{"id":36932,"date":"2020-09-02T21:14:55","date_gmt":"2020-09-02T21:14:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/51b20338-54a5-4409-8212-c29896f9a923"},"modified":"2020-09-02T21:14:55","modified_gmt":"2020-09-02T21:14:55","slug":"google-removes-android-app-that-was-used-to-spy-on-belarusian-protesters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/google-removes-android-app-that-was-used-to-spy-on-belarusian-protesters\/","title":{"rendered":"Google removes Android app that was used to spy on Belarusian protesters"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"nexta-phishing.jpg\"<\/span>
<\/p>\n

One of the images used to promote the malicious NEXTA LIVE app.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Google has removed this week an Android app from the Play Store that was used to collect personal information from Belarusians attending anti-government protests.<\/p>\n

The app, named NEXTA LIVE<\/strong> (com.moonfair.wlkm<\/a>), was available for almost three weeks on the official Android Play Store, and was downloaded thousands of times and received hundreds of reviews.<\/p>\n

To get installs, NEXT LIVE claimed to be the official Android app for Nexta<\/a>, an independent Belarusian news agency that gained popularity with anti-Lukashenko protesters after exposing abuses and police brutality during the country’s recent anti-government demonstrations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, in a statement published on Telegram last week, Nexta said the app was not associated with its service and was designed to collect data from users and de-anonymize protest-goers.<\/p>\n

\"nexta-warning.png\"<\/span>