Google blocked 2.3 million Android app submissions to the Play Store in 2024 due to violations of its policies that made them potentially risky for users.

Google Play has blocked 2.36 million policy-violating apps from being published and banned 158,000 developer accounts associated with harmful activities in 2024.

Google Play will now display verification badges on approved VPNs as a way to “highlight apps that prioritize user privacy and safety,” the company announced on Tuesday. The new badge will appear on a VPN app’s details page and within search results, proving that it meets specific standards outlined by Google.

Google has already announced a security-checking Google Play VPN badge system two times now, but it's here to announce it again.

Google Play is rolling out "Verified" badges for select VPN apps to make it easier for users to find trust services. Apps with the badge prioritize user

Google’s post recapping Play Store and Android protections in 2024 is live, while highlighting new Play Protect features, like during calls.

Google Play Protect is getting even more powerful, with new features designed to keep your Android device safe from malware and scams. One major update is the ability to automatically disable an app's permissions if it's deemed potentially harmful.

Before we explore what the Play Store needs to copy from the App Store, let's discuss what it shouldn't. If there's one major way Google can differentiate its app store from Apple's, it's how you discover new apps and games. Right now, the Play Store is so difficult to use that it's easy to completely miss exciting new apps and games.

Google's app store is encountering an issue on Android devices that's hampering user experiences.

DeepSeek app has vanished from the Italian App Store and Google Play Store since the country's data watchdog filed a privacy complaint.

As previously stated, this Verified badge is rolling out for VPNs that are "trusted" for protecting your data. The post adds that VPNs (virtual private networks) like NordVPN, hide.me, and Aloha are among the first to have gone through the necessary hoops to demonstrate a higher level of security/safety.