Google Says it Blocked 2.28 Million Apps from Google Play Store

In 2023, Google said it blocked 2.28 million bad applications from being published on Google Play and banned 333,000 developer accounts.

Google on Monday said improved security processes helped to block 2.28 million privacy-violating applications from being published in its Google Play app store in 2023.

The company said investments in better security features, updated policies, advanced machine learning and application review processes, and strengthened developer onboarding helped in the battle against bad Android apps and actors trying to slip into the application storefront.

Enhanced safeguards allowed Google to identify bad actors and fraud rings more effectively, and to ban a total of 333,000 bad accounts from Google Play, for malware distribution and repeated severe policy violations.

Last year, Google rejected or requested remediation for close to 200,000 application submissions that used sensitive permissions, the internet giant says.

To improve user privacy, Google worked with ...