What is Android ?

Historically, device manufacturers and mobile carriers have typically been unsupportive

Manufacturers express concern about improper functioning of devices running unofficial software and the support costs resulting from this.

Moreover, modified firmware such as CyanogenMod sometimes offer features

such as tethering, for which carriers would otherwise charge a premium.

As a result, technical obstacles including locked bootloaders

However, as community-developed software has grown more popular

As a result of this, over time the need to circumvent hardware restrictions to install unofficial firmware has lessened

However, despite manufacturer acceptance, some carriers in the US still require that phones are locked down, frustrating developers and customers.

As part of the broader 2013 mass surveillance disclosures

American and British intelligence agencies

In January 2014, further reports revealed the intelligence agencies' capabilities to intercept the personal information transmitted across the Internet by social networks

Later that week, the Finnish Angry Birds developer

Rovio announced that it was reconsidering its relationships with its advertising platforms in the light of these revelations, and called upon the wider industry to do the same.

The documents revealed a further effort by the intelligence agencies to intercept Google Maps

searches and queries submitted from Android

The NSA and GCHQ insist their activities are in compliance with all relevant domestic

Leaked documents published by WikiLeaks, codenamed Vault 7 and dated from 2013–2016, detail the capabilities of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

surveillance and cyber warfare, including the ability to compromise the operating systems of most smartphones (including Android).

Research from security company Trend Micro lists premium service abuse as the most common type of Android malware

where text messages are sent from infected phones to premium-rate telephone numbers without the consent or even knowledge of the user.

Other malware displays unwanted and intrusive advertisements

Security threats on Android are reportedly growing exponentially

Google engineers have argued that the malware and virus threat on Android is being exaggerated

security companies for commercial reasons

Google maintains that dangerous malware is actually extremely rare