Google adds anti-falsification DRM to Android apps in the Play Store



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This is mainly useful in development areas where people do not always have reliable data, and may have to go through a peer-to-peer portal or through a channel other than Google's. The addition of DRM should help them download applications with reasonable assurance that they are getting the real thing, not a malicious app surreptitiously modified that could compromise their handsets. It's no secret that malware writers sometimes bury malicious code in seemingly familiar apps, which can intercept deceit before it compromises a device.

Simultaneously … well, it's DRM. As with media services, companies can use DRM to determine how and when to use their applications. It may be difficult or impossible to tinker with an application (for example, to remove advertisements) without stripping the DRM. It is also possible that a developer forces you to switch to a newer version of an application by modifying the metadata and preventing you from installing the earlier versions that you prefer. As good as it may be for the security of mobile applications, it is possible that the developers are abusing this to exercise greater control over the way you use their software.

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