A new Android malware from Google

Google is requiring all Android developers to register centrally through its Android Developer Verification (ADV) program, which operates as a system service with root privileges that cannot be disabled and silently blocks apps from unregistered developers. The company justifies this as a malware prevention measure, but critics argue it serves primarily to establish Google as the sole gatekeeper for which apps can exist on Android, while the vague definition of "malware" in the terms of service gives Google unchecked power to determine what software is permitted. An estimated 4 billion Android devices have already been affected by this system, fundamentally undermining the open-source tradition of Android development.