Google has released a new list of malicious applications that have been removed from its Play Store. There are a few simple rules you can follow to avoid installing these kinds of apps on your smartphone, even if they can’t always be 100% foolproof.
A new set of applications has just been banned from the Google Play Store, accused of collecting personal data without the knowledge of users. According to the Wall Street Journal, they all have the particularity of being published from Panama. Although finally withdrawn a few days ago, these applications — including Speed Camera Radar, Al-Moazin Lite, WiFi Mouse and QR & Barcode Scanner — have nevertheless been downloaded several million times. While it is evidently always possible to uninstall them, it is better to exercise caution before installing any new application on your cell phone.
To do this, you should never download applications from anywhere other than the Play Store, as you run the risk of installing malicious software that is not checked or monitored by Google.
You should also make sure that you activate Google Play Protect — an application analysis tool that can detect any dangerous behavior — on your device. Although not infallible, Google Play Protect performs a security check of the applications in the Google Play Store before they are downloaded and then detects any potentially dangerous applications from other sources on your device.
To check if Google Play Protect is enabled on your Android smartphone, go to the Google Play Store application and click on your profile icon. Select Play Protect, then go to Settings. There you can activate the options “Scan apps with Play Protect” and “Improve harmful app detection.” Those who wish to do so can also deactivate these features at any time.
