Google says fewer bad actors are targeting the Play Store with malicious apps, a change the company links to expanded security systems and wider use of AI in its review process, according to its latest Android app ecosystem safety report.
Fewer Policy Violations And Fewer Banned Developers
In the report released on Thursday, Google said it prevented 1.75 million policy-violating apps from being published on Google Play in 2025. That figure is down from 2.36 million in 2024 and 2.28 million in 2023.
The company also said it banned more than 80,000 developer accounts in 2025 that had attempted to publish these types of apps. That number is lower than the 158,000 accounts banned in 2024 and the 333,000 banned in 2023.
Google described the report as an overview of how it reviews and monitors apps to protect users from malware, financial fraud, privacy violations, misleading subscriptions, and other threats.
Security Measures And Review Process Changes
The company said its investments in AI and real-time defenses have played a role in both detection and deterrence. In a blog post accompanying the report, Google said initiatives such as developer verification, mandatory pre-review checks, and testing requirements have reduced the number of ways bad actors can enter the Play Store.
The post added that its “AI-powered, multi-layer protections” have been discouraging attempts to publish malicious apps. Google said it now runs more than 10,000 safety checks on every app before publication and continues to recheck apps after they are live.
The company also said it has integrated its latest generative AI models into the app review workflow. According to Google, this has helped human reviewers identify more complex malicious patterns faster. The company said it plans to increase its AI investments in 2026.
Data Access, Reviews, And Rating Abuse
Beyond blocking apps at submission, Google said it prevented more than 255,000 apps from gaining excessive access to sensitive user data in 2025. That figure is down from 1.3 million in 2024.
The company also reported blocking 160 million spam ratings and reviews last year. It said these actions prevented an average 0.5-star rating drop for apps targeted by review bombing.
Play Protect And Activity Outside The Play Store
Google said Android’s built-in defense system, Google Play Protect, identified more than 27 million new malicious apps in 2025 and warned users or blocked the apps from running. This compares with 13 million non-Play Store apps identified in 2024 and five million in 2023.
The company said the increase in detections outside the Play Store suggests that attackers are more often avoiding the Play Store when trying to reach users with malicious apps.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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