Anybody with an Android has been warned to uninstall a specific shopping app, due to malware being detected by Google in some versions of it.
The e-commerce app Pinduoduo has been suspended and can no longer be downloaded from the Google Play Store while these "security concerns" are being investigated.
The app provides discounts if shoppers team up to buy multiples of an item. While it's currently not available for Google Play users, it can still be downloaded safely from the Apple Store for iPhone users.
Manchester Evening News reports that Google warned users on Tuesday, March 22, to uninstall any Pinduoduo app not downloaded from its own Play store.
In a statement, Google said: "Google Play Protect enforcement has been set to block installation attempts of these identified malicious apps. Users that have malicious versions of the app downloaded to their devices are warned and prompted to uninstall the app.”
In response, Pinduoduo said that Google had not shared more details with the company beyond informing it that the current version of its app was “not compliant with Google’s policy”.
“We strongly reject the speculation and accusation that Pinduoduo app is malicious just from a generic and non-conclusive response from Google,” Pinduoduo said.
It comes after concerns about the video-sharing app TikTok have recently been cropping up, leading to some politicians labelling it as a "national security threat".
Some people believe that the popular app may be used to spy on those who have downloaded it, and the UK government has banned it on any government phones just this week.
Meanwhile, the Scottish parliament has also "strongly advised" MSPs and staff to delete the app from their work phones.
Officials said this was a "precautionary approach" given the concerns surrounding the Chinese-owned app and the information it can collect about users from their phones.
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