Google recently banned 36 Android malware from Google Play Store that can perform malicious functions without user consent. The apps were discovered by McAfee, which found a software library called Goldoson that could collect information such as a list of installed apps from a user’s phone, information about Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, and GPS location. Also, the library can commit ad fraud by clicking on ads in the background without the user’s knowledge.

McAfee has detected more than 60 apps with this malicious library, with more than 100 million downloads on the Google Play Store alone. Following this discovery, Google took action and removed 36 apps from the Play Store, while the remaining apps were updated by their developers. You can see a list of all banned apps here.

Users are advised to update or uninstall their apps to the latest version if identified as a threat to Android phone users. Additionally, users should take precautions before downloading any app from Play Store or any other third-party service. It is recommended to check the developer name, the number of downloads, the comments section, the number of famous apps created by the developer, and the app preview section to make sure the images are real and not fake.

This event serves as a reminder to users and developers to be vigilant and proactive in preventing malware from entering the market. Therefore, it is recommended that users update their phones with the latest security patches and use anti-malware software. On the other hand, developers are strongly encouraged to follow best practice development and security practices, such as using safe coding practices, scanning their apps for vulnerabilities, and thoroughly testing apps before release.