By Sarah Perez
Publication Date: 2026-02-19 21:27:00
Fewer bad actors are targeting Google Play with malicious apps, the company says, a shift that the tech giant credits with its increased investments in proactive security systems and AI technology.
In its latest Android app ecosystem safety report released on Thursday, Google said it prevented 1.75 million policy-violating apps from being published on Google Play in 2025, down from 2.36 million in 2024 and 2.28 million in 2023.
The annual report offers a look at how Google is keeping Android users safe by reviewing and monitoring apps to protect against malware, financial fraud, privacy invasions, sneaky subscriptions, and other threats.
For instance, Google says it banned more than 80,000 developer accounts in 2025 that had tried to publish these types of bad apps. That figure is also down year-over-year from 158,000 in 2024, and 333,000 in 2023.
Google touted how its investments in AI and other real-time defenses have helped fight these sorts of threats, but also…
