Introducing a new type of advertising, now popping up on your Android device everywhere: madware. Madware, a new type of mobile device adware, is unknowingly installed by users who download free apps infected with it.

Madware proceeds to pop-up while users are in their calendar, looking at a photo album, or when using a ringtone. There’s one type of madware that forces you to listen to a commercial spot whenever you try to make a call.

One software vendor analyzed 1.5 million apps for Android smartphones and tablets and disclosed there has been a 210% increase in malware over the last nine months. Nearly half of the apps distributed madware.  Unfortunately, there is no legal way to stop it.  There are no industry standards or privacy laws…yet.

Madware is certainly annoying, and some of it could be collecting personal information to sell to whoever’s buying.

What can you do?

1. Make sure you review the apps your child downloads.  Apps are guilty until proven innocent.

2. Check the user reviews on Google Play when considering a new app to download.

3. Google search the app name to ensure it doesn’t have a bad review.  Don’t download apps that seem sketchy.

4. Move to an iPhone. The operating system on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad has a history of being safe from malware and viruses.  🙂

That awesome collection of ringtones may not be worth the nuisance and potential identity theft risk that comes with accidentally downloading madware.