Formation History

CleanApps.Org was formed by a group of like-minded veteran internet based businesses who wanted to help current and emerging app makers thrive in an increasingly regulated internet.  This group of executives saw that the days of an unregulated ‘wild west’ internet were over.  And they were seeing new sources defining new policies and enforcement actions emerge at an ever increasing pace.

It was no longer enough to look to government regulators such as the FTC for guidance.  Ad platforms were enforcing new ad policies; anti-virus companies were expanding their blocking to include ‘potentially unwanted apps’ (‘PUA’); app stores were enforcing new app behavior rules to get into or remain in their stores; payment processors were enforcing  new cart disclosure and communication requirements; the list goes on.

The collective experience of CleanApps.Org’s founders included their own companies hit by seemingly unknown new rules and regulations that affected their ability sell to their customers (for example, a new ad policy that shut down massive ad campaigns unless certain disclosure requirements were met on landing pages) or to even retain existing customers (for example, a new rule which resulted in an App being removed from a platform). Without warning a large group of customers were wiped out overnight or entire ad platform accounts were shutdown without so much as an email warning. In some cases, the enforcement actions were simply a nuisance to work through. In other cases, otherwise thriving business were almost knocked out of business.

If there is one thing that these veteran app businesses learned over time, it is that predictability of revenue is key to a sustainable business. No business likes external change because those changes put that predictability at risk. So, it’s critical for any business to stay ahead of changing business conditions. That is what the founders hoped CleanApps.Org could help provide to the app ecosystem.

Recognizing that not all app makers had the financial resources to keep tabs  on new ad policies, new payment processing rules, new privacy laws, or even new security related policies, (let alone survive an enforcement action) they decided to form CleanApps.Org to help app makers better plan their roadmaps and adjust business practices ahead of a constantly changing landscape.

Also, as the founders recognized that there was no organization filling the role of an App-focused Trade Organization, they pooled their resources and networks together to form CleanApps.Org,