Following discovering malware in app copies from outside sources, Google suspended the Chinese shopping app Pinduoduo from its app store.
Google issued a statement on Tuesday stating that the Pinduoduo app has been stopped from the Google Play app store due to “security concerns” and that an investigation had been launched.
The Pinduoduo app, primarily used in China, has been suspended amid heightened tensions between the United States and China over Chinese-owned apps like TikTok, which some American politicians claim poses a threat to national security.
According to their claims, these apps might be used to spy on US users.
A well-known Chinese e-commerce software called Pinduoduo frequently gives consumers discounts if they buy more than one item at once. Google on Tuesday advised users to delete any Pinduoduo apps they may have downloaded outside of its Play store.
Google’s statement states, “Google Play Protect enforcement has been configured to block installation attempts of these identified dangerous apps.”
“Users are notified and prompted to remove the app if malicious copies of the program have been downloaded to their devices.”
Pinduoduo was still available for download from Apple’s iOS store on Tuesday, but it was unclear if there were any similar security issues with the software for Apple users.
Pinduoduo’s operator, PDD Holdings Inc, declined to respond right away. On Tuesday, the company’s shares traded in Hong Kong fell 14.2%.
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