Google banned dozens of apps on Play Store, secretly stealing personal data of users
Google has banned dozens of apps on its Android platform Play Store that were secretly stealing users’ phone numbers and other private data. Some of the banned apps include Muslim Prayer App which was downloaded more than 10 million times.
tech giant Google (Google) Often monitors every activity on its platform for the safety of its users. The company has launched its Android (Android) The platform has banned dozens of apps on the Play Store that were secretly stealing users’ phone numbers and other private data. Some of the banned apps include Muslim Prayer App which was downloaded more than 10 million times. In addition, it includes a barcode scanning app and a highway speed trap detection app. Data-scraping code spotted in QR code scanning app. According to the report of Wall Street Journal, the apps which are now available on Google Play Store (Google Play Store) They were collecting precise location information, email and phone numbers, nearby devices and passwords. Research has also shown that an SDK developed by Measurement System S. De RL can also scan for WhatsApp downloads.
The company is tied to a Virginia defense contractor that it reportedly paid users to develop to include their code in their apps to extract data. The WSJ reports that the offensive code found in the apps that were banned was discovered by two researchers, Serge Engelman and Joel Reardon, who founded AppCensus, an organization that specializes in mobile applications for privacy and security. Checks the app.
However, when Google was informed about malicious software found in the apps, it removed these apps from its Play Store on 25 March itself. A Google spokesman, Scott Westover, said the apps could be relisted if the malicious software was removed. Google said in a statement, “All apps on Google Play must comply with our policies, regardless of developer. When we discover that an app violates these policies, we take appropriate action.†Some apps that remove the software are already listed on the stop again.
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