Google has cautioned mobile phone users to remove a Chinese shopping app after it found malware in certain versions that were not downloaded from the Play Store.
The Pinduoduo app was suspended by Google due to security concerns, which are being investigated.
This has sparked fresh worries over the national security threat of Chinese-owned apps, such as TikTok, which has led to some politicians calling for its ban.
Pinduoduo is a popular e-commerce app in China that provides discounts when users buy multiples of an item.
Google has warned users to uninstall any Pinduoduo app not downloaded from its own Play store, while Apple users can still download the app from the iOS store.
Pinduoduo has refuted the accusations and speculation, saying that Google has not shared details beyond informing the company that the current version of its app does not comply with Google’s policy.