Cerberus
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| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Release Year | 2011 |
| Product Type | Software, Security |
| In Production | Yes |
| Official Website | https://www.cerberusapp.com |
Cerberus Phone Antitheft[1] is an app designed to be a suite of services centered on security, developed by LSDroid.
Anti-consumer practices
Expiring lifetime licenses (201x)
The application has faced controversy over expiring licenses that were sold as being "lifetime", and are alleged to delete complaints from forum.[2] The company started by cancelling free subscriptions in 2015,[3] then in 2019 went on to cancel the paid "lifetime" subscriptions for all users.[4]
Users initially received an email on 20 February 2018, notifying them of a new app that would require a subscription plan. However users were reassured that their purchased lifetime license for the anti-theft app would still continue to function.
Users then received another email on 5 February 2019, notifying them of new functionality of the app that would require a subscription plan. However users were reassured that their purchased lifetime license for the anti-theft app would still continue to function:
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Then without any further communication, on 20 December 2019 users were notified that their paid "lifetime" subscriptions would expire soon, and that they needed to buy a licence if they wanted to continue using the software they'd already paid for:
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These actions led to a backlash from paying users on forums,[5] Reddit,[6] and review sites.[7] However, no major news sources covered the backlash.
Strict ad blocker prevention (202x)
When users attempt to log into the Cerberus dashboard with an ad blocker enabled, the user is instantly logged out and a popup is shown telling the user to disable ad blocker. However, another option is to purchase an "ad removal" for ~$120 USD.
References
- ↑ https://www.cerberusapp.com/
- ↑ https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/12/21/cerberus-paid-lifetime-license-expiration
- ↑ https://www.androidpolice.com/2015/08/20/many-cerberus-free-lifetime-licenses-are-expiring-in-a-few-days-because-developers-gotta-eat/
- ↑ https://androidcommunity.com/cerberus-starts-expiring-paid-lifetime-licenses-20191223/
- ↑ https://www.neogaf.com/threads/android-security-app-cerberus-gives-out-free-lifetime-licenses-revokes-later.1111712/
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/androidapps/comments/eehsmz/cerberus_app_collective_complaint_lifetime/?rdt=36871
- ↑ https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.cerberusapp.com