Reportedly, Google has taken down 16 apps from the Play Store due to their alleged role in causing accelerated battery drain and increased network usage on users’ devices. These apps, identified by a security firm, were suspected of engaging in ad fraud by surreptitiously launching web pages in the background to click on advertisements, all while posing as genuine users.
According to information from Ars Technica, McAfee was responsible for detecting and reporting these apps, which were initially offered for download on Android smartphones and tablets under the guise of utility applications. These apps claimed to offer features such as QR code scanning, flashlight functionality, and unit conversion.
The list of removed applications includes seemingly harmless “utility” apps like BusanBus, Joycode, Currency Converter, High-Speed Camera, Smart Task Manager, Flashlight+, K-Dictionary, Quick Note, EzDica, Instagram Profile Downloader, and Ez Notes.
McAfee’s investigation revealed that once users opened these apps, they would download code and silently initiate actions like launching web pages and clicking on links and advertisements without notifying the user. This deceptive behavior artificially boosted engagement with the ads, constituting a form of ad fraud.
The security firm found that these apps contained adware code with names like “com.liveposting” and “com.click.cas,” which enabled them to interact with links and ads without the user’s awareness, resulting in increased battery drain and data usage.
Google stated to Ars Technica that all these applications have been removed from the Play Store, and Play Protect has been set up to block these apps on users’ devices. However, the report from McAfee, indicating that these apps were able to download additional code post-installation, raises questions about the efficacy of Google’s safeguards on the Play Store.