SAN FRANCISCO — In 2023, Google prevented 2.28 million applications violating its security rules from getting into the Play Store.
In addition, almost 200,000 app submissions were rejected or amended to ensure the correct use of sensitive permissions such as access to background location data or SMS messages.
In the space of a year, 333,000 developer accounts have been deleted for serious and repeated violations of the Google Play Store’s rules.
Moreover, for security reasons, almost 1.5 million applications are no longer available in the Play Store for users who have updated their devices to the latest version of Android.
These actions were made possible by advanced machine learning processes and in-depth examinations of all applications submitted for Google’s checks before validation.
To fight more effectively against the spread of malicious applications, Google has, for example, strengthened its onboarding processes for developers, requiring more identity information when they create their Play account.
Last year, Google also introduced an “Independent Security Review” badge for certain types of applications, such as VPNs, to certify that they are secure and respectful of their users’ privacy.
Finally, the Google Play Store’s rules concerning generative AI apps, disruptive notifications and expanded privacy protections have recently been updated.
One of the latest threats facing Android users involves fake versions of popular applications such as WhatsApp, Signal and ChatGPT. These malicious applications copy the names and, more often than not, even imitate the logos of these apps to fool deceive users. As such, users should be particularly careful when installing a new application on their smartphone.
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