ANDROID: 98% OF APPS THAT SPY ON CALLS AND TEXTS DELETED FROM THE PLAY STORE
Thursday, February 20, 2020 IST
98% of Android applications that spy on users’ calls and texts were banned from the Play Store in 2019, Google announced. The Mountain View company says that the 2% of applications still available on the store cannot function properly without having access to call and SMS data.
In a directive published in October 2018 for Android developers, Google announced the removal of Android applications that collect SMS and call history for no reason. The firm left a period of 90 days for developers to adapt to this new policy. In the past year, Google has therefore followed through on its threat. Result: 98% of applications requesting access to calls and texts have been removed from the Play Store, announced the search giant in a blog post on February 11, 2020. “We saw a significant, 98% decrease in apps accessing SMS and Call Log data” Google announces.
Some of the apps that violate Google’s rules have simply been subject of an update by their developers to get the job done. Google says that the 2% of apps that left really need access to calls and text messages to “perform their primary function”. The 98% applications deleted or adapted therefore requested access to your calls and SMS under false pretenses for the sole purpose of stealing your personal data.
Despite Google’s new rules, there are regular malicious Android apps on the Play Store that require access to private data on your smartphone. Recently, a study by VPN Pro has also lifted the veil on the presence of 24 Chinese applications, including games or fake antiviruses, which collect calls and SMS from users. According to Google, the Play Store has yet blocked 790,000 Android applications which violates its rules before their publication on the store in 2019.
GOOGLE BLOCKED THE INSTALLATION OF 1.9 BILLION MALWARE ON ANDROID IN 2019
Google continues its report by claiming to have blocked the installation of 1.9 billion malware from third-party platforms or an APK stolen in 2019. The previous year, only 1.6 billion viruses had been detected before infiltrating their victims’ smartphones. According to the firm, Google Play Protect, its protection mechanism against malware, has therefore greatly improved in the past three years.
“Google Play Protect scans more than 100 billion apps daily, providing users with information about potential security issues and the actions they can take to keep their devices safe,” says Google. In its early days, Play Protect analyzed only 50 billion applications per day.
Related Topics
Related News & Articles
Android Q, the next version of Android, will have gesture navigation as default but there will be the option to switch to the navigation keys.
Recently posted . 737 views . 1 min read
One common feature that has repeatedly come to several apps and platforms is 'dark mode', whether it is Messenger or Google Chrome or Google app for smartph...
Recently posted . 901 views . 3 min read
In order to make annotations a simpler and more straightforward process, Google rolled out a new markup tool in Android 9 Pie last year. While the tool was initia...
Recently posted . 631 views . 6 min read
Did you ever imagine what will you do if you miss your phone? Dropped it somewhere or it is stolen? What will happen to the data, images and contacts? You have me...
Recently posted . 768 views . 2 min read
Opera has become the first major browser to add support for crypto wallet. Here’s how you can get started with the latest feature.
Recently posted . 906 views . 1 min read
Trending News & Articles
Tata Harrier’s three-row seat version in works, details out
Recently posted . 2K views . 0 min read
Rolls Royce cars are extremely luxurious. While there are many expensive pieces of equipment in Rolls Royce cars, their most relaxing feature is the silence that ...
Recently posted . 2K views . 2 min read
The following list of India's Top 5 Mobile Charger manufacture Brand 2019
Recently posted . 2K views . 0 min read
XUV300 is the latest entrant in the compact SUV segment.
Recently posted . 2K views . 0 min read
More in Electronics & Gadgets
Lenovo has expanded its ThinkPad E range of notebooks in India by launching the ThinkPad E480. Targeted at small and medium businesses (SMBs) and startups, the ne...
Recently posted. 927 views . 4 min read
Remember that old engineering project that turned cockroaches into cyborgs that you can control using electrical impulses? Yeah, that was awesome. And kind of gross...
Recently posted. 678 views . 2 min read
Talks on Microsoft's plan to acquire software developer platform GitHub has intensified in the past few week, the Business Insider reported.
Recently posted. 760 views . 1 min read
Recently posted . 828 views
Recently posted . 945 views
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 1K views . 111 min read
Recently posted . 1K views . 21 min read
Reliance Jio (RJio) on Tuesday told Delhi High Court that telecom regulator TRAI has held that its free offers to subscribers were perfectly legitimate.
...
Recently posted. 570 views . 17 min read
HTC is all geared up for its event on January and is expected to unveil three new smartphones, as per reports.The Taiwanese smartphone maker is ready to unveil its ...
Recently posted. 538 views . 5 min read