2.3 million apps were blocked from being published on the Google Play Store in the last year due to security regulation violations. This increase is attributed to Google’s amplified investment in security features, policy changes, and sophisticated machine learning and app review tools.
Various significant policy shifts included regulations to manage AI apps, disruptive notifications, and privacy issues. This included a new rule requiring developers to allow users to delete account data without reinstalling an app and to provide more information about their identity. Additionally, it required developers to clarify in-app purchases and validate subscription services as well as display explicit outcomes in games.
Non-compliant apps with intrusive ads or misleading content faced potential removal from the platform. Mature content needed to be clearly displayed to users and rigorous rules were set for kids’ apps to ensure safety and an educational environment.
Google’s intensified security curbs 2.3 million apps
Through these initiatives, Google succeeded in preventing potentially hazardous apps from being released.
Approximately 333,000 developer account suspensions resulted from these changes, and about 200,000 apps were rejected for improper handling of sensitive permissions. Furthermore, Google saw an increase of 850,000 rejections in relation to the previous year when 1.43 million apps were denied.
The heightened safety commitment is reflected in the subsequent blocking of roughly 500,000 apps from 2020 to 2022. Rigorous protocols resulted in a huge number of disapproved apps, with a total of almost 2.3 million applications failing to reach the Google Play Store over the last two years.
Google’s latest measurement method factors in the European Union’s Digital Services Act mandates, which may clarify the increase in app rejections on security grounds, although comparing to previous years remains complex. This conforming to the Act signifies Google’s efforts to prioritize user safety and compliance with relevant laws.
Despite improvements, not all violations have been detected. An incident involving an unnoticed spy app and another where hidden ransomware slipped through Google’s security suggest room for further security refinement. Notwithstanding setbacks, Google continues to work hard to ensure apps available on their platform are safe, secure, and free from malicious elements.
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