Google bans 25 more apps from Play Store that could potentially hack user credentials

The tech giant Google had banned 50 apps from its Play Store last month due to possible security concerns and an overload of advertisements that affected Android users. Some of the banned applications include image and video editing applications, wallpaper applications, flashlight applications, gaming applications, and file managers. Here’s a list of the 25 Android applications that have been banned from the Google Play Store:

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Banned Apps

1. Super Wallpapers Flashlight
2. Padenatef        
3. Wallpaper Level
4. Contour level wallpaper
5. Iplayer & iwallpaper
6. Video maker
7. Color Wallpapers
8. Pedometer
9. Powerful Flashlight
10. Super Bright Flashlight
11. Super Flashlight
12. Solitaire
13. Accurate scanning of QR code
14. Classic card game
15. Junk file cleaning
16. Synthetic Z
17. File Manager
18. Composite Z
19. Screenshot capture
20. Daily Horoscope Wallpapers
21. Wuxia Reader
22. Plus Weather
23. Anime Live Wallpaper
24. iHealth step counter
25. Com.tyapp.fiction

According to reports, there was a recent attack from an Android application that mainly targeted the users of the social media app, Facebook. The hackers have reportedly stolen personal details and credentials of Facebook users. The French cybersecurity firm Evina reportedly discovered malicious code in twenty-five Google Play applications. These findings were sent to the tech giant Google by the end of May 2020. Google thereby banned these applications from its Play Store.

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According to the French cyber-security firm, some of the Android apps that have been recently banned could infiltrate devices by projecting genuine functionality. Further, reports also state that once the application is installed on a device, it is capable of automatically activating a hidden code. This hidden code then starts stealing personal data from the device.

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According to reports, the app which targeted Facebook users waits for the Android user to launch the social media application from the device. As soon as the user accesses Facebook on their device, the malicious application mimics the website and overlays a web browser window on top of the Facebook app. Further, the Facebook login page displayed by the hackers projects itself as a legitimate web page which fools users to enter their e-mail id as well as password. Once the user enters these details, it is directly sent to the hackers. So if you have any of the above apps installed on your phone, you must uninstall them immediately.

India bans 59 Chinese apps

In a recent development, the government of India also banned 59 Chinese apps. The Chinese apps list includes widely used apps like TikTok and WeChatm amongst others. Although some users seemed to be dissatisfied with the decision of the Indian government, they now want to replace these Chinese apps with American or Indian apps.

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