Google suspends Chinese shopping app amid security concerns

By ZEN SOO
AP Technology Writer

HONG KONG (AP) — Google has suspended the Chinese shopping app Pinduoduo on its app store after malware was discovered in versions of the app from other sources. Google said in a statement Tuesday that it suspended the Pinduoduo app on the Google Play app store out of “security concerns” and was investigating the matter. The suspension of the Pinduoduo app comes amid heightened U.S.-China tensions over Chinese-owned apps such as TikTok, which some U.S. lawmakers say could be a national security threat. They say such apps might be used to spy on American users. Google warned users Tuesday to uninstall any Pinduoduo app not downloaded from its own Play store. Pinduoduo in a statement rejected “speculation and accusation” that its app is malicious based on Google’s statement.