Google has Removed 10 Apps with 6 Crores Downloads
Google has removed 10 apps from the Play Store for silently storing users’ information. The apps were manipulating users’ location, phone numbers, and email addresses. The list of apps includes Al Moazin Lite, Full Quran MP3, Qibla Compass, QR Code Scanner App, Highway Speed ​​Trap Detection App, Simple Weather and Widget, Handsent Next SMS, SmartKit 360, AudioSdroid Audio Studio, and more.
Collectively, the number of downloads of the apps is more than 60 million.
The QR Code app has been downloaded more than 5 million times. The IMEI number of the users’ devices was being sent from the app to the Panamanian organization Measurement System. A Google spokesman said: “All Google Play apps must comply with our policy. Developers are also obliged to abide by this policy. ‘
A team of researchers from the University of Calgary and the University of California identified the apps. They said personal information was being sent to third parties through software development kits or SDKs in the apps. Removing this SDK will allow the apps to find a place in the Google Play Store again.