Google Update: Google removed more than 180 apps from Play Store, this fraud scheme is the reason..

Google has removed more than 180 apps from the Play Store after it discovered a massive ad-fraud scheme. The scheme affected more than 56 million downloads, causing harm to users, advertisers, and app developers.

According to a Forbes report, the tech giant tried to control the situation and rolled out security patches to fix the issue. However, these efforts could not completely solve the problem, leaving Google with no option but to remove the fraudulent apps from the store.

Ad fraud schemes are different from normal malware. Instead of stealing data or damaging the device, criminals trick advertisers into paying for fake user engagements. These fake interactions make it look like ads are being shown to real users when they are not. In some cases, users do see ads, but with such a high frequency that their app experience is spoiled and they may turn away from the Play Store.

Criminals created deceptive apps.

The criminals involved in this scheme created deceptive apps and listed them in popular categories. Users would unknowingly download these apps, after which they had to face a barrage of unnecessary ads. Some of these apps had neither a visible icon nor an 'open' button, making it difficult for users to find and delete these problematic apps.

This scheme did not only harm users. It also affected advertisers who spend money to promote their products and genuine app developers who depend on ad revenue. This scheme was also successful in dodging Google Play Protect, which is Android's built-in security feature designed to protect against harmful apps.

Google worked with Integral Ad Science (IAS) to address the issue. IAS helped disrupt this fraudulent operation and, together with other industry partners, limited the damage.

In response to the IAS report, Google said, 'Google Play Protect will warn users and automatically disable these apps, even if they come from sources outside of Google Play.'

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Dainik Jagran. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.