Google blocked over 1.75 million Play Store app submissions in 2025

Bleeping Computer

by Bill Toulas

February 19, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Google has significantly strengthened its efforts to maintain a secure ecosystem on Google Play, blocking over 1.75 million app submissions in 2025 due to policy violations and preventing more than 255,000 apps from accessing sensitive user data excessively. The tech giant implemented over 10,000 safety checks and integrated its latest generative AI models into the review process, enabling faster and more accurate detection of malicious patterns. This initiative has helped protect users by banning over 80,000 "bad developer accounts" and blocking 255,000 apps that posed risks to user data. The company also addressed issues like fake ratings and review bombing, which can manipulate user perceptions. Google blocked 160 million harmful ratings last year, preventing a potential 0.5-star drop for targeted apps. Additionally, Android's Play Protect feature scanned over 350 billion apps daily in 2025, identifying 27 million malicious apps sideloaded outside the Play Store. Enhanced fraud protection was expanded to cover 2.8 billion devices across 185 markets, blocking 266 million installation attempts from 872,000 risky apps. New features like "enhanced fraud protection" and in-app remediation prompts were introduced in Android 16, released last June, to combat tapjacking attacks that steal user interactions for fraudulent gains. Google's Play Integrity API processed over 20 billion daily checks, helping app developers protect their software from abuse and unauthorized access. The company also added hardware-backed signals and in-app remediation prompts to further enhance security. Looking ahead, Google plans to invest in AI-driven defenses and embed compliance tools directly into development workflows to prevent policy violations before apps are published. These measures underscore the importance of maintaining trust and safety on the Google Play platform, ensuring users can enjoy a secure experience while developers focus on creating high-quality apps.

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Originally published on Bleeping Computer on 2/19/2026