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posted by
martyb
on Friday January 05 2018, @03:50PM
from the the-play's-the-thing-where-I'll-capture... dept.
from the the-play's-the-thing-where-I'll-capture... dept.
TrendMicro has discovered 36 apps in Google Play that execute unwanted behavior:
These apps posed as useful security tools under the names Security Defender, Security Keeper, Smart Security, Advanced Boost, and more. They also advertised a variety of capabilities: scanning, cleaning junk, saving battery, cooling the CPU, locking apps, as well as message security, WiFi security, and so on.
The apps were actually able to perform these simple tasks, but they also secretly harvested user data, tracked user location, and aggressively pushed advertisements.
The apps in question have been removed from Google Play.
Related: Google Pauses Crackdown on Apps That Use Accessibility Features
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Apps on Google Play Disguised as Security Tools Instead Serve Ads and Track Users' Location
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* m2 stares at the monitor... it looks like a hamburger...
m2 - that's a bad sign
(Score: 1) by anubi on Saturday January 06 2018, @06:06AM (1 child)
I was under the conception I *had* to surrender my credit card info to get onto Google Play.
For that reason, I get all my android phone stuff, anonymously, from Aptoide.
However, one website in particular, YELP, keeps linking back to Google Play every time I click a link on their site if I am using the phone. I can't even do a "read more" without YELP checking back with Google Play, so I simply can't interact with YELP unless I am at the PC.
YELP keeps sending me more stuff about wanting me to write more stuff on their site... then they have some script tell me I am hung up at Google Play. Makes me wonder just what business school their executives attended to place impediments in the way of their customers... about the same sense to have store doors that are difficult to open to persuade old ladies to shop elsewhere.
Believe me, if S/N treated me this way, you guys would very rarely hear from me.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @09:38PM
I go to a local store and buy a £20 card for the Play store for those occasions where I feel the need to pass some money back to the developers of the small number of bits of software on the Play store that I actually find of use, ditto wrt the Apple store.
In both cases, no credit cards involved at any point.
(but thanks for the pointer to aptoide...I don't keep up with these sites.)