Google rejected 99% of apps with abusive content before anyone could install them, according to a 2017 security recap.

Dark Reading Staff, Dark Reading

January 31, 2018

1 Min Read

Google took down 700,000 apps from Google Play in 2017 because they violated the store's policies. This marks a 70% increase from the amount of apps removed in 2016, reports Google Play product manager Andrew Ahn in a blog post on 2017 security measures.

Ahn says 99% of malicious apps were identified and rejected before anyone could install them. Improvements in detection models helped find apps containing malware or inappropriate content, as well as threat actors and abusive developer networks. Google Play took down 100,000 bad developers in 2017 and made it difficult for them to create new accounts.

Examples of bad apps that were removed include copycats, which try to deceive users by disguising as famous apps. More apps were flagged for content, including pornography, extreme violence, hate, and illegal activities. Potentially harmful applications, which had a 50% lower install rate in 2017, are designed to phish users' data, act as Trojans, or conduct SMS fraud.

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Dark Reading Staff

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