Apps have installed on millions of Android devices.
Google has removed several dozen programs from its store The Wall Street Journal reports.
The code was written by Panamanian company Measurement Systems S. de RL, which through corporate records and web registration is linked to a Virginia defense contractor who specializes in cyber intelligence, network protection, and intelligence interception for U.S. national security agencies.
Read also: Roskomnadzor bans Google from advertising itself in Russia
Code worked on millions of Android devices. In particular, it was found in several Muslim prayer applications that downloaded more than 10 million times, as well as applications for reading QR codes and other programs.
Experts say that Measurement Systems paid developers around the world for installing the code in their programs. His presence allowed the Panamanian company to collect user data.
Earlier, Google removed the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense, which is waging war in Ukraine, from a search engine. The site is not found even if you search the “Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation official site”.
