FBI issues Android warning

FORTUNE -- Developers often complain about the hoops Apple (AAPL) makes them jump through to get their wares into the iOS App Store. But the company has its reasons -- besides its 30% cut of the revenue -- and one of them was illustrated by the warning issued Friday by the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

- Comments (4)

KingPin4210d ago

for google, preventing apps with malware is easy.

all they have to do is put a clause in there that if malware is founf within a given app, legal action will be taken against the owner/company. and their names will be added to a "devz blacklist". if any further app is even associated with them, that app will be automatically barred from the play store.

further on, google should make this blacklist public so that other development companies wont accidentally hire someone associated with this behavior. it will also be part of the company to make sure none of the apps they release has such malware.

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adorie4210d ago

Love this idea. Bubble and Super agree.

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Gondee4210d ago

I like the idea but that is a major breach of privacy. I don't want my name out, exposed to the public.

And lets say i am a spyware creator, whats to stop me from giving a fake name? you can spoof every bit of unique identifier on your computer, so the only option would be some personal facts like SS. Do you trust google with you SS? they already have your bank account by nature of an app developer.

Google would also have to pay to sue/take legal action against all these people. What happens if they are outside the country (personally) but submitted from inside? Most of the "developers" are nothing more than some guy, or hacker in this case. Google could literally take no action other than take the app down and ban that account.

Google should have, while they had the chance, put in a decent verification system like that of apples. If Microsoft could go back to the start of windows (they did it with WP7 and partly 8RT), it would do the same thing. Having only licensed software run, DRAMATICALLY cuts down on malicious software.

Its like a market in real like. You let people do whatever they want, it turns into flea market. Its madness, and saturated with crap. You moderate that only slightly, you get a store, with where they just don't sell non working lawnmowers, and computers with missing parts.

No personal attack btw, just counter argument. >_<

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KingPin4209d ago

good response. well thought out counter argument.

but

"major breach of privacy. I don't want my name out, exposed to the public."
think of this as the pedophile list of tech. im sure no pedophiles or criminals want their names out in public. but it will be more of a deterrent if they know if they get caught with spyware apps, their name could be dragged through the mud.

"And lets say i am a spyware creator, whats to stop me from giving a fake name?"
google should have them fill out an application form with every detail filled out. ID numbers, phone numbers, etc. (similar to that of applying for a bank account or job application or cellphone contract) and google must get certified hard copies of all documents (registered mail helps). they should then do checks on said applicant and only if they are say 96% confident (coz 100% confidence with a stranger is impossible) do they go ahead and grant him permission to develop apps.

"What happens if they are outside the country (personally) but submitted from inside?"
well, they could always open a criminal case against said developer (having his real details from above) hand it in to law enforcement officers. cyber crime really isn't easy to pull off when you have to hand it legitimate forms with all your information.

but this is not a 100% fool proof system and i get what you saying about work-arounds etc. it wont be easy to stop, and resources might not be enough to handle the admin work involved. but some protection is better than no protection.

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