Malicious Software Threatening Millions of Users: Google Bans 16 Apps!
16 apps that threatened the devices of millions of Android users have been banned by Google. These apps contained malware called “Clicker” and were clicking on ads without the users’ knowledge to generate revenue for the developers. This could cause the devices’ batteries to drain faster, overheat, and mobile data allowances to be depleted.
Which Apps Were Banned?
The full list of banned apps has not been officially released. However, some of the most popular ones include High Speed Camera (over 10 million downloads), Smart Task Manager / DxClean (over 5 million downloads), and Flashlight + (over 1 million downloads).
What Should You Do?
If you have downloaded any of these apps, we strongly recommend that you delete them immediately and enable Google Play Protect. Google Play Protect is a security feature that helps protect your device from harmful apps.
Additional Information:
- Google has removed these apps from Google Play.
- McAfee security researchers informed Google about these apps.
- Facebook also banned over 400 Android and iPhone apps earlier this month in a similar move.
