Ask HN: How can I publish a paid app to Google Play without giving up my privacy

[SamCoding]

I am a British student in the United Kingdom who wants to publish their app (one-time fee, to be bought in Google Play Store).

I have no other address other than my home address and I've been informed that by publishing a paid app on Google Play it reveals your full name and address online, something clearly undesirable for privacy reasons.

I can't afford to buy some sort of mail redirection service or to register a company (let alone have an address for that company) and the system apparently needs ID address to match the address input (hencewhy it would be my home address that was published anyway).

Is there any way to avoid this?

Thanks in advance.

[lordkrandel]

Sure, you find a publisher! You make a contract with someone that will take a percentage or fixed sum in exchange for giving their name and address. It's not pohibited. If it's legitimate, there is no risk for the publisher, maybe mthey will even take care of putting the app up. Write an NDA, and ask someone

[dtagames]

No, and you shouldn't try. Its disingenuous and dishonest to try and sell something without identifying yourself. If the customer has a problem, should they... just give up? If you did something illegal should they... overlook it?

The usual way a business handles this is to register as a corporation, and that's what gives out its address and contact info, not your home. A registered business can have an address elsewhere, at least in the US.

There are many ways to collect money in an app without putting that app in the Play Store. Perhaps a web app without outside payment and an auth system would serve you better.

[pixel_popping]

It's not dishonest to hide your identity online at all, why do you think there is many ways to setup a company legally and hide director, ownership, shareholders? Hiding identity doesn't mean being anonymous, we have a concept of a UBO for a reason.

Exposing your name and particularly your address publicly is just plain stupid in most scenarios, virtually zero point in doing so.

[dtagames]

That's not what I said, and it's exactly why one makes a corporation.

[pixel_popping]

You said that it's dishonest to sell something without identifying yourself, which isn't.

[dtagames]

Indeed it is, and that's why the Play Store doesn't allow it.

When you register a corporation, it is a legal person (in the US). That person is the person selling the goods or services and is legally responsible. That's different from the concept of which human people own a company, which can be obfuscated through many means.

The OP asked how to sell something without providing any identity information.

[pixel_popping]

It's not because Play Store do this by default that it's "right", it is wrong to not be able to conceal identity but we might not agree. Btw, even for corporation, it does not have to be a legal person either, it's typical to have another corporation being the director and/or shareholder (often offshore) which can have a nominee director/shareholder on top, all legal.

You can absolutely incorporate in the US without exposing your name to the registries.

Putting your address online publicly FOREVER is straight reckless, that Play Store forces you or not.