App Defense Alliance joins Joint Development Foundation along with Microsoft and Meta

The App Defense Alliance (ADA), launched by Google in 2019, announced today that it has joined the Joint Development Foundation, part of the Linux Foundation family, along with Meta and Microsoft.

The App Defense Alliance has expanded beyond its initial focus on Android malware detection to encompass various areas, including malware mitigation, mobile app security assessments (MASA), and cloud app security assessments (CASA). Originally composed of mobile security firms like ESET, Lookout, and Zimperium, it has since welcomed new members over the years, including Trend Micro and McAfee.

In today’s announcement, the ADA takes a significant step by becoming an independent foundation, with the intent of attracting participation from major tech companies like Facebook’s parent company, Meta, and Microsoft. Both Meta and Microsoft are now part of the ADA’s steering committee. The primary objective is to enhance app security by fostering greater collaboration in implementing industry standards, as stated in a joint announcement today.

Furthermore, recognizing that security best practices apply across all platforms, the ADA’s shift to a more impartial environment is logical, given its evolution from being initially focused solely on Android-specific security initiatives.

“The App Defense Alliance will help further strengthen trust and confidence in overall app safety by uniting with others in the industry that share an unwavering commitment to protect users,” said Dave Kleidermacher, VP of Engineering for Android and Made-by-Google Security & Privacy at Google.“I want to thank the other original founding members of the App Defense Alliance from when we started this back in 2019. Google will continue to partner with these mobile threat detection providers to combat threats while actively partnering with the App Defense Alliance and the community to help make apps safer for all users across ecosystems.”

“Successful app ecosystems depend on trust,” said Jenny Hall, Director of Reality Labs Trust at Meta. “The App Defense Alliance will help our industry work with community members to define open standards that help protect people and their data. This is a tremendous opportunity for stakeholders with diverse perspectives to work together in the interest of providing more security and trust to those who use apps regardless of the ecosystem.” 

“Trustworthiness of the app ecosystem is critical for end users and for the software industry,” said Oliver Bell, General Manager, Trust and Privacy at Microsoft. “Through this alliance, we aim to help leverage the industry standards that empower developers and end users to build and trust the huge array of solutions in the third-party application ecosystem.”

“The App Defense Alliance’s move to the Joint Development Foundation reflects our dedication to open collaboration and innovation in the realm of app security,” said Jim Zemlin, Executive Director at the Linux Foundation. “By uniting technology leaders and fostering an open ecosystem of cross-platform requirements, we aim to unlock new dimensions of performance and security for the benefit of our community.”