Google uses AI to fight malware and secure Android ecosystem

Google has strengthened Android ecosystem security by betting on artificial intelligence in the fight against malicious software. According to the company, over 1.75 million apps violating platform rules were prevented from publishing in the Play Store in 2025. Simultaneously, more than 80,000 developer accounts attempting to distribute malware were blocked. The company emphasizes that the confrontation increasingly unfolds as "AI versus AI," as malicious actors also actively use algorithms to disguise harmful code.

New machine learning models integrated into the app review system played a key role in content filtering. Although manual moderation remains, automated tools enable faster detection of complex and hidden threats. Particular attention is paid to personal data protection: over 255,000 apps requesting excessive permissions not matching their functionality were rejected last year.

Google has also intensified its fight against rating manipulations. In 2025, 160 million fake reviews and ratings were removed, including organized campaigns to inflate scores. The company estimates this helped prevent noticeable rating drops for targeted apps and maintain user trust in the store.

Protection has tightened beyond the Play Store as well. The Play Protect service analyzes hundreds of billions of apps daily and identified 27 million new malware programs installed from third-party sources last year. Additional mechanisms block installation of suspicious apps from browsers and messengers if they request dangerous permissions. This feature already operates in most countries worldwide and has helped prevent hundreds of millions of risky installations.