Google has flagged multiple apps created by Pinduoduo, a Chinese e-commerce giant, as malware. In the past few weeks, several Chinese security researchers have accused Pinduoduo of making apps for Android that contain malware designed to monitor users. Google has set Google Play Protect, an Android security mechanism, to prevent users from installing these malicious apps. They are also prompting users that already have the apps downloaded to uninstall. Google has suspended their official app from the Play Store while they further investigate the situation.
In an response to TechCrunch’s outreach, Pinduoduo’s spokesperson Kong Ho stated the following:
“We strongly reject the speculation and accusation by some anonymous researcher and non-conclusive response from Google that Pinduoduo app is malicious. There are several apps that have been suspended from Google Play at the same time and we find it peculiar that TechCrunch chose to single out Pinduoduo.”
While further updates will be needed to clear the situation up, we recommend avoiding Pinduoduo apps in the time being. Once more information is available, it’ll be easier to assess if Pinduoduo is a trustworthy app manufacturer. As always, it’s best to stay alert in cautious in these types of scenarios. If you have any questions about avoiding this malware or general IT topics, feel free to reach out to us at info@optfinity.com.
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