Malware was downloaded over 600 million times in 2023 from the Google Play Store

Smartphone users have downloaded dangerous apps over 600 million times in 2023, according to cybersecurity firm Kaspersky. The malware-laden applications evade Google’s security measures by adopting innocuous functions before receiving updates installing malware. Bad actors also use multiple developer accounts to repost neutralised apps, with Minecraft clones, for instance, being downloaded more than 35 million times. The applications beam ads to phones undetected, draining batteries and generating revenue.