Google removed millions of suspicious apps and is blocking thousands of developers in 2025

What Google did in 2024 to fight malicious and spam apps
Metric Data Commentary App Blocking*1.75 million* apps were prohibited from being downloaded on the Play Store; *80 thousand* developer accounts were deleted. Vice President for Trust & Ecosystems – Vijaya Kaza published a report.

AI usage
Google is embedding AI models directly into the app review process. Human reviewers remain, but AI speeds up the detection of complex malicious schemes.

Privacy protection
*255 thousand* apps were blocked for excessive personal data collection. Developers have access to Play Policy Insights in Android Studio – it warns about potential issues before publication.

Spam fight
In 2025, *160 million* fake ratings and reviews were blocked; the average rating drop for targets was 0.5 stars. Organized “review bombing” campaigns were removed.

Play Protect
Scans more than *350 billion* apps daily. Last year, in real time, it identified *27 million* new malware outside the Play Store. When installing from an untrusted site, users see a warning from Play Protect.

Protection against internet installs
The feature is live in 185 markets, covering *2.8 million* devices; in 2025 it prevented *266 million* attempts to install risky apps. It blocks installations via browsers and messengers if the app requests sensitive permissions.

Call-time protection upgrade
Play Protect now prohibits disabling protection during phone calls to stop scammers who try to convince users to turn off protection.

Conclusion
Google is tightening control over its app ecosystem by combining AI and manual checks to detect malware, safeguarding user data, and eliminating spam reviews. Tools like Play Policy Insights help developers write secure code from the start, while Play Protect provides daily defense for millions of devices against threats outside the official store.