Jakarta, INTI - A declining number of malicious developers are attempting to target Google Play with harmful applications, according to the company, which attributes the trend to its growing investment in proactive security systems and artificial intelligence technologies.
In its latest Android app ecosystem safety report released on Thursday, Google said it blocked 1.75 million apps that violated policies from being published on Google Play in 2025, compared with 2.36 million in 2024 and 2.28 million in 2023.
The annual report outlines how Google safeguards Android users by reviewing and continuously monitoring apps to defend against malware, financial scams, privacy breaches, deceptive subscriptions, and other risks.
For example, the company reported banning more than 80,000 developer accounts in 2025 that had attempted to distribute such harmful applications. This figure declined from 158,000 in 2024 and 333,000 in 2023.
AI and Multi-Layered Security Defenses
Google highlighted that its increased spending on AI and real-time security mechanisms has played a key role in combating these threats, while also acting as a deterrent.
“Initiatives like developer verification, mandatory pre-review checks, and testing requirements have raised the bar for the Google Play ecosystem, significantly reducing the paths for bad actors to enter,” the company’s blog post explained, adding that its “AI-powered, multi-layer protections” have been “discouraging bad actors from publishing malicious apps.”
Google said it now conducts more than 10,000 safety checks on every app before publication and continues to reassess them afterward. The company has also incorporated its latest generative AI models into the app review workflow, enabling human reviewers to detect more sophisticated malicious patterns more quickly. Google stated that it plans to further expand its AI investments in 2026 to stay ahead of emerging threats.
Additionally, the company reported preventing more than 255,000 apps from obtaining excessive access to sensitive user data, down from 1.3 million in 2024. It also blocked 160 million spam ratings and reviews last year and mitigated an average 0.5-star rating drop for apps targeted by coordinated review attacks.
Rising Threats Outside the Play Store
Meanwhile, Android’s security system, known as Google Play Protect, detected more than 27 million new malicious apps and either warned users or stopped the apps from running. This represents a rise from 13 million non–Play Store apps identified in 2024 and five million in 2023. The increase suggests that malicious actors may increasingly be bypassing the Play Store when attempting to distribute harmful apps.
Conclusion
Google’s latest safety report highlights how AI-driven defenses and stricter review mechanisms are reshaping the security landscape of the Android ecosystem. While threats persist, particularly outside the official app marketplace, the data suggests that stronger preventive systems and AI-powered safeguards are making it increasingly difficult for malicious actors to penetrate the Play Store.
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