The good news is, Google is finally focusing on making sure Android apps are safe! There have been quite a few reports of malware and security risks for Android devices for quite some time now. A research company claims to have had access to device cameras. Play Store allowed apps that include malware inside them. Most of the Android devices available do not support the latest Android versions. This has caused big headaches for app developers as well through Android fragmentation. By the way, using outdated software has security risks on its own.
Since Google’s business model is all about advertisements and sharing user’s data, it comes as no surprise that the Android platform isn’t secure. Usually, when a piece of software is free, there is a hidden cost that, which can be your data is being tracked and forced advertisements. What if Android wasn’t built with security in mind? What if it was built to make it easy to share user’s data? iPhones are locked down to protect user’s data, why are Androids wide open?
I am just thinking back about how it wasn’t too long ago back on September 23, 2008, that Android was first released. The good news is Android is finally working on securing its apps today in November 2019. It only took them 11 years to try to fix the problem. Some people are slower than others. I’ll give them that, but then again, security is a pretty big deal.
I’m all for more security and ensuring apps are safe for everyone. I look forward to seeing improvements on Android. I’m hopeful at least. Android developer’s wishlist would be to have that fragmentation issue fixed already, but we can all dream, right?