It has become clear that Google’s most significant take-down of malicious apps yet will have serious consequences, especially given the hundreds of millions of users impacted.
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The after-effects of Google’s unexpected take-down of 600 apps spewing “disruptive ads” to users worldwide are now taking their toll. This isn’t enterprising back-bedroom malware or an underground movement with masked operators. This is an industry.
If you follow the news of Play Store adware you’ll be familiar with Cheetah Mobile, a company that claims “hundreds of millions of monthly active users” for its mobile apps. They’ve made headlines multiple times—last year I reported on some of the company’s software that had been highlighted by various security reports.
Well, not any more. All 45 of its apps have been removed. On February 21, a day after the ruthless take-down, Cheetah, which is listed in the U.S., issued an update to confirm that “it has been informed by Google that the company's Google Play Store, Google AdMob and Google AdManager accounts have been disabled on February 20, 2020.”
“Mobile ad fraud is an industry-wide challenge t ..
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