Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google will start penalizing Play Store apps that fail to comply with valid privacy policies. The telco has been issuing notices to developers revealing severe consequences for Play Store apps which violet user privacy policies.
In a statement sent to app developers, Google plans to limit the visibility of apps with unclear User Data policies — or in the worst cases remove the worst offenders’ altogether.
Google’s User Data policy requires developers be very open and transparent in how they handle user information, and if the app handles sensitive use information, developers are bound by more restrictions.
Apart from clearly displaying data policies for readers to access them, Google requires that the same be posted in both a designated field in the Play Developer Console and from within the Play-distributed app itself.
Personal information should also be handled in a secure way using modern cryptography, like over HTTPS. It is a requirement from Google for app developers to accurate and valid privacy policy in case of sensitive use data
In a notice to Google Play developers the Google says “violate [Google’s] User Data policy regarding personal and sensitive information.”
Developers who have received the notice have up to March 15 this year to include a link to a valid privacy policy which conforms to Google’s rules on their application’s Store Listing page. Developers can also simply scrap the permissions request to collect private user information.
Any developers who will ignore the warning will have their applications hidden from view in the App Store or removed altogether.
This could be a welcome move for app developers who take their time to ensure their permissions and programming requests are right and user data is handled in the right way. The purge is also an indication that Google is seeking to tighten control and improve standards in the crowded Android app marketplace.
It is welcome news for app users knowing the seriousness with which Google takes user privacy when using mobile applications.
