Google rolling out official badges to identify legitimate govt apps

Following months of testing, Google Play Store is now making it easier to identify legitimate government apps by rolling out official badges in over 14 countries. These badges will clearly mark state and federal government apps and aim to tackle the issue of fake apps impersonating official/government ones to steal data or money. Google said that these badges currently cover more than 2,000 apps in countries including India, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, the United States, Brazil, Indonesia, and Mexico.

There are times when many counterfeit or fake apps act as legitimate government applications and operate with the sole motive to steal user data. The government of India had issued an advisory about fake passport apps in the past. It’s a valid concern when apps posing as official apps can potentially put your security at risk, making you question whether they can be used.

In India apps like Digilocker, mAadhaar, and other official government apps now have the badge.

Google plans to introduce this feature in other countries as well. Google has been working in tandem with app developers and the government to streamline this process. The tech company first teased this feature back in November 2023, when it also announced new rules for app developers.