Google Removed 77 Dangerous Apps: Google has recently removed 77 harmful apps from its Play Store, but this is just the beginning of digital cleaning. According to transparency reports by Surfshak and Google, 40 million apps have been removed in the last one year, ie an average of 11,000 apps deleted every day.
More than half of these apps were removed due to data protection and violations of Data Privacy Violations.
Google rules strict
Google further tightened the developer rules in 2024, due to which about half the apps were removed from the Play Store. Also, more than 1.55 lakh developer accounts were done.
Now only those developers will be able to provide apps through Play Store or Sideloading, which will be identified Verified Identity. This step has been taken to save users from malware and fraud.
What is the effect on your phone?
Apps removed from Play Store mean that they have broken Google’s rules. These apps will not be deleted automatically from your phone, but you will not be able to update them.
If an app proves to be dangerous, the play Protect feature of Google will give alert and recommend it to uninstall. Experts have suggested that old and suspicious apps should be removed immediately.
Warning for users
Surfshak said that before downloading the app, do check for its permissions, user reviews and developer’s credibility. The company named it digital cleaning, but warned that it should not make users a feeling of false sense of security.
New uninstall button soon
A new uninstall button test is being done on Google Play Store, so that users will be able to delete the app directly from the app page. Till now, apps have to be removed by going to “Manage Apps & Devices” section. This feature will increase the facility of users.
Anatsa Malware Danger
ZSCAler’s Threatlabz team revealed that the new variants of Anatsa Malware targeted more than 831 financial institutions around the world.
This malware was hidden in these 77 removed apps, which had been installed 1.9 million times. These apps were disgged as PDF and QR code readers, stealing users’ data and bank details.
