BIZ BUZZ: Protecting Filipinos vs fraud mobile apps
Filipino users may fall victim to fraud mobile apps, which can be accidentally downloaded from unofficial online sources.
Google Philippines head of government affairs and public policy Yves Gonzales said these fake apps are usually involved in lending and other financial platforms. This proves the primary goal of hackers: to steal money from unsuspecting victims.
To safeguard the public, the technology giant has introduced in the Philippines the Enhanced Google Play Protect, which blocks the users from downloading malicious software.
This feature, which has been made available in India, Thailand, Singapore and Brazil, is automatically installed to all Android phones.
If the app being downloaded asks to enable permission in reading mobile messages, accessing screen recording and others that violate privacy, the Google feature kicks in automatically, Gonzales explained.
As of February 10, this feature had already blocked over 3.2 million high-risk app install attempts in the Philippines.
“Google is deeply committed to digital responsibility and internet safety,” Google country director for Thailand and the Philippines Jackie Wang said.
