Google May Soon Scan Your Android Apps For Malware

[wraggster]

Is Google planning on integrating an antivirus scanner into Android? A just-released Google Play store app update, as well as the company's recent acquisition of VirusTotal seem to hint that yes, Google is looking into it (http://thenextweb.com/google/2012/10/12/play-store-update-and-virustotal-buy-google-may-soon-scan-your-android-apps-for-malware/). 'Google yesterday started rolling out an update to its Google Play Store app: version 3.8.17 from August was bumped to version 3.9.16 in October. Android Police got its hands on the APK (http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/10/11/apk-teardown-the-play-store-is-getting-a-built-in-malware-scanner-theres-more-wish-list-progress-and-more/) and posted an extensive tear down. The first change noted was the addition of new security-related artwork (exclamation icons and security shields) as well as the following strings: App Check 'Allow Google to check all apps installed to this device for harmful behavior? To learn more, go to Settings > Security.''"

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/10/13/1952224/google-may-soon-scan-your-android-apps-for-malware