Google blocked over two million Android apps from the Play Retailer for violating its insurance policies in 2023. The corporate additionally banned over 333,000 builders for repeated violations and malicious actions. Its SAFE rules helped it determine unhealthy apps, actors, and fraud rings.
Google prevented tens of millions of malicious apps from reaching the Play Retailer
The open nature of Android OS makes it extra susceptible to malware. Dangerous actors distribute malware by faux apps disguised as real ones or professional utility apps with backdoors to malware. Whereas these apps often don’t cross Google’s safety checks for the Play Retailer, attackers by no means cease making an attempt. They give you new techniques to keep away from detection and get fortunate generally.
In a latest weblog publish, Google revealed that it prevented 2.28 million apps from reaching the Play Retailer as a result of they violated its insurance policies. It additionally rejected or remediated 200,000 app submissions for improper use of delicate permissions equivalent to SMS entry and background location. The corporate additionally banned builders who injected malware into their apps or repeatedly violated its insurance policies.
Google has a framework to guard Play Retailer customers from malicious apps. It’s constructed on SAFE rules. These embrace Safeguarding customers whereas serving to them uncover high quality apps they will belief, Advocating for developer safety to allow them to give attention to development, Fostering accountable innovation with out compromising on consumer security, and Evolving safety measures to remain forward of rising threats.
“With these rules in thoughts, we’ve made latest enhancements and launched new measures to proceed to maintain Google Play’s customers secure, even because the risk panorama continues to evolve,” Google mentioned in its weblog publish. “We’ve got additionally strengthened our developer onboarding and evaluate processes, requiring extra identification data when builders first set up their Play accounts.”
Google partnered with {industry} leaders for enhanced app safety
Google isn’t alone on this struggle to safe the Android app ecosystem. The App Protection Alliance, which helps the industry-wide adoption of app safety practices and tips and the event of countermeasures towards safety dangers, additionally consists of different {industry} leaders equivalent to Microsoft and Meta. It’s a part of the Joint Improvement Basis inside the Linux Basis household.
The Alliance’s Cellular App Safety Evaluation (MASA) independently opinions safety measures of VPN apps on the Play Retailer. Apps that cross this evaluate get a singular badge displayed as a part of the app itemizing on the Retailer. “This helps customers see at-a-glance {that a} developer has prioritized safety and privateness finest practices and is dedicated to consumer security,” Google mentioned.
Google has additionally improved its safety measures to detect malicious code inside apps downloaded from different shops or sideloaded utilizing an APK. It runs real-time scanning on the code degree to detect malware. These measures aren’t sufficient to fully block malware in sideloaded apps, although. It’s best to all the time obtain apps from the Play Retailer or different trusted sources.