News Summary

• Starting next year, Google will begin to verify the identities of developers distributing their apps on Android devices.
• The changes will affect all certified Android devices once live, though the global rollout will be more gradual.
• Google says this will help to cut down on bad actors who hide their identity to distribute malware, commit financial fraud, or steal users’ personal data.
• According to its own survey, Google says that more than 50 times more malware came through internet-sideloaded sources compared with Google Play.