Google has suspended the Android apps that collected private data from millions of users and forwarded it to a web site in China, reports Tom's Guide. Mobile security firm, Lookout, on Wednesday reported that a batch of wallpaper applications collected a user’s browsing history, text messages, phone’s SIM card number and subscriber identification, and send the data to web site, www.imnet.us., reportedly owned by someone in Shenzhen, China.
The apps were downloaded "anywhere from 1.1 million to 4.6 million times,” according to Lookout. Exact details of the number of users weren’t available, as Android Market doesn't offer precise data. Speaking on the developments, Lookout said in a blog, "While this sort of data collection from a wallpaper application is certainly suspicious, there’s no evidence of malicious behavior. There have been cases in the past on other mobile platforms where well-intentioned developers are simply over-zealous in their data gathering, without having malicious intent."
One of the wallpaper apps was created by Jackeey Wallpaper and contained images based on Star Wars and My Little Pony. Another developer named iceskysl@1sters! collected identical information with other wallpaper apps, Lookout said. The two developers are said to be connected as both shared the same common code inside a class named "SyncDeviceInfoService," Lookout said. "We’ve been working with Google to investigate these apps and they’re on top of it," Lookout said.
However, these new developments strengthen Apple’s policy on mobile security in the iPhone App Store. According to Lookout, 47 percent of the selected Android apps contained third party code, which might include malicious functions, in contrast to 23 percent of selected iPhone apps.
