TECH giants Amazon and Google face a crackdown to better protect smartphone users from hackers.
Rules will be toughened up to help millions who download music and video games also on tablets and TVs to shield them from fraudsters.
Culture Minister Julia Lopez will launch a review into the £18.6 billion market to beef up safeguarding of people’s personal data and cash from scammers.
Major firms to be hit include Apple, Huawei, Microsoft and Samsung with consumers using their services to shop, bank and make video calls.
She said: “Apps on our smartphones and tablets have improved our lives immensely – making it easier to bank and shop online and stay connected with friends. But we must be alert to the cyber threat.
“We are looking at what more we can do to protect UK consumers.”
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She added that it would be a “fantastic step forward to protect consumers and Sun readers in the digital age.”
Proposals will be set out to bring in stronger minimum security and privacy settings for the firms running the web stores and firms making the apps.
They will be forced to explain why apps need access to personal information such as their contacts book and their current location.
A new code of practice will allow for firms to report issues more quickly so flaws can be fixed more quickly.
Lopez will this week launch the call for views.
Android phone users were last year alerted about Joker Malware on Google Play in at least 14 apps.
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Fraudulent transactions operate in the background of devices without their knowledge.
Scams can take place when with automatic clicks on online ads, sending text messages to premium rate numbers and making purchases or subscribing to online services.
