Google Play Store removes 24 malware apps with 382M downloads

According to reports, the Google Play Store has removed 24 apps that were filled with malware, spying on users and sending that data to Chinese servers. The apps in question had around 382 million downloads altogether.

The apps are said to have belonged to a single parent company from China that was using multiple developer accounts to upload different apps on the Google Play Store.

A report was issued by VPN Pro regarding the apps which they said asked for dangerous permissions and many even contained malware and rougeware.

Read more: Xiaomi launches 65W Universal Charger for smartphones and laptops.

Rougeware is an app that pretends to detect and fix issues on your device while also asking you to pay money for some features.

The company behind all this is called Shenzen HAWK which is a subsidiary of TCL Corporation. Some of the apps by the company had millions of downloads on their own like a Sound Recorder with over 100 million downloads, a Virus Cleaner 2019 app with over 100 million downloads as well as a File Manager app with 50 million and a Cleaner app with 100 million downloads.

According to Forbes they reached out to Google on Tuesday regarding the apps and the tech giant swiftly removed them.

The Forbes report said:

I shared the findings of the report with Google, and the tech giant acted swiftly and decisively, removing all of the apps listed in the report from the Play Store—apps with 382 million installs in combination.

Google in a response said to Forbes:

We take reports of security and privacy violations seriously,

We have compiled a list of the apps that were removed by Google.

List of apps removed by Google Play Store:

1. World Zoo
2. Puzzle Box
3. Word Crossy!
4. Soccer Pinball
5. Dig it
6. Laser Break
7. Word Crush
8. Music Roam
9. File Manager
10. Sound Recorder
11. Joy Launcher
12. Turbo Browser
13. Weather Forecast
14. Calendar Lite
15. Candy Selfie Camera
16. Private Browser
17. Super Cleaner
18. Super Battery
19. Virus Cleaner 2019
20. Hi Security 2019
21. Hi VPN, Free VPN
22. Hi VPN Pro
23. Net Master
24. Candy Gallery

If you have any of these apps in your phone, some of which come pre-installed in Alcatel and other phones offered by TCL Corporation, it would be best for you to removed these immediately.

Read more: Google sent users’ private videos in Google Photos to strangers.

Follow INCPAK on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram for updates.