HIGHLIGHTS
- Google has removed fraudulent applications from the Google Play marketplace.
- Among the apps were a QR code scanner, a weather app, and others.
- Six fraudulent applications were just deleted from Google's Play store.
Google allegedly banned many applications from its Play store after discovering that they were collecting users' personal data such as location, phone numbers, and email addresses. Google stated that it "takes necessary action" against apps that do not comply with its regulations on a regular basis. Google has deleted six applications from Google Play that were tainted with the Sharkbot bank thief virus. The programs, which masqueraded as antivirus solutions, were downloaded 15,000 times before being removed from the market.
According to the BBC, the most recent batch of over a dozen apps removed from the Google Play store includes a QR code scanner, a weather app, and a Muslim prayer app. According to the research, these applications purportedly had malicious code that stole people's data, and some of them had been downloaded more than 10 million times. "Regardless of creator, all apps on Google Play must adhere to our regulations." "When we decide that an app breaches our principles, we take necessary action," a Google spokeswoman told the BBC.
Apps that are misleading, harmful, or designed to exploit or misuse any network, device, or personal data are absolutely forbidden from the Google Play store, according to Google's Developer Content Policy. App creators have also been warned that they needed to be clear with users about the information they share.
The announcement comes on the heels of Google removing six applications from its Play store. These apps were created with the intention of posing as antivirus solutions for Android cellphones. The applications had been downloaded 15,000 times and were infested with the Sharkbot bank thief virus. The applications utilized a geofencing feature to harvest login information from users in Italy and the United Kingdom.
Earlier this year, a security firm uncovered an app on Android handsets that was collecting financial information from customers. The program pretended to be an open-source application with the same features. It was infested with a malicious banking malware and had over 10,000 downloads before being withdrawn from the Google Play store.
