Google has stopped the Chinese shopping app Pinduoduo from its app store as it found malware in versions of the app from other sources, according to a statement on Tuesday, 21 March.

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Pinduoduo app was suspended on the Google Play app store out of “security concerns" and Google is investigating the matter, the statement said.

The Pinduoduo app, which is mostly used in China, has been suspended amid heightened tensions between the United States and China over Chinese-owned applications like TikTok, which some U.S. lawmakers say could be a national security threat. According to their claims, these applications might be used to spy on US users.

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“Google Play Protect enforcement has been set to block installation attempts of these identified malicious apps. Users that have malicious versions of the app downloaded to their devices are warned and prompted to uninstall the app," Google said in its statement.

A Chinese e-commerce website Pinduoduo has almost 900 million members. It became famous for its group-buying business strategy, which allowed customers to save money by recruiting others to purchase the same item in large quantities.

The other Chinese apps which were banned last year include TikTok, PUBG, WeChat, and UC Browser among others.

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