Google Play “Malware” Store — Poor App Management Platform

If you want to download apps for your smartphone or tablet, there are many choices. However, the two primary sources are the App Store, for Apple devices and the Google Play Store, also known as the Android Market, for Android devices. The Apple App Store has done a significantly better job and keeping malicious apps out of their store, not that it does not happen, but if found they are removed immediately. Google play does not have as good a security record. In just a single month, September 2019, researchers uncovered 335 million installs of 172 malware-infected apps. Additionally, researchers located malware in other apps, including subscription spam, SMS premium subscription software, and malware hidden in ads.