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Google removed Chamet, a popular but controversial live video chat app, from the Play Store. Reported that the app violated its user-generated content (UGC) policy.
The company did not comment but cited its policy that “Apps whose primary purpose is featuring objectionable UGC will be removed from Google Play.” The Play Store removed the app last month.
Live video streaming platform Chamet allowed users to privately call stream hosts for a fee. According to the Economic Times, Chamet and other apps were popular because women streamed songs or talked about their lives. In-app payments allowed users to gift these streamers in addition to video calls.
Chamet warned users not to broadcast “Pornography, violence, vulgarity, juveniles and other related situations.” However, the app had suggestive content and ads.
Last month, YouTuber Caleb Friesen tweeted a long thread about Chamet’s shady ownership practices, starting with its empty website.
The #1 grossing app in the Indian app store disappeared this week. The secretive Chinese company behind it operated an 18+ UGC camgirl empire with impunity between 2020 and 2023. India was their most lucrative market. Here’s what I found at the bottom of the Chamet rabbit hole 🧵 pic.twitter.com/fZt5lMHszI
— Caleb Friesen (@caleb_friesen2) August 27, 2023
In several Play Store categories, Chamet was the top-grossing app. The data supports it. Data.ai told that Indian Chamet users spent over $13.4 million between January and July. Last year, Indians spent $15.4 million on Chamet, and lifetime spending reached $38 million. The app has 26 million lifetime downloads in the country.
The firm’s data showed that while Chamet was the top-grossing app, Azar, LiveU, and Honeycam Chat had made millions. Indian users spent over $46 million on this category of apps last year, surpassing another high-spending category of dating at $42.2 million.
Google did not say if it would take similar action on other live video chat apps.
