Google Blocks 1.75 Million Apps, 80,000 Accounts to Protect Users

New Delhi: Google has taken major steps to safeguard users by blocking over 1.75 million apps from being published on the Google Play Store in 2025. These apps posed significant risks, including financial fraud, malware, and privacy breaches. Using AI-powered security tools, the company also banned more than 80,000 developer accounts involved in repeated policy violations.

Stronger Privacy Protections

According to Google’s annual security report, the company prevented over 255,000 apps from accessing users’ sensitive data. Google has strengthened its privacy policies and introduced tools such as Play Policy Insights in Android Studio and the Data Safety section on Google Play. These measures help developers request sensitive permissions less frequently and prioritize user-centric design practices.

Improved Anti-Spam and Review Systems

Google also enhanced its anti-spam systems, blocking 160 million spam ratings and reviews. Its generative AI-powered review system now analyzes apps during development, detecting malware, spyware, and financial scam apps before they are submitted to the Play Store.

Enhanced Google Play Protect

In addition to existing safeguards, Google introduced new layers in Google Play Protect, preventing young users from accessing apps related to gambling or dating. The system also analyzed risky installation attempts, automatically blocking apps that could misuse sensitive permissions for financial fraud. In 2025 alone, Google Play Protect prevented 266 million risky installations and protected users from 872,000 high-risk apps.

New In-Call Scam Protection

Google rolled out a new in-call scam protection feature to prevent social engineering attacks during phone calls. The feature stops Play Protect from being disabled mid-call, ensuring scammers cannot trick users into installing malicious apps.

Bottom line: Through a combination of AI-powered detection, stricter privacy policies, and improved protection tools, Google has made significant progress in keeping users safe from malicious apps and scams on its platform.