To protect 3 billion users from malware attacks, Google Play Protect scans 200 billion Android apps every day. During Google I/O in May, the company announced new security features that it announced would be coming to Android 15. Google Play’s live threat detection uses Google Play Protect’s AI capabilities to monitor apps for sensitive permission requests. And how these apps interact with other apps and services.
If live threat detection finds anything suspicious, your app will be sent to Google for review and you’ll receive a warning. If this review confirms that the app is malicious, Google will disable it. Interestingly, the tests done to look for suspicious behavior are run on the device using systems that protect user privacy. This is done through the use of Google’s private computer core, which allows Google to “protect you without collecting data.” It is a cloud-based service that uses encryption to enable secure and private computation of sensitive data.
By the end of the year, Google’s Live Threat Detection will be available on Android devices made by manufacturers such as Google Pixel, Honor, Lenovo, Nothing, OnePlus, Oppo, Sharp, and Transsion. This feature reduces permission abuse by attackers who seek to steal personal data from device owners by gaining permission to use things like a phone’s microphone or camera to complete tasks.
The permission prompt that Android users receive when an app requests dangerous permissions. |Image credit – Google
Last month, we brought you a report from Cyber News that listed the 50 most dangerous apps in the Google Play Store, based on the number of dangerous permissions each app requests. Google Messages and Facebook were among the top five apps on that list. Here are the top five dangerous permissions requested by these apps:
- Post a notification
- Writing to external storage
- Read external storage
- Camera and audio recording (tie)
- Reading media images
Last month, Google asked developers to submit a form if their app requests the use of high-risk or sensitive permissions (such as SMS or call logs). You may be required to fill out a declaration form. Forms must be submitted by the end of this month. If the form is not received within the deadline, developers will not be able to update their apps on the Play Store.
According to Forbes, Google may offer some apps until the end of the year to fix the code.
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