After numerous reports of Android apps that are malicious and can destroy a user’s phone, Google is finally doing something about it.
The search giant has taken a very strong stance against malware and implemented a new system called “Bouncer” to weed out apps that are flagged as potentially dangerous.
“This drop occurred at the same time that companies who market and sell anti-malware and security software have been reporting that malicious applications are on the rise,” said Google engineering VP Hiroshi Lockheimer.
Because the Android Market is a free and open platform, it has been very easy for malicious apps to appear in the digital store. Once a developer posts an app, it can be seen by millions of Android users in as short as a few minutes.
Apple, on the other hands, forces app makers to wait while an actual human employee evaluates every app that gets sent through.
As Android grows in popularity, a system like that is just not viable, so Bouncer will help alleviate some of that.
Lockheimer added, “While it’s not possible to prevent bad people from building malware, the most important measurement is whether those bad applications are being installed from Android Market – and we know the rate is declining significantly.”
