Mobile Security alert as Google removes 600 apps downloaded 4.5 billion times

Google has stated that it has removed over 600 apps from its Play Store- howbeit not before there were downloaded 4.5 billion times on an overall note. The intention of the tech giant with the move was clear; to keep its apps store free from spam which violated its ad policies.

According to the statement released by the Alphabet Incā€™s company, the apps which were removed from its store were displaying full-screen ads even when the phone was not being operated- which is a clear cut violation of its policies as it even disrupts most of the device functions as it consumes data, memory and CPU power.

The web search giant has stated that the advertisers who were scammed by the app owners will be compensated duly.

Whatā€™s interesting in this whole saga is that most of the apps which were deleted from the Google Play Store belonged to companies operating from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and India and were mostly targeting smartphone users who were speaking English.

FYI apps run by Chinese company Cheetah Mobile stands tall in the deleted list of apps.

Meanwhile, a source from Cheetah Mobiles said that it is extremely disappointed with the way Google is treating its apps and so has intended to voluntarily leave the Play Store. However, as the internet juggernaut has still given the privilege of adding new apps to the Play Store, the company has decided to do a follow- on.

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Naveen Goud
Naveen Goud is a writer at Cybersecurity Insiders covering topics such as Mergers & Acquisitions, Startups, Cyber Attacks, Cloud Security and Mobile Security

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