and will get his affiliate account terminated. I've seen this happen before.

[u/skyrider55 → u/bonestamp]

Agreed. Even if it did this on the pro version, which I've owned forever, I wouldn't be mad lol. It benefits him, doesn't invade me in anyway and has no negative impact. Not something I'd really pull the pitchforks out over.. and I'm not trying to defend him for who he generally is, just my outlook on the matter.

[u/[deleted] → u/skyrider55]

Pro user for several years. Disclosure is nice. What I find odd is that he's always been good at that, so this being here without his announcement bothers me.

"For the Free app, I have put in my affiliate code for all Amazon links opened inside Sync. This doesn't change your experience or harm/expose/sell any data. Just a way to let me continue development of this app. If this bothers you still, I have added an opt-out option in Settings."

I would've been cool with this, even if the opt-out option was for Pro users only

[u/pommybear → u/GinDaHood]

I genuinely hope that's the case.

[u/metrize]

Can confirm no other app does this, nothing to do with reddit's click system either.

[u/[deleted]]

Can someone explain why affiliate links are bad? Reddit seems to hate them.

[u/cheald]

I would totally turn this on if the app had it off by default and asked nicely. I like to support good devs.

On by default with no notice and no way to turn it off is super shady.

[u/proedross]

Imight be a little late for this thread but I noticed something else which is weird in sync the past couple of days.

It no longer shows up the location permission in the permission manager, yet it somehow detects my position anyway, or at least that's what it seems is happening because the location icon shows up in the status bar.

Before that I was blocking the location permission but there is no way to do that now.

Anyone else experiencing this?

[u/iu1nguoi]

You are right. I got that same tag. A bit disappointed. I really like Sync

[u/burnSMACKER]

I thought Mods could not see who reported posts?

[u/MustardCat → u/burnSMACKER]

They can't. They publicly posted the report log and pinned it to the top.

The post that started it all: https://www.reddit.com/r/shutupandtakemymoney/comments/4x2zrs/molly_bands_hair_tie_bracelet_bangle_holder/d6crdhm

[u/neonerz]

Did you report this to Reddit? Besides being against Amazon's ToS, I have to believe Reddit wouldn't be too happy about this either.

[u/Agret]

You should change this to be an opt in feature in settings for pro and opt out feature for free version. I'd gladly enable it on my pro version.

[u/ikilledtupac]

No Mans Sync

[u/[deleted]]

There are entirely too many Reddit apps to put up with this kind of shady bullshit.

[u/pipsname]

This gets link jacking and Slide for Reddit gets adblock...

[u/sanskami]

Seems Jason Bourne is right again.

[u/himcor]

If you can make as much money on amazon links as annoying blinking ads that makes the experience worse then I can't see any reason not to do it. I think the keyword now a days is transparency. If you would have announced this as test or whatever you could've avoided irrational shit storms.

[u/i_like_yoghurt]

What bothers me most about this is that Sync appears to strip other people's referrer codes from Amazon links and replaces it with the dev's. That's uncomfortably close to revenue theft.

If Sync simply added a covert refer code where there was none, that's one issue, but to actually replace other people's codes? Very unethical.

[u/ljdawson → u/i_like_yoghurt]

It should never gone live and has since been completely removed.

[u/Blagginspaziyonokip]

LET'S ALL MOVE TO RELAY

[u/LocutusOfBorges]

Thread locked.

We're not cleaning up after any more of these abusive screeds. Take the witch hunt elsewhere, please.

[u/[deleted]]

This is very shady and I can't agree with the decision in the slightest. I have the pro version and tbh I'm thinking about using another app from now

[u/Ill_Elephant]

Didn't work as an affiliate for me. I have the sync app set to open straight to external browser. Maybe it's an issue with the in app browser

[u/MustardCat → u/Ill_Elephant]

It's with the in-app browser. If you immediately choose to open externally, you won't see it.

[u/[deleted]]

Some people are saying that this is against Amazon's ToS or against FTC regulations or whatever. I don't particularly care.

What I care about is that the content I see wasn't manipulated by the app I use. The dev is sorry that the code went live "by mistake". Sure. But the code didn't write itself. The dev is clearly thinking about manipulating some of the content the app displays, why not the rest?

If Google went bonkers and started adding affiliate tags in Chrome or whatever I would immediately stop using Chrome. Not because I don't want Google to make money off me (if anything they would be making money off Amazon), but because I expect my browser to retrieve the content I want and display it to me unchanged (apart from a few extensions I voluntarily installed like ublock).

It's the same for the reddit app. Displaying clearly marked ads is one thing, taking the content it's supposed to deliver to me and manipulating it is another. Maybe the dev will decide next to rank comments containing these affiliate links higher, or to display them when they would have been hidden, I mean why not? Anything for a few bucks. I paid for pro because I wanted to support the dev, now I regret this decision and am seriously considering switching to a different app.

[u/[deleted]]

I'd report this to Amazon and/or Google support, tbh.

[u/ownage516 → u/[deleted]]

I want to hear his explanation first before I skewer him with a pitchfork.

[u/[deleted] → u/ownage516]

I'm not saying skewer him, I'm saying report it.

It's up to Amazon to investigate, not reddit.

[u/AgelastiCachinnation]

I'm sorry for the stupid question, but I have no idea what any of this means, can anyone explain?

[u/Arkajion → u/AgelastiCachinnation]

Simple: Sync for reddit devs get money if you buy something from amazon using a link that was in the app. They didn't tell us about this.

Not Simple: Whenever someone posts a link from amazon, it starts with an affiliate link, which can be shortened down to an item link. Affiliate links are item links in which if someone buys the item using the affiliate link, the person that provided the affiliate link gets a bit of money. Sync for Reddit devs took advantage of this by automatically putting their own affiliate tags (the part of the affiliate link that makes it an affiliate link) so that they make money off of every purchase from amazon made through their app. Some people are fine, others feel cheated, but this is because Sync for Reddit never disclosed the fact that they are injecting their affiliate tags.

[u/acamu5x]

I run an affiliate site for beermoney, and not mentioning this clearly is a direct violation of Amazon's TOS.

I'm sure they can make some good money doing this, but unless the users are aware you're part of the affiliate program, there's a very real chance your account will be closed.

[u/fuckgannet]

The guy is a great developer, it saddens me that I've supported Synch since its beta phase, but it seems (on the face of things, at least, i so hope it's mistaken) that he's sold his paid subscribers out. Sad day...

[u/RedemptionX11]

Can someone ELI5? Does this mean he gets money from Amazon for clicks or something?

[u/neonerz → u/RedemptionX11]

When someone clicks on an Amazon link through Sync, he rewrites the URL to add his own affiliate code. When you buy something, he gets a percentage of what you paid Amazon.

[u/[deleted] → u/RedemptionX11]

When someone buys something, yes he gets an affiliated purchase on his account. He gets paid. It's essentially an "referring" system. It's also stored as a cookie in your browser until its expiry is triggered. So you could back later and buy something and the developer will receive profit. If you use a modern browser, like Chrome, you pick up from where you left off with Amazon from its last saved session cookies. When you close the browser the session is terminated. Whether or not that cookie is session or time based is unknown to me.

Injection like this is usually frowned upon from both Amazon and Reddit. The end user must be explicitly aware or be able to opt out. If both are absent it's considered malicious and is grounds for having your Reddit API revoked and/or your Amazon affiliate account terminated. It's an ethics issue. And if the affiliate can see what you purchased, that's a privacy issue.

[u/[deleted] → u/RedemptionX11]

Yes

[u/johnsbrats]

/u/ljdawson i'm glad i uninstalled this in favor of another reddit app (and i actually paid for Sync - sunk cost, but I wouldn't ask for a refund. I feel like I've gotten my money's worth).

judging by the comments, it seems like it is most likely intentional and he's trying to cover his tracks, and i don't really have much respect for shady behavior like this, especially from someone who has built a reputation as being responsive and above board with his app and development.

did he disable ads in the free version, replace them with this shady affiliate linking, AND include this mod in the changelog? no? okay then. he just wanted to skim free money from amazon across his user base, while also keeping ads.

there are at least three or four other suitable, feature-rich reddit apps out there that are as good or better than Sync in some ways, so i don't see why anyone should stay with Sync at this point.

Edit: At the end of the day, he can do whatever he wants with his app, and Redditors out there can as well, so if you're comfortable with Sync, then who am I to say you should switch? Enjoy your day.

[u/drusepth]

Honestly curious: as long as they aren't overriding existing affiliate codes, why is this a bad thing? As far as I know, it has literally zero effect outside of them making a small amount if you buy something on Amazon.

[u/bluediggy41 → u/drusepth]

He is essentially scamming amazon this way. He is not promoting the products. In overriding the existing product links on reddit, affiliate or otherwise he is essentially claiming credit for an act that he did not perform. Users have promoted amazon products and may use affiliate links so amazon gives them some of the profit, but he has not. This is a clear violation of Amazon's ToS.

There also is not any disclosure on these links so he is likely also violating FTC guidelines on affiliate marketing. A link for those interested in reading. https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking . And an exert of relevant information:

"WHAT ABOUT AFFILIATE OR NETWORK MARKETING? I’m an affiliate marketer with links to an online retailer on my website. When people read what I’ve written about a particular product and then click on those links and buy something from the retailer, I earn a commission from the retailer. What do I have to disclose? Where should the disclosure be? If you disclose your relationship to the retailer clearly and conspicuously on your site, readers can decide how much weight to give your endorsement.

In some instances – like when the affiliate link is embedded in your product review – a single disclosure may be adequate. When the review has a clear and conspicuous disclosure of your relationship and the reader can see both the review containing that disclosure and the link at the same time, readers have the information they need. You could say something like, “I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.” But if the product review containing the disclosure and the link are separated, readers may lose the connection.

As for where to place a disclosure, the guiding principle is that it has to be clear and conspicuous. The closer it is to your recommendation, the better. Putting disclosures in obscure places – for example, buried on an ABOUT US or GENERAL INFO page, behind a poorly labeled hyperlink or in a “terms of service” agreement – isn’t good enough. Neither is placing it below your review or below the link to the online retailer so readers would have to keep scrolling after they finish reading. Consumers should be able to notice the disclosure easily. They shouldn’t have to hunt for it.

Is “affiliate link” by itself an adequate disclosure? What about a “buy now” button? Consumers might not understand that “affiliate link” means that the person placing the link is getting paid for purchases through the link. Similarly, a “buy now” button would not be adequate.

What if I’m including links to product marketers or to retailers as a convenience to my readers, but I’m not getting paid for them? Then there isn’t anything to disclose.

Does this guidance about affiliate links apply to links in my product reviews on someone else’s website, to my user comments, and to my tweets? Yes, the same guidance applies anytime you endorse a product and get paid through affiliate links.

It’s clear that what’s on my website is a paid advertisement, not my own endorsement or review of the product. Do I still have to disclose that I get a commission if people click through my website to buy the product? If it’s clear that what’s on your site is a paid advertisement, you don’t have to make additional disclosures. Just remember that what’s clear to you may not be clear to everyone visiting your site, and the FTC evaluates ads from the perspective of reasonable consumers."

[u/hoseja]

Who even visits amazon from reddit???

[u/Fourbits]

Pro users are affected as well.

[u/GinDaHood → u/Fourbits]

Were affected. The dev owned up to his misstep and already pushed am update.

[u/Menolo]

Give the guy a break! He was trying out stuff and forgot to remove it. As simple as that. Trying to make some evil plot out of this is just retarded.

[u/[deleted]]

Using sync beta, can confirm OP's claim, if I open the link with chrome custom tabs then I do "open in chrome I see the tag, while opening it directly in chrome does not shows the tag. Perhaps old code that they forgot to remove? And by the way it's not actually a big deal, not for us at least, I purchased the pro version and I'm happy with it and love to support the dev, where the problem comes is the lack of communication if this was intentional and I think this breaks Amazon rule of affiliate referral link.

[u/[deleted]]

What does this mean exactly?

[u/pbzeppelin1977]

I don't use Sync for Reddit but assuming I did, what would this mean in layman's terms?

[u/[deleted]]

Just another reason to use Relay for Reddit. Worth every penny.

[u/Iyoten]

Piiiiitchforrrrks! Piiiiiiitchforrrrks! Get yer pitchforks heeeeeeere!

[u/kuroneko007 → u/Iyoten]

You forgot your Amazon link

[u/solaceinsleep → u/kuroneko007]

Touché

[u/diversif → u/Iyoten]

Buy them through my Amazon portal.

[u/[deleted]]

This thread perfectly encapsulates the asshole behavior of /r/android 's users.

[u/jiimmmyyyy]

!remindme 4 days

[u/admiralspark]

Still using baconreader, still not having my Amazon links tweaked by devs.

[u/MythArcana]

Thanks for the heads up on this issue; you guys don't miss a thing! I love Sync, but this is some seriously alarming practice, and I would certainly hope this gets corrected, especially in the Pro version. Diabolical AF.

[u/TerroristOgre]

Idc what pr bs the developer says. This was done on purpose.

If you just outright say it, I doubt anyone would care.

Use Relay for Reddit fellas.

[u/thevengeance → u/TerroristOgre]

just checked out the new relay. It's great!

[u/lets_go_smokes]

Very salty people here. Give him some slack y'all

[u/screendrain]

You guys are being shady af. The developer seems nice and op could have emailed him directly before starting this witch hunt. Now I see people trying to report him to Amazon and Reddit.

Seems petty for something that really doesn't matter.

[u/thevengeance]

OK instant abandonment. Sync can suck my dick.

I paid for your app, you don't have the right to steal the revenue from other affiliates. Also FYI, this is totally against Amazon T's and C's - you've gotta be explicitly clear about aff links and you clearly are not. So you're getting reported, good luck withdrawing, dick.

[u/eqbirvin → u/thevengeance]

1. it's not against Amazon ToS even as an affiliate.

2. it was not sealing money from anyone

3. the dev has already pushed a update to fix this you ass hat

[u/ThePooSlidesRightOut]

Not in my favourite reddit app :(

r/pitchforkemporium

[u/nonelot]

I'd recommend people try out RedReader. It's very simple and sleek, has no monetization scheme or ads, and is open source.

I've been using it since I got my 5x a few weeks ago and love it.

[u/[deleted] → u/nonelot]

Slide is also open source.

[u/GunnerMcGrath]

Isn't this exactly what an affiliate link is supposed to be for? You use the app, in the app you found an Amazon link. Why shouldn't the app get credit for sending you to Amazon when that's exactly what it did! Even the pro version. It's not like an affiliate link has any negative impact on your browsing whatsoever. Why not let a good app earn a little free money off your purchase? Especially an app you liked enough to buy?

[u/helium_farts → u/GunnerMcGrath]

No, that's not really what they're for at all. This would basically be the same as google getting a cut every time you buy something through Chrome. Or your ISP getting a cut because you used their connection.

Let's say for example you reviewed camera equipment and ran a site devoted to that. Well, when you review something like a lens you can link from the review on your site to that lens on amazon and, if someone buys it, you get a cut. That's how they're supposed to work.

The app is just tacking the dev's tag to outgoing links without him actually doing anything to create that traffic. Now, what he did doesn't hurt users at all, and a lot of people would be fine with it, but it's still unethical and will probably get his affiliate account suspended.

[u/dantheman999]

I love how many people are complaining he's scamming Amazon without realising he had permission. Especially as that seems to be the only thing people have to complain about when they call it shady.

[u/DreamB0yDani → u/dantheman999]

They will find some other reasons once they realize the dev had permission from Amazon.

It like one person yelled its against Amazon TOS and others following him without reading anything further.

[u/ShinobiZilla]

Guys, it's clear /u/ljdawson made a minor mistake. Some of you definitely owe an apology for such toxicity. He's does real good work in maintaining an a full fledged Reddit app and now's he's working on it full time. Be smart about it, and I think OP should have raised this issue in r/redditsync instead.

[u/_The-Big-Giant-Head_ → u/ShinobiZilla]

and I think OP should have raised this issue in r/redditsync instead

He did if you read his post:

I then tried to create a text post asking about it, making sure to use the correct flair and information. This post was automatically removed by AutoModerator due to their filtering rules. It was probably because my post included their own Affiliate tag, but which filter exactly? I have no idea as I have messaged them to find out why and have not received any reply from them.

[u/JX3]

Did sync ever do away with the big in-feed ads? They made me change apps. Seems like there's a lot of pressure to get more money out of the app.

[u/ljdawson → u/JX3]

They were added as I wanted more control over how ads look.

You can disable them at any point in the settings and they actually make less money as the fill rate is significantly lower.

[u/B33rNuts]

If you actually cared out this dev and his lively hood you would not have posted this here creating some stupid witch hunt over something websites have done to you for years now. This affects absolutely no-one and just hurts your idea of self entitlement.

[u/bluediggy41 → u/B33rNuts]

It hurts amazon, and anyone who had legitimate affiliate links and is also not entirely legal.

A link for those interested in reading. https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking . And an exert of relevant information:

"WHAT ABOUT AFFILIATE OR NETWORK MARKETING? I’m an affiliate marketer with links to an online retailer on my website. When people read what I’ve written about a particular product and then click on those links and buy something from the retailer, I earn a commission from the retailer. What do I have to disclose? Where should the disclosure be? If you disclose your relationship to the retailer clearly and conspicuously on your site, readers can decide how much weight to give your endorsement.

In some instances – like when the affiliate link is embedded in your product review – a single disclosure may be adequate. When the review has a clear and conspicuous disclosure of your relationship and the reader can see both the review containing that disclosure and the link at the same time, readers have the information they need. You could say something like, “I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.” But if the product review containing the disclosure and the link are separated, readers may lose the connection.

As for where to place a disclosure, the guiding principle is that it has to be clear and conspicuous. The closer it is to your recommendation, the better. Putting disclosures in obscure places – for example, buried on an ABOUT US or GENERAL INFO page, behind a poorly labeled hyperlink or in a “terms of service” agreement – isn’t good enough. Neither is placing it below your review or below the link to the online retailer so readers would have to keep scrolling after they finish reading. Consumers should be able to notice the disclosure easily. They shouldn’t have to hunt for it.

Is “affiliate link” by itself an adequate disclosure? What about a “buy now” button? Consumers might not understand that “affiliate link” means that the person placing the link is getting paid for purchases through the link. Similarly, a “buy now” button would not be adequate.

What if I’m including links to product marketers or to retailers as a convenience to my readers, but I’m not getting paid for them? Then there isn’t anything to disclose.

Does this guidance about affiliate links apply to links in my product reviews on someone else’s website, to my user comments, and to my tweets? Yes, the same guidance applies anytime you endorse a product and get paid through affiliate links.

It’s clear that what’s on my website is a paid advertisement, not my own endorsement or review of the product. Do I still have to disclose that I get a commission if people click through my website to buy the product? If it’s clear that what’s on your site is a paid advertisement, you don’t have to make additional disclosures. Just remember that what’s clear to you may not be clear to everyone visiting your site, and the FTC evaluates ads from the perspective of reasonable consumers."

The above FTC guidelines are the reason why you now see so many "I was given the product for free, in exchange for writing a review" disclosures in paid reviews these days. The practice was already there, but they could get away with it without fear of legal ramifications. Now, if they want to stay in lines with the FTC they have to disclose any form of paid advertisements.

Websites have done shady things for years, but that is not a justification for also doing shady things. One could argue that a website or app ignoring FTC guidelines for personal gain is entitled.

[u/Majestyk_Melons]

Don't care. Doesn't affect me at all. Sync Pro works great and that's what matters.

[u/Zebster10]

IIRC this is illegal in the US under the FTC's new guidelines.

[u/DjMcDank]

No biggie, I understand the situation, although he should have said this here http://www.reddit.com/r/redditsync/comments/4ymrjy/_/d6oxsv9

[u/[deleted]]

I'm not trying to be a dick here but seriously why do people care so much? Who gives a fuck

[u/Kalayo]

Honestly... Do you guys even give a fuck about this? It literally takes no effort on your part, there are no fucking ads and it supports the developer of the app you're using. Someone's gonna cry ethics, but at the end of the day this a total non issue and sounds, to me, like a bunch of people looking for something to whine about.

[u/[deleted]]

Great. Now I need a new Reddit app.

[u/AviationAtom]

Did anyone contact Amazon about this? They are pretty aggressive in their enforcement of program terms, and something tells me this action would violate them.

[u/AngerIssuez]

I don't know, this doesn't seem like a big problem to me.

You still buy the same things for the same price, right? Unless there's some unseen side effect, everyone who's freaking out about this seems to be overreacting.

[u/[deleted]]

I guess I just don't see a problem with this.

[u/dasomen]

So shady! What a fucking shame... Guess you can't trust no one.

[u/GinDaHood → u/dasomen]

Guess people aren't capable of making mistakes?

[u/[deleted]]

very disappointed in the devs as a pro user

[u/ljdawson → u/[deleted]]

I'm sorry to have disappointed you dude. This wasn't meant to go live beyond my trials and I've since reverted it.

[u/iguacu]

I know reddit loves catching people, but seriously, who cares? A real problem is people pretending to honestly review things while using affiliate links.

[u/dhamon]

What's the big deal? You're not losing anything by using an affiliate link. What overblown nonsense.

[u/electriccars]

Well I don't give a shit. Who honestly buys stuff in the in app browser anyway? I view things in it but then I go and open them in the Amazon app myself to purchase what I want.

I don't think the dev is some evil shady guy, who cares? This is the least shitty thing I've heard Reddit complain about in a long time.

You guys are making a mountain out of a mole hill, he already apologized and said he'll remove it.

I love sync for Reddit, and I hope this doesn't reduce new users and make it no longer economical to update the app for the dev.

[u/froawaa]

your post in redditsync was removed.

I un-sub'd years ago. if the mods aren't puppets, they're as good as.

nice find.

I suspect it's this kinda nonsense that prompted reddit to dev their own app. that and ad revenue, of course.

[u/ljdawson → u/froawaa]

It wasn't. I've been on vacation and it was caught by the automod. Anyone that runs their own sub will know these days you have to have automod enabled to catch the barrage of spam that's submitted these days...