With smartphones becoming the primary device for millions of users — not to mention the center of credit cards, ID cards, bank accounts, and more — security is clearly more important than ever. Whether it’s the upcoming Android 13 system update or the Play Store, where millions of apps are downloaded every day, Google continues to focus on mobile privacy and security issues.
In a newly published blog post, the company outlines the exact progress it has made throughout the year, some of which are quite impressive. By improving the moderation process — both manual and automated — Google blocked the release of more than 1 million policy-violating apps on the Play Store in 2021 and banned another 190,000 developer accounts for malicious behavior.
Changes to Google’s platform policies have resulted in 98% of apps migrating to Android 11 or higher, characterized by reduced access to APIs and user data. For some, this factor may seem like a drawback — after all, some apps have been rendered useless by these new privacy protections.
However, from a security perspective, this is a clear improvement. At the same time, the company has blocked the collection of ad ID content in apps and games designed for children and has also allowed any user to completely delete their ad ID information from any app.
In addition, Google also mentioned the work it has put into the Pixel phone, which includes the security core found in its Tensor chipset and the introduction of Security Center in Android 12. With the advent of new hardware later this year — and Android upgrades that are clearly focused on improving security — those numbers will only continue to improve.