2021 will not have been an easy year for Google teams. In a blog post, the Mountain View firm unveiled several figures illustrating the efforts put in place to ensure that the applications offered on the Play Store do not jeopardize the data security of millions of device users. Android.
In addition to scanning billions of applications installed daily to protect users from malicious applications, Google explains that it has blocked some 1.2 million applications that do not respect the privacy policy in place on the Play Store. Google also reveals that in 2021 it had to ban more than 190,000 developer accounts engaging in suspicious activities. The firm explains that it has also closed approximately 500,000 inactive or abandoned developer accounts.
In recent months, Google has implemented several tools to strengthen the security of applications offered for download on its Play Store. A few days ago, the Mountain View company announced the upcoming deployment of its Data Security function, which requires developers to specify in detail the personal data they collect and how they use it.
For the Californian company, the best way to ensure that users’ personal data remains safe is to limit their access. By implementing new rules along these lines in the Play Store, Google has managed to get 98% of apps to migrate to Android 11 or newer.
Google decided to block call recording apps by preventing developers from accessing the Accessibility API, which some were misusing to record audio calls.
Source : Google Security Blog