Google has taken significant steps to protect its users by blocking over 2.36 million policy-violating Android apps from being published to the Google Play app marketplace in 2024. The company also banned more than 158,000 bad developer accounts that attempted to publish such harmful apps.
In addition, Google prevented 1.3 million apps from getting excessive or unnecessary access to sensitive user data during this time period by working with third-party app developers. Its security feature, Google Play Protect, identified 13 million new malicious apps from outside of the official app store.
The company’s efforts have paid off, as over 91% of app installs on the Google Play Store now use the latest protections of Android 13 or newer. Google also introduced a “Verified” badge for consumer-facing VPN apps that have successfully completed a Mobile Application Security Assessment (MASA) audit.
However, despite these initiatives, new malware strains continue to find their way to mobile devices. A recent example is Tria Stealer, a malicious app targeting Android users in Malaysia and Brunei. The app requests sensitive permissions, allowing it to harvest data from apps like Gmail, Google Messages, and WhatsApp.
Google’s efforts to protect its ecosystem are ongoing, with the company continuously working to identify and block new threats. This includes automatically blocking sideloading of potentially unsafe apps in certain markets and securing devices from risky installation attempts.
The “Verified” badge for VPN apps is designed to highlight those that prioritize user privacy and safety, helping users make informed choices about the apps they use. However, malicious actors continue to find ways to evade detection, highlighting the need for ongoing efforts to protect the Android and Google Play ecosystem.
Source: https://thehackernews.com/2025/01/google-bans-158000-malicious-android.html