Apple App Store and Google Play Store delisted over 813,000 apps in Q1 2021

Google and Apple cited privacy among other reasons

Pixalate, a California-based analytics platform has reported that Google and Apple removed more than 813,000 apps over the first quarter of 2021.

The firm said it analysed more than 5 million app across both digital storefronts and that 15% of that number were removed from the respective stores. On the Play Store, the apps had been downloaded more than 9 billion times before they were removed. On the App Store, it took 21 million consumer reviews before they were booted off the store.

About 86% of the apps that got shown the door on the Play Store were targeted at children up to 12 years old. 89% of the apps on Apple's Play Store were the same. 26% of these apps removed from the Play Store and 60% of the apps on the App Store had no privacy policies.

66% of the apps removed from the Play Store had at least one permission it required that could be considered dangerous. 27% of these had access to location data and 19% could use the camera. Some others were delisted because of policy breaches and voluntary withdrawals from the developer.

"Of potential concern to advertisers and consumers alike, delisted apps can remain installed on a device even after the app has been removed from the app store," said the company in a press release.

"If an app were removed due to an app store policy violation, there is an increased risk to consumer privacy and security, as well as brand safety for advertisers," Pixalate added.