VR escort film pulled from SXSW amid allegations of misconduct

Two days ago, director Michael Jacobs described his first VR short, GFE (an acronym of “girlfriend experience”), to me on camera. The film is a “documentary fantasy,” Jacobs said, with a focus on “demystifying escort work and bringing a sense of empowerment to escorts.”

According to the star of GFE, it does the exact opposite.

“I haven’t signed any release form at all,” Liara Roux told Engadget. Roux is a sex worker and indie porn director, and has a strong following online. As far as she was aware, the project she entered into with Jacobs was in limbo. Roux was first alerted to the fact that GFE was being screened at SXSW’s Virtual Cinema exhibition when someone dropped a link to Engadget’s article about it in a fan subreddit.

“I feel extremely violated, he completely broke trust,” Roux said. “I’m so angry about it. He’s acting as though he’s giving a voice to a sex worker when he’s in fact silencing me and putting something out there without my consent.”

Roux was, obviously, not made available for interview during the film’s SXSW showing, and her name was not in the credits. Jacobs requested off-camera that we respect her privacy and “not out her,” expressing that she didn’t want her name public, as it would be “bad for her.” A spokesperson for SXSW confirmed that the director voluntarily removed GFE from Virtual Cinema earlier today, following a cease-and-desist from Roux’s lawyer.

Jacobs did not respond to multiple requests for comment following his on-camera interview with Engadget. He finally sent a statement over minutes before publishing, which is available at the end of this article.

Both confirmed that they began to work together on GFE last year, following a lengthy conversation over email. Eventually, the pair agreed on a shooting schedule that would show multiple scenes of an escort interacting with a fictitious client in public, before transitioning to a more intimate scene in a hotel. “My goal really was to humanize sex workers. I think people often sensationalize our work in weird ways and I want to show that it can be a fun job, it can be a rough job sometimes, but it’s still just work,” Roux said.

A video interview with Jacobs, originally published on March 14th.

The five-minute film shown at SXSW contains around two minutes of hotel footage, with just under a minute of full-frontal and partial nudity. Jacobs originally asserted that “it was [Liara’s] idea to go fully nude in the piece,” adding that “when we got to the hotel room scenes, I asked her how comfortable she was taking her clothes off, and she was far more comfortable with her clothes off than on.”

Roux disputes this account, saying nudity was never agreed on. She provided proof of a group email conversation about wardrobe choices where she suggested that she could wear a number of lingerie sets in the film’s final hotel scene. The suggestion was welcomed, and nudity was not mentioned in the exchange. “He sprung that on me on the last day while we were shooting,” Roux said. “He was like ‘Okay, can you get naked now,’ and I felt really pressured. Everyone on set was just sort of staring at me … it wasn’t something we’d discussed beforehand.”

Roux also said she felt Jacobs wasn’t professional with her. “The other women who were on set, he treated them like professionals, he didn’t invade their personal space,” she said. “He kept touching me on the small of my back or grabbing my arm in ways that felt overly familiar with me. It didn’t feel like he was treating me like professional talent, it felt creepy to me.”

The root of Roux’s concerns, however, are in the way the film has turned out. Roux was pitched on GFE the same way SXSW attendees were: An empowering, demystifying project that would give a voice to sex workers. After seeing an early cut, Roux immediately raised concerns. “Most of it was just me rolling around on a bed naked, talking about emotional labor” she said. “It made it seem like emotional labor is a euphemism for sex … It looks really bad, and I told him he’d have to totally recut it for me to feel comfortable signing a release.” Jacobs was responsive to her feedback, but subsequent cuts also fell short of executing on a vision Roux said she had been led to believe she would have creative input on.

The final cut, Roux said, is closer to fetishisation than empowerment. “I feel like the way he portrays sex work [in GFE] fetishized the work and made it extremely sexual. It’s not always.” At the start of the film, an audio track plays where Roux addresses the legality of escorting. Roux said this clip wasn’t in previous versions of the film she had seen, and was actually from a moment she had called “cut” on a scene to tell Jacobs that she wouldn’t talk about anything legal on record. “The way he included it is very misleading, it sounds like I’m answering a question, instead of saying ‘cut’ and explaining why he can’t ask me questions like that.”

For Roux, nothing can rescue the project she truly cared about. “I don’t feel comfortable with working with him or being publicly associated with him,” she said. “I don’t think he should be working with sex workers. By working with him, I would be endorsing him.”

Roux has been attempting to spread the word about her experience working with Jacobs on Twitter today. Thanks to the social network’s policies, she said, her voice isn’t being heard. “Twitter has me and a lot of other sex workers shadow-banned right now, so that when we tweet using hashtags it doesn’t show up in the general search … If I wanted to tweet about this using a hashtag like #metoo, my story would not be able to be heard by people and amplified. This is an issue that sex workers face when trying to go public with these stories.”

A statement from Michael Jacobs:

“I have the utmost respect for [Liara Roux] and I was very communicative about what we were doing throughout the prep and during the shoot.

I clearly stated my intention to culminate in nudity, and she agreed to this. I hired a stylist and makeup artist and had my wife on set in an effort to make her feel as comfortable as possible. Also I want to note that I offered her a robe between takes and she chose to not cover up. She was also friendly and open with the crew throughout.

I tried to ensure the project was handled with honesty, openness and integrity. My intention was to put a personal and human voice to the escort world, while at the same time juxtaposing the visual nature of her work as a VR fantasy.

I treated her as I would any professional, any subject of any film. I made efforts to create an environment where her physical and emotional comfort were top priority, and the interactions between she and I were witnessed by the crew as such.

The moment she requested the film be taken off the floor it was. I honor her and want to do right by her, as was my intention to balance her needs and film the entire time.”

Chris Ip contributed to this report.

CNN is bringing its VR news app to the Oculus Rift

Today, CNN partnered with interactive entertainment company Magnopus, the company behind the Coco VR experience, to launch a VR app for its virtual reality news stories on the Oculus Rift. It was previously available on iOS and Android to use with Google Daydream and Samsung Gear headsets, but this is the first time the app will be available on a desktop VR setup.

To be clear, users have been able to watch some CNN 360-degree content on the Oculus Rift since last year, including last August’s solar eclipse. But adding CNNVR app support for the desktop headset will allow viewers to see the network’s virtual reality content in higher resolution.

The Oculus Rift version of the CNNVR app will have 360-degree 4K content with a news ticker at the bottom, according to a press release. It’ll launch with 100 videos from the network’s VR team, which was formally announced last March.

Via: VenutreBeat

Source: CNN blog

Change up your style to match the season with these spring-friendly watch straps

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

With the spring season approaching, it’s time to switch up your wardrobe — and that also includes your accessories. When it comes to smartwatches, you can easily transform the look by swapping out the interchangeable watch straps.

There are many watch band options to choose from, and we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite options to help jazz up your timepiece. Whether you’re going for bright and airy or more neutral, there’s a watch strap for every style.

Barton Watch Band White Canvas Watch Strap ($20)

Made of canvas, the Barton Watch Band is a great, lighter option to swap out in favor of the heavier watch straps you’ve been wearing this winter. With 18mm and 20mm bands, the white canvas strap is made specifically for the Nokia Steel HR and has stainless steel quick release spring bars — making it easier to attach.

Buy now from:

Barton Watch Bands

Skagen Standard Silicone Watch Strap ($21)

If you’re feeling a pop of color is in order, this yellow silicone watch strap from Skagen will do the trick. It can fit any watch with a 20mm standard band, and includes a quick-release pin for easy attachment. It’s also moisture resistant, so you won’t have to worry about ruining it during those fun spring activities.

Buy now from:

Skagen

Fossil Light Brown Leather Watch Strap ($30)

For a more traditional option, you can go for Fossil’s light brown leather watch strap. It still livens up your smartwatch with a brighter look, but in a way that’s more casual. At 22mm, it’s specifically compatible with Fossil’s own Q Explorist smartwatch.

Buy now from:

Fossil

NOMAD Sport Strap ($30)

The NOMAD Sport Strap adds a touch of bright color on the inner lining of the watch strap. Made of vulcanized LSR silicone, it’s rugged enough to take outdoors but can blend in with casual outfits as well. At 42mm, it’s compatible with the Apple Watch — Series 1, 2, and 3.

Buy now from:

NOMAD

Fossil Mint Leather Strap ($35)

This 16mm mint-colored leather strap by Fossil will give your smartwatch the refreshing look it needs after such a long winter. The stainless steel buckle definitely makes the watch strap pop, but it won’t overpower your outfit or the watch itself.

Buy now from:

Fossil

Sofie Leather Smartwatch Strap ($50)

For those who have the Michael Kors Sofie smartwatch, a white leather watch strap is perfect for a minimalist look. Regardless of the case you have, this strap will easily match up with any colors. It’s also subtle enough that you can easily pair it with any type of outfit, whether it’s dressy or casual.

Buy now from:

Michael Kors

b&nd by Hadley Roma Mode Silicone Watch Band ($50)

Spring is the perfect season to break out those bright colors, especially after a long winter of cool and dark tones. This silicone band by Hadley Roma is available in a number of bright colors such as red, yellow, and green. But if you want to stick to more muted shades, there’s also black and gray — along with a white one that match with everything.

Made of silicone material, the bands are also super easy to clean if you get them dirty during outdoor activities. They’re available in 16mm, 18mm, 20mm, and 22mm sizes for Android Wear smartwatches.

Buy now from:

Amazon

Kate Spade Silicone Apple Watch Strap ($58)

If you’re looking for a watch strap that’s more subtle in color but not in style, plaid is always a safe bet. Kate Spade’s silicone watch strap in black and white adds that spring flair without being too bold. Coming in at 38mm, it’s compatible with the Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 Apple Watch.

Buy now from:

Kate Spade

Misfit Smartwatch Assorted Straps Pack ($60)

Choosing just one watch strap for spring can be tough, but with the Misfit assorted 20mm straps pack, you can have three instead. Its “Seaside” pack includes a wide range of colors including turquoise, dark blue, and a cream-colored option. The straps also vary in material — you’ll be able to switch back and forth between braided nylon, silicone, and leather.

Buy now from:

Misfit

Coach Apple Watch Strap With Tea Rose0 ($175)

Florals? For spring? We know, it’s not groundbreaking but this 38mm Apple Watch watch strap takes blooms to another level. Made of glove-tanned leather, each flower is debossed, printed, and placed by hand. It also comes in a variety of color ways ranging from white to a light pink and darker shades such as brown, gray, and red.

Buy now from:

Coach

Editors’ Recommendations

• Need a Valentine’s Day gift for her? Here are the best, most stylish smartwatches
• Fossil Q Neely Hybrid review
• Michael Kors adds new color options to its Access smartwatch collection
• Misfit Vapor Review
• A strap for everyone: The best Apple Watch bands you can buy right now

Spring break: 5 apps to help you plan the perfect getaway

After months of short, dreary days, spring is finally near. If you have a case of the winter doldrums, spring is the perfect time to get out and about. From enjoying the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. to one of the many spring festivals across the country, there is no better time to explore! If you’re ready to hit the road, here are a few of our favorite apps to help you plan the perfect spring getaway.

Zipcar

Zipcar is one of the largest car-sharing apps in the U.S., with locations in most major cities. If you’re looking to get away for a day, or a weekend, Zipcar is a great option that allows you to travel without the worry of putting miles on your car. Each trip is insured and gas is covered. Be warned, however, if you’re going a long distance, you may want to choose another option as Zipcar has daily mileage limits.

Download now for:

 iOS Android

 Walc

Once you have made it to your destination, or any road stops along the way, Walc can help you navigate your new terrain. Walc provides detailed instructions using local landmarks, so it is simple to know exactly what is along your way. It’s also a nice way to find some under-the-radar gems in your new locale. Since Walc is made for foot travel, you’ll see need another map app for any driving.

Download now for:

 iOS Android

Hotel Tonight

Hotel Tonight is a great app for last-minute travel. The app allows you to search for discounted rooms in most major cities within seven days of your trip. It’s a great option for those last-minute getaways or if you’re willing to score a pretty big discount by waiting until the last minute to book your accommodations. If you’re traveling to a location for a big event, or are just uneasy about booking so close to your travel dates, you may want to check out one of these alternatives to make sure you have your room locked in.

Download now for:

iOS Android

Resy

Looking to snag a reservation at one of the hottest restaurants in town, but failed to book months ago? Well, Resy may have you covered. With Resy you can quickly book tables for some of the most talked-about restaurants in more than 80 major cities. While there is no shortage of amazing restaurants on Resy, you may have to pay a reservation fee to book some of the most coveted restaurants in your new locale.

Download now for:

iOS Android

Cool Cousin

For those of us who hate typical tourist experiences, Cool Cousin is the perfect sidekick. With Cool Cousin, you can scroll through different locals to find one whose interests match yours and then find their favorite spots. You can also send messages directly to members to ask for updates and advice. For best results, we recommend looking for patterns among several users in your chosen city.

Download now for:

iOS

Samsung wants to be the world’s top camera sensor maker

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Samsung is working toward becoming the world’s No. 1 camera sensor maker, according to a new report, and is increasing production of its Isocell-branded sensors at its Hwasung, South Korea factory. What does this mean to you? If Samsung wants the top spot in the market, it will have to dethrone Sony, and that means more phones and devices other than its own will have to use Samsung’s camera sensors.

Evidence of Samsung’s intentions in this area has been growing for some time. It rebranded its image sensor range as Isocell in June 2017, and has since pushed the technology forward with the release of its Isocell Dual sensors designed for low-cost phones, explicitly tailored for other manufacturers to simply integrate into devices, and the Fast 2L3 sensor enabling the Galaxy S9’s super-slow-motion feature. Camera technology is also the focus of the Galaxy S9 range itself, giving the company plenty of exposure as a maker of high-quality camera components.

Several smartphone brands already buy Samsung’s camera sensors, including Xiaomi and Meizu, but Samsung isn’t only targeting phones with its Isocell sensors. In addition to industries including medical and security, it apparently wants to be part of the growing need for camera sensors in the automotive industry, where CMOS sensors are very attractive to carmakers due to the low cost, and no-compromise performance. It’s relatively new to the market though, with Bosch, Continental, and AEi Boston all noted as key players ahead of it.

For smartphones, Samsung is currently in second place behind Sony in market share, but it’s a distant second place. A report published in 2017 put Samsung’s market share at 19 percent, and Sony with 46 percent, based on research firm Gartner’s data. Sony is unlikely to take the challenge lightly. Its latest Xperia XZ2 camera systems have a superior slow-motion video resolution to Samsung’s, for example, and we’re keen to see its future innovations created to maintain its position and meet Samsung’s attack.

The prospect of more Samsung cameras in the world has become more attractive since the Galaxy Note 8’s introduction. Now, the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are attracting plenty of attention for not only the quality, but also the flexibility and creative capabilities offered by the cameras, making us keen to see similar technology arrive in other devices. For us, the people who buy smartphones, the more competition there is in the smartphone world, the better.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Samsung Isocell sensors promise slo-mo, one-shot HDR for smartphones
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• Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus review
• The Samsung Galaxy S9 is finally here: Here’s everything you need to know
• Samsung’s new sensor mixes hardware and software, enabling cheaper dual cameras

Twitter test makes news the first thing users see in the timeline

Twitter users could soon see the biggest news events first when opening the timeline — the social media platform recently confirmed a test of a news highlight reel at the top of user feeds. The tested feature would push news as platforms like Facebook put a smaller priority on news items in an ongoing fight against fake news.

According to BuzzFeed, the staff at Twitter select news items to appear in boxes at the top of the timeline. Tapping on those news items will take users to a list of related tweets, also human curated. The test was first spotted on Wednesday, March 14 with a news spot featuring Stephen Hawking’s death along with other news items, including an election in Pennsylvania.

Twitter says the test is designed to highlight the platform’s bent towards current happenings while making news easier to find. The news highlight test is an expansion of the Happening Now option that already exists inside the Twitterverse. The tool is currently focused on sports-related tweets, but the test appears to be an example of Twitter making good on its promises, since the network said at the October launch of the feature that the tool would eventually expand to news and entertainment.

For now, the feature is only in testing, allowing only some iOS and Android users to spot the news highlights. Twitter said that, if the feature is successful, the feature may be run by algorithms, rather than human oversight, in the future. Another potential outcome of a successful test could organize the related tweets into multiple categories for users to navigate, including an option for chronological order.

The test comes one month after Twitter began featuring breaking news video in the sidebar of the Twitter feed. That feature is designed to highlight news that’s breaking and comes from trusted local news outlets. The feature first began rolling out with coverage from a Miami newsgroup in the aftermath of the Florida high school shooting last month.

Twitter’s instant microblogging nature is known for creating discussion around current events and news items. As Twitter overhauls the reviews against abuse and works to boot bots off the platform, the test could help highlight one of the platform’s strengths.

The move is part of an ongoing discussion on the impact of fake news — Facebook recently announced that news posts would show up around 20 percent less in users timelines as the company cleans up the feed to make scrolling through it “time well spent.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• As Facebook downplays news, Twitter gives breaking videos a prominent spot
• Study shows minorities use Twitter to voice issues ahead of mainstream coverage
• After tightening rules, Twitter faces a new fight against privacy claims
• Twitter’s new share tools mean enjoying tweets at any time
• Twitter is using A.I. to ditch those awful auto-cropped photos

T-Mobile shows off the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus in record fashion

No one has ever accused T-Mobile of being subtle, especially when it comes to the company’s marketing tactics. And the latest stunt the Un-carrier pulled to show off the new Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus is certainly no exception to the provider’s over-the-top practices. T-Mobile has managed to set two Guinness World Records titles with the two new Samsung smartphones, and tomorrow, you’ll be able to buy the S9 and S9 Plus at the “industry’s best prices” from Un-carrier stores across the country.

It’s not entirely clear what purpose was served by the two new world records T-Mobile now holds, but we suppose it makes for some fun video content. To achieve their spot in history, the team took to Lake Elsinore in California in order to test out the new so-called super phones. The idea was to launch “the world’s most ‘extra’ speed test,” which involved several water-skiers, a very large magenta blimp, and the fastest Samsung phones on what T-Mobile claims to be the fastest network in the country.

So what exactly were the world records? One was the fastest text on a touch screen mobile phone while water skiing (honestly, it’s shocking that anyone holds that record), while the other was the longest distance water skied while being towed behind a blimp. Again, unclear why that record exists in the first place. But regardless, bragging rights are bragging rights, and as mobile service providers continue to bicker over who’s best, it always pays to have an extra talking point.

In more useful information, T-Mobile notes that you’ll pay about 10 percent more for the Galaxy S9 if you buy it at AT&T or Sprint, and even more still if you go to Verizon. The Un-carrier, on the other hand, will offer the Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, or Coral Blue Galaxy S9 for $30 a month, or the larger S9 Plus for the same monthly payment but with a $120 down payment. You can also get half off the S9 or $360 off the S9 Plus via bill credits if you trade in your phone. So if you’re looking for a new super device, the latest from Samsung may be calling your name.

Check out our Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus buying guide for more deals and pricing details. If you’re waiting for your device to arrive or are picking it up on March 16, check out our best accessories, as well as our best S9 and S9 Plus cases to complement your new phone.

Editors’ Recommendations

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• Check out our favorite Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus accessories
• 5 features you may not have heard about on the Samsung Galaxy S9

SwiftKey’s latest update includes a new toolbar and stickers

Since its acquisition by Microsoft in 2016, popular third-party keyboard app SwiftKey has yet to release any new noteworthy features to its app. With SwiftKey 7.0, the company launched its most feature-packed update in two years — users now have access to a new toolbar, stickers, and more.

The SwiftKey keyboard is a smart keyboard that adapts to the way you type and then provides personalized predictions. It also includes a variety of features from multilingual typing to support for more than 800 emojis. With SwiftKey Flow, you can type one-handed by swiping across the keys to complete messages even faster.

Within the update, the existing Hub on SwiftKey is now replaced with Toolbar — which is an expandable menu that allows users to quickly access new and frequently used features. By tapping on the new plus sign icon which lives on the left of the prediction bar, you see the different apps you have used represented by its respective icon that you can tap on to access.

In addition to already being able to add emojis and GIFs, you now have the option of using animated stickers. Select sticker packs can be edited before sending them within messages. In the future, Microsoft will also release exclusive sticker packs to use within SwiftKey.

You can then save and access your favorite and personalized stickers through Collections — which is specifically where you can store other media such as edited photos. You’re able to access the content within Collections by tapping on the pin icon located in the Toolbar.

The new Toolbar is where all of the existing features will live as well. Rather than separating settings, themes, and clipboard, you can now easily access them in the same place you would the GIFs and Stickers.

SwiftKey does have a few other features in the works that will be available exclusively for Android soon, such as location sharing. Users in the U.S. and India will have the ability to insert the address of their current location. There will also be calendar sharing, where you will be able to easily insert an upcoming event through the app.

The new SwiftKey update is currently available for both iOS and Android. You can download the app from the App Store and Google Play Store.

Editors’ Recommendations

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PetaQ! You can finally learn to berate your enemies in Klingon

Have you ever wanted to learn a new language? What about a fictional language from your favorite book, television show, or movie? Last year, language-learning platform Duolingo introduced a course in High Valyrian, a fictional language used in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels and Game of Thrones TV adaptation. If you have already mastered that tongue, you can now take a course on the Star Trek franchise’s Klingon language, which went into beta this week.

The extraterrestrial warrior race first appeared in the 1967 episode Errand of Mercy in Star Trek: The Original Series. Klingons spoke English until they were given their own language in 1979, with the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. 

According to Klingon Language Institute, linguist Marc Okrand was called in to develop the language, which started as “guttural shouts.” His work led to the publication of The Klingon Dictionary in 1985, which sold hundreds of thousands of copies. Since then, fans all over the world, as well as Okrand, have worked to promote, support, and expand the language.

Since its founding in 2011, Duolingo’s user base has grown to more than 200 million. The platform is free to use, though you can pay to unlock ads and access other features, such as offline access. More than 20 languages are available, with more in the pipeline. You can learn everything from Arabic to Mandarin to Welsh, in addition to constructed languages like Esperanto. Klingon is the latest offering and it’s a real doozy.

“The language itself is centered around spacecraft, warfare, and weaponry — but it also reflects the directness and sense of humor of the Klingon culture,” Duolingo states on its site. “For example, the closest word you can use to express ‘hello’ is ‘nuqneH,’ which actually means ‘What do you want?’. There are also plenty of insults, as it is considered an art form.”

#ThursdayThoughts: A universal translator for Klingon? Not necessary anymore… #StarTrek #LearnKlingon https://t.co/Tj2PvHdxLO pic.twitter.com/j9wjEEF5lC

— Star Trek (@StarTrek) March 15, 2018

As with other Duolingo lessons, you complete various skills to level up and unlock more skills. We tried the beta course and while our Klingon writing skills have improved, pronunciation is another matter!

Though fans may know a few keywords, there aren’t too many fluent Klingon speakers out there … at least not on this planet.

“It’s commonly estimated that there are around 30 to 50 people who are conversationally fluent, but hundreds who can communicate clearly through text; perhaps a thousand if they’re allowed occasional use of a dictionary and prefix chart,” course creator Felix Malmenbeck told VentureBeat.

There have been 170,000 pre-registrations, and Duolingo expects even more would-be Klingon speakers to join.

The language has entered the mainstream in many forms, as even Alexa has picked up a few phrases.

Editors’ Recommendations

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• Microsoft’s quantum computing language is now available for MacOS

Report shows Machine learning is helping make Google Play a whole lot safer

Ymgerman/123RF

In an effort to keep customers safer, Google Play is getting smarter. Google has released its Android Security report for 2017, which highlights machine learning as an increasingly better way to keep malicious software off your phone.

According to the report, as many as a whopping 60.3 percent of potentially harmful apps, or PHAs, were detected through machine learning in Google Play Protect, which is a service that’s enabled on any phone running Android 4.3 or later. Not only that, but Google expects the number of PHAs detected with machine learning to go up in the future.

Earlier this year, Google revealed that 700,000 apps had been removed from Google Play in 2017 for violating Google’s policies — but at the time it didn’t reveal too much about how those apps were detected in the first place. Now we know that it was Google’s implementation of machine learning that largely contributed to making Google Play safer. In 2016, 0.77 percent of devices had installed a PHA, compared to 0.56 percent in 2017. We can only assume that figure will be even better in 2018.

Play Protect certainly has its work cut out for it. The service automatically scans as many as 50 billion apps every single day — a practice that Google says led to the removal of a hefty 39 million potential harmful apps last year. While Play Protect scans your phone every day for potentially harmful apps, users can also have Play Protect scan their phones manually if they so choose.

It’s services like Play Protect that make Google Play a far safer app store than any third-party service out there. Unlike iOS, users can download apps from the web on Android, however Google recommends against downloading apps from other sources. In fact, according to Google, users who only download apps from Google Play are nine times less likely to get a PHA than those who get apps from third-party stores.

In general, Google has long fought the idea that Android is more susceptible to hackers than iOS — though it has faced an uphill battle considering the fragmented nature of Android. Still, reports like this show that the operating system is getting safer and safer — and that should only continue into the future.

Editors’ Recommendations

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