We've passed the tipping point, sooner or later tho they are going to be drug kicking and screaming into the data plan era.
In F-Secure’s clarification it actually points out that of the 51,447: 28,398 were malicious samples and 23,049 were potentially unwanted software (PUA) samples. What does F-Secure mean by potentially unwanted software? What it means is that these apps are not harmful in themselves but they could be used for harmful purposes. For example, one of the PUA’s listed by F-Secure is “AccuTracking GPS Tracker” a program designed to turn a phone into a GPS tracker! It has had between 100,000 and 500,000 downloads and has received over 200 reviews on Google Play. One user wrote “I am glad the service is finally on android – we pay $7.99/month for each of our 10 trucks – full real time tracking with history, speed alerts to management, and geofence – this is by far the least expensive option to track fleets of trucks – it is a bulletproof great service.” However, according to F-Secure it is a PUA. The security company does admit that the app is “not malicious in itself” but it does introduce “a potential risk for misuse with malicious intent.”