Google has once again cleaned up its Google Play app store in the past year. In addition to blocking 2.28 million high-risk apps, hundreds of thousands more Google Play accounts and requests were blocked or addressed. This is thanks to the company’s stricter approach to malicious Android apps.
Significantly more risky apps were stopped in 2023 than in 2022, Google reports. Compared to the 2.28 million apps last year, 1.5 million risky apps were stopped. This concerns apps that can pose a threat to the security of the ultimate end users.
In addition, 330,000 Google Play accounts were identified and blocked last year that distributed malware, rogue apps or repeatedly violated Google Play policies. In 2022, 173,000 more of these accounts were blocked for the same reasons.
Furthermore, Google has denied or removed 200,000 app submissions that requested risky permissions. This includes permission for text message content and location data collected in the background without having a good reason for this.
Google has also made agreements with 31 SDK providers that these SDKs collect a minimum amount of data from the devices on which apps equipped with them are installed.
Stricter measures
The recent crackdown on malicious apps in Google Play is a result of further implementation of Google’s ‘SAFE’ principles. More specifically, these principles are: (S)afeguard Users, (A)dvocate for Developer Protection, (F)oster Responsible Innovation, (E)volve Platform Defenses.
In addition, the company managed to clean up its app store through measures such as a more strict developer registration process and an associated ID verification process.
Independent security reviews and badges have also been added to Android VPN apps, real-time scanning has been introduced to prevent malware from running itself, firmware has been strengthened to make SoC-level flaws more difficult to exploit, and the SDK index has been expanded up to 6 million apps to let developers choose the right secure SDKs for their projects.
Future initiatives
Through the App Defense Alliance, Google continues to work with other parties, such as Microsoft and Meta, to make Android apps even more secure. This year, new security measures will also be implemented, such as removing apps from Google Play that are not clear about their privacy rules.
In addition, the tech giant is now also going to court to tackle fraudulent or rogue Android app developers. The first test processes have already been initiated.
Also read: Google praises success in tackling bad apps in 2022
