Downloading and installing the app from Google Play is self-explanatory really simple process, it only takes a few clicks and in any case the biometric authentication process so that the required software becomes a mere touch of the screen. It is clear that one of the main keys to the success of app stores, and the reason why those in charge also intend to promote them in the desktop environment, is that such ease translates into greater use of these services.

Now if the installation process is very simple, Sometimes finding the right application, the one we are looking for, may not be so easy., mainly thanks to the opportunism of some developers who, with various intentions, often try to pretend to be what they are not. Finding examples is quite simple, it is enough for the service to become popular, for applications to spread, both on Google Play and in the App Store, which try, more or less disguised, to pass themselves off as official ones. service.

That’s a problem anyway, but It poses a particular risk if we are talking about public administration applications., because the types of information we can manage through them are quite sensitive in many cases. It is clear that both Apple and Google are working to locate these threats and neutralize them as soon as possible, but unfortunately, the pace of fraudsters’ activity and their number make it practically impossible to completely avoid these risks.

So in response to this problem Google Play has started marking apps with government origins with a special badge, which only applies in this case, and which therefore translates into a major improvement in security when downloading official applications from public administration authorities. This feature began to be officially released after being tested for several months in cooperation with some public entities, mainly from the United States.

In its debut, this new badge is now available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, United Kingdom and United States of Americaand Google encourages all public authorities in the countries listed to review the information required for their apps published on Google Play to be marked with this badge in order to offer their users this extra security.

There is currently no information available about plans to expand this feature to the rest of the world, but we can only hope (and of course hope) that they are already working on it, because it makes a big difference for the peace of mind of Google Play users.