McAfee researchers have identified 38 Android apps in the Google Play store that pretend to be Minecraft games but are actually designed to earn advertising revenue. The apps, which have been downloaded an estimated 35 million times, load adverts in the background without the user’s knowledge, consuming resources such as bandwidth, battery and CPU cycles. No ads are displayed during gameplay, but they are being downloaded in the background. McAfee researchers shared a list of the apps with Google Play, which has removed them from its store. It is unclear how many other similar apps that break the Android app store’s rules continue to lurk unnoticed.
The apps were downloaded from the official Google Play app store, which could lead users, who are often young children, to assume that the apps had been properly vetted for inappropriate behaviour. The most popular of the apps, Block Box Master Diamond, had accumulated 10 million downloads. No adverts are shown during gameplay, which makes it difficult for users to realise that ads are being downloaded in the background. The apps are designed to earn advertising revenue, which means that they consume resources such as bandwidth, battery and CPU cycles.
McAfee researchers contacted Google Play, which has since removed the offending apps from its store. This raises questions about how many other similar apps that flout the Android app store’s rules are currently available for download. The apps were detected as Android/HiddenAds.BJL by McAfee. As the Minecraft games are popular with young children, who are often unaware of the risks of downloading apps from unofficial third-party app stores, it is important for parents to monitor their children’s downloads and stick to official app stores for safety.
In conclusion, McAfee researchers have identified 38 Minecraft clone apps in the Google Play store that are designed to earn advertising revenue by downloading ads in the background. These apps have been downloaded an estimated 35 million times, and their removal from the store raises questions about how many similar apps are still available. As these apps are popular with young children, it is important for parents to monitor their children’s downloads and stick to official app stores to ensure their safety.
