Google Prevented 2.28 Million Malicious Apps from Reaching Play Store in 2023

Google reported that in 2023 it prevented 2.28 million policy-violating apps from being published to Google Play, remediated or rejected ~200,000 app submissions for sensitive-data access, blocked 333,000 accounts linked to malware or repeat policy violations, and removed about 1.5 million apps that did not target recent APIs; the company also strengthened developer verification, partnered with SDK providers, advanced real-time code scanning and App Defense Alliance efforts, and filed a lawsuit against alleged fraudsters distributing fake apps.