Unlike Apple, Google doesn’t vet apps before allowing them to be listed in the Android Market. As a result, as much as 1 percent of those apps contain malware or otherwise violate Google policies. And the apps aren’t removed until users complain.
In a statement to the FCC, Google explained, “Once an application has been uploaded by the developer and made available for users of Android-powered handsets, the Android Market community is relied on to flag applications that do not abide by our policies.”
Apps that are flagged repeatedly are removed after about three days. Reasons for an app’s removal might include adult content and copyright infringement, as well as actual malware that poses security threats.
