Google is making it harder for malicious developers to publish their software on its Play Store, while removing large volumes of bad accounts, it said in an update yesterday.
The tech giant said it removed 173,000 bad accounts by 2022 and raised the bar for new developers by adding phone, email and “other methods of identity verification.”
This helped the company reduce the number of accounts used to publish apps that violate its policies. Google said it blocked 1.43 million of those apps from being published on the Play Market.
All told, Google estimated it prevented $2 billion in “fraudulent and abusive” transactions.
Learn more about Google Play security threats: Goldoson malware found in dozens of Google Play Store apps.
“We continued to partner with SDK providers to limit access and sharing of sensitive data, improving the privacy posture of more than a million apps on Google Play,” he added in a blog post .
Thanks to stronger protections and policies on the Android platform, and developer outreach and education, Google said it also prevented about 500,000 shipped apps from unnecessarily accessing sensitive permissions over the past three years.
In fact, developer disclosure appears to be an increasingly important part of Google’s efforts to make the Android ecosystem safe for users.
To that end, last year Google launched an app security enhancements program that it said helped developers fix 500,000 security vulnerabilities affecting 300,000 apps with about 250 billion installs.
A pilot helpline was also launched in 2022 to provide assistance to developers with policy queries, while a new Google Play Developer Community, also in pilot phase, aims to provide a platform for developers to discuss the challenges of policies and share best practices.
“We also launched the Google Play SDK Index to help developers assess the reliability and security of an SDK and make informed decisions about whether an SDK is right for their business and their users,” he added the technological giant. “We will continue to work closely with SDK providers to improve app and SDK security, limit how user data is shared, and improve lines of communication with app developers.”
However, despite Google’s best efforts, malicious apps continue to make their way into the Play Store with alarming frequency. Most recently, McAfee discovered dozens of Minecraft games that contained the HiddenAds Trojan malware.
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Google made headlines recently by announcing that it will be banning 173,000 “bad” developers from its popular suite of digital services in 2022. This bold move, designed to protect its users from malware, deceptive apps, and other forms of malicious activity, has been praised by many industry experts.
Ikaroa, a full stack tech company, commends Google for their efforts to protect their users and encourages other big tech companies to follow suit. While Google is taking steps to ensure its platform remains safe for users, it’s important for businesses to also protect their own platforms by employing the latest security protocols.
At Ikaroa, we understand the importance of staying ahead of the curve when it comes to security. We have a team of experienced security experts that use the latest resources to stay up-to-date on the latest threats, vulnerabilities and changes in the industry. We have implemented several ground-breaking security measures that help ensure that user data remains secure and private. Additionally, our engineers take a proactive approach to security and constantly monitor our systems for any suspicious activity.
Google’s decision to ban 173,000 bad developers is a huge step towards ensuring the safety and security of its users. We look forward to seeing more tech companies take similar steps to protect their users in 2022 and beyond.
