"Google Removes 43 Android Apps with 2.5 Million Downloads Violating Play Store Policy: How to Protect Your Device"
1 year, 4 months ago

"Google Removes 43 Android Apps with 2.5 Million Downloads Violating Play Store Policy: How to Protect Your Device"

The Hindu  

Google removed 43 Android apps with 2.5 million collective downloads from the app store. The apps were found to be violating Google Play Developer policy, loading ads while the device’s screen is off. While loading ads when a device’s screen is turned off may seem convenient, the applications could affect not just a device’s battery but also increase data consumption and pose potential risks such as information leaks and disruption of user profiling, McAfee said in a blog post. The applications were mainly media streaming apps, and their target audience was predominantly Korean, however, the same deceptive tactics could be used by other app categories to target users in other parts of the world.

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History of this topic

Google stopped 1.43 million apps, banned 173K malicious developer accounts on Play Store
1 year, 7 months ago

Google stopped 1.43 million apps, banned 173K malicious developer accounts on Play Store

The Hindu  

Google in 2022, prevented 1.43 million policy-violating apps from being published on Google Play. The company also blocked 173K malicious developers and fraud rings preventing over $2 billion in fraudulent and abusive transactions, the company said in its security blog post. Google also implemented additional requirements to be fulfilled by developers looking to join the Play Store ecosystem. Google also …

Google prevented 1.43 million apps from entering Play Store for policy violation
1 year, 7 months ago

Google prevented 1.43 million apps from entering Play Store for policy violation

Live Mint  

Search giant Google said Thursday that it has blocked more than 1.43 million ‘policy-violating apps’ from entering the Play Store. The company also said it has "raised the bar" for new developers joining the Play Store ecosystem, resulting in a reduction in the number of accounts used to publish violative apps. In a blog post on Thursday, the search giant …

Google bans 36 malicious Android apps with over 100 million downloads on Play Store
1 year, 8 months ago

Google bans 36 malicious Android apps with over 100 million downloads on Play Store

India Today  

Google has banned 36 malicious Android apps from Play Store, which were first spotted by McAfee. In addition to this, the library is also capable of performing ad fraud by clicking The cited source revealed that more than 60 apps with this third-party malicious library have been discovered by the company and these have more than 100 million downloads in …

Dangerous Android apps with over 2 million downloads found on Play Store, delete them immediately
2 years ago

Dangerous Android apps with over 2 million downloads found on Play Store, delete them immediately

India Today  

A security firm has discovered a bunch of apps on the Google Play app store laden with dangerous malware that can steal user data. The apps discovered by Dr Web antivirus-promised productivity tools have over 2 million downloads collectivity. Some of the malware-laden apps are unavailable on Google Play, though users may still have them installed on their phones. One …

Google Play Store Update: Apps with 20 million downloads got removed
2 years, 2 months ago

Google Play Store Update: Apps with 20 million downloads got removed

India TV News  

Google has recently removed apps from the Play Store, which had more than 20 million downloads. According to the McAfee report, Google identified the new Clicker malware that sneaked into Google Play. A total, of 16 applications that were previously on Google Play have been confirmed to have the malicious payload with an assumed 20 million installations. The security researchers …

Stop using these anti-virus apps from Google Play Store, as they are stealing data
2 years, 8 months ago

Stop using these anti-virus apps from Google Play Store, as they are stealing data

India TV News  

In a bizarre incident, at least 15,000 Android users downloaded anti-malware apps from Google Play Store which, instead of protecting them from hackers, infected their devices to steal passwords, bank details and other personal information, a new report showed on Thursday. The six malware apps in the disguise of anti-virus apps have now been removed by Google from Play Store …

Google removed 150 malicious apps from Play Store, check the list
3 years, 1 month ago

Google removed 150 malicious apps from Play Store, check the list

India Today  

Google has banned more than 150 malicious apps from Play Store. The apps that were removed by Google from play store were part of a campaign called UltimaSMS wherein the malicious actors lure victims to sign in for premium SMS services. The users fell for the scam because the apps promised money in return of the services, as per Avast …

Android Phone Sending To Many Ads? How To Get Rid Of Ads On Any Android Device
3 years, 2 months ago

Android Phone Sending To Many Ads? How To Get Rid Of Ads On Any Android Device

News 18  

One of the many reasons why some smartphone users prefer iOS over Android is the clutter-free experience that Apple offers. Uninstall app sending out lock screen ads- If you have recently started using lock screens on your phones, chances are that the unwarranted ads are being sent by an app on your device. Among the most recently used apps, select …

Google notified of 21 adware gaming apps on Play Store
4 years, 1 month ago

Google notified of 21 adware gaming apps on Play Store

The Hindu  

Cybersecurity firm Avast has discovered 21 adware gaming apps on Google’s Play Store, and reported them to search giant, and Google is investigating the reports. Off the 21 apps containing advertising supported software that automatically displays unwanted They have been downloaded about eight million times, according to the data by mobile app marketing intelligence and insights firm, Sensor Tower. The …

Android Users Alert! The Following 'Fleeceware' Apps Can Cost You Thousands
4 years, 3 months ago

Android Users Alert! The Following 'Fleeceware' Apps Can Cost You Thousands

News 18  

Cybersecurity experts have revealed that a batch of misleading apps on Google Play Store has the potential to dupe users and cost them thousands. Researchers from IT security company Sophos added that these 23 apps clearly violate Google Play Store’s security policies as well. Chandraiah in his blog post detailed that the creators on Google Play use a ‘blind subscription’ …

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