In 2022, Google prevented 1.43 million apps from being published on Google Play that violated their policies. This was due to new and improved security features, policy enhancements, and investments in machine learning and app validation processes. The number of suspicious and fraudulent accounts was reduced by the addition of new identity verification methods that developers must pass to add applications to Google Play, such as providing a phone number and email address. The Google Play Commerce security team also successfully blocked fraudulent and illegal transactions that could have resulted in more than $2 billion in losses, thanks to features like the Voided Purchases API, Obfuscated Account ID, and the Play Integrity API. Additionally, unauthorized access to confidential permissions was prevented for 500,000 applications over the past three years, and the App Security Improvements program has helped developers fix approximately 500,000 vulnerabilities affecting approximately 300,000 applications with a cumulative install base of approximately 250 billion times.
