Google announced that it will close the Google Play Security Rewards Program, which paid researchers who found security vulnerabilities in Android apps. This program was launched in 2017 and expanded to all Android apps with more than 100 million downloads in 2019. However, due to increased security measures and stronger Android security features, Google said it will no longer continue this program.
Google is ending its vulnerability bounty program: August 31, 2024
For years, Google has been aiming to improve device and application security by offering various rewards to researchers who find security vulnerabilities in Android devices. These rewards, which are paid to those who find vulnerabilities in Android applications, have attracted the attention of researchers and helped Google raise security standards. In recent years, however, Google has improved the security of the Android operating system and strengthened features, resulting in fewer vulnerability reports.
Through this program, Google used to award up to $20,000 to researchers who found critical vulnerabilities. For less important vulnerabilities, this reward amount started at 500 dollars. However, thanks to the security improvements made, it was announced that researchers now report fewer vulnerabilities and therefore the program was terminated.
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Google has managed to create a safer environment in the Android ecosystem by increasing security measures. Among the improvements the company has made in recent years are Google Play Protect’s real-time scanning capabilities and new functionality added to the Play Integrity API. In 2023, Google announced that it stopped 2.28 million privacy-violating apps and banned 333,000 malicious developer accounts. Steps like these have played a major role in reducing vulnerabilities on the Android platform.
