Many popular Android applications from the large Chinese developer DU Group, including a selfie app with 50 million downloads, are used for fraud, abuse of user permissions, intrusive advertising, and more. In particular, they send data to China. This was reported by BuzzFeed News.
This company has over a billion users worldwide and claims to have no ties to one of China's largest tech firms, Baidu. However, it has been reported that fraudsters used at least 6 DU Group applications on Google Play with 90 million downloads. Two of them contain code that could be used for advertising fraud.
However, DU Group software is not the only concern. The extremely popular TV remote app can access the microphone to record while users watch television. A children’s app in Chinese sends personal information unencrypted to servers China. These are just a few examples of how Chinese software, to put it mildly, is not secure.
All of this indicates a low level of security in the Google Play Store, as any developer can post an app there that requires various permissions upon installation. And while the company has already blacklisted 6 DU Group applications, it is still unknown how many similar programs remain.
"We strictly prohibit advertising fraud and abuse of services in Google Play. Developers are required to disclose the collection of personal data and use only the permissions necessary for the app's functionality," the company stated.
DU Group has not yet responded to media requests for comment on the situation. Richard Kramer, a senior analyst at Arete Research, told BuzzFeed News that Google does not do enough to protect users.
Source: 3dnews.ru
