Google is making it harder for malicious developers to get their software published on its Play store. It has removed large volumes of bad accounts and added phone, email, and “other identity verification methods.” This has helped them to reduce the number of accounts used to publish apps that violate its policies.

Google has also been working on making the Android ecosystem safe for users. They have created stronger Android platform protections and policies that have prevented a large number of apps from accessing sensitive permissions over the past three years. 

Further, Google has launched an App Security Improvements program that has helped fix security issues that impact thousands of apps. A Helpline pilot was launched in 2022 to give developers assistance on policy queries.  A new Google Play Developer Community is also in pilot, which will provide a platform for developers to discuss policy and more. 

Unfortunately, despite all these efforts, malicious apps continue to make their way onto the Play store.

Read more: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/google-bans-173000-bad-developers/