Google clamps down on apps spreading malware; used ML to identify those violating its disruptive ad policy

Google’s Android operating system is an open book. Its Play Store is a neutral platform, making it easy for tech vendors and app developers to post wares for download. However, some malicious actors have exploited the platform’s open structure through malware and insufferable advertisements.

Google announced on Thursday that it has removed around 600 apps from the Play Store as a part of a protracted effort to clamp down on groups that have violated the company’s disruptive ad policy. The purged apps collectively account for over 4.5 billion downloads, as per a report by BuzzFeed News.

Disruptive ads include those with clunky banners that obtrusively cover the screen or interfere with the device’s functioning when not using the app. For instance, after gaining the requisite permissions upon installation, an app could cover the screen with ads when a user unlocks their phone.


These pop-up ads are not just inconvenient to users; they might actually be eating into the advertising budgets of companies, with inadvertent ad clicks being counted as instances where users were redirected to the advertiser’s website. Google has clarified that it will refund advertisers affected by the purged apps.

The process of weeding out malware on the Play Store was aided by a machine learning algorithm that narrowed down on apps that violated Google’s disruptive ad policy. It helped zero in on which apps to analyse for repeat violations.

“We give [developers and publishers] a notice and a warning [the first time a violation is detected] and allow them to correct the problem," Per Bjorke, Google's senior product manager for ad traffic quality told BuzzFeed News. Repeat offenders will face sterner action.