Google has suspended several apps from Chinese shopping service Pinduoduo over malware concerns. Bloomberg News reports that the affected apps were released outside of the Google Play Store. Chinese security researchers have recently claimed that Pinduoduo’s Android apps contain spyware. Pinduoduo is an immensely popular online shopping service in China with 788 million annual active users.
The app was initially popular in China’s poorer areas due to its low prices for agricultural products and groceries. Users can browse different product categories when they open the app and purchase products together with their friends through the WeChat messaging service. The app’s economies of scale are meant to keep prices low.
Several Chinese security researchers have examined apps from PDD Holdings, the company behind Pinduoduo. They logged alleged zero-day exploits and spyware in the company’s APK file on Github. Google Play Protect is blocking installation of these versions with a warning that they’re attempting to bypass Android’s security protection.
Chinese users cannot download apps from the Google Play Store because the Great Firewall of China blocks the application. Security concerns regarding Chinese apps have been increasing, with a recent study showing that smartphones purchased in China transmit more data than usual to manufacturers and developers. Meanwhile, the USA’s Department of Justice and the FBI are investigating possible data abuse on TikTok. The EU has also banned TikTok on service devices for security reasons.
