Over the last 24 hours, Google has been sending notices to developers worldwide stating its intention to “limit visibility” or remove apps from the Play Store that violate the company’s User Data Policy. For most devs, the violation seems to be a simple one: lack of a privacy policy.
Here’s the full text:
"Android app developers not following Google's directions could find their apps removed from the Play Store"
According to a report published yesterday, Google is about to remove a large number of apps from the Google Play Store. Certain app developers around the world have received an email from Google claiming that their apps are violating the tech giant's User Data Policy concerning personal and sensitive information. When an app asks for, or receives personal or device information, the developer is supposed to provide a "valid privacy policy" to consumers.
App developers who received the email have the privilege to provide a link to a valid privacy policy to their app's listing page or within the app starting from now till March 15th.
Or, they have to re-edit their app so that it doesn't requests for sensitive permissions such as the camera, microphone, contacts, accounts and phone. Permission to receive user data will also have to come down. Those who fail to provide a link might find visibility to their app reduced, or have the app removed from the Play Store by Google.
Some Android developers welcomed the move, saying that will help Google remove junk apps from the Play Store. Assuming that a large number of developers simply allow Google to remove their apps, it will help Android users wade through the smaller number of apps available to find exactly what they are looking for.
Jack Cooney, an app developer quoted
"I think it’s fantastic, this will clear the Google Play store of so many junk and zombie apps that our games will find increased visibility on the store as the search terms will become much less cluttered. This will make it easier for people to be able to find our app’s like Hop Hop Ninja! with better keyword searches like ninja or Nerd Agency and find much more relevant results."-Jack Cooney, developer, Hip Hop Ninja!"
As of the end of last year, there were believed to be 2.6 million apps in the Google Play Store. It should be interesting to see what that figure is culled down to once this purge is completed.
Source: HERE
No comments:
Leave a comment
We love comments
You are important to us
Feel free to drop your questions or suggestions
Note: Your question must be pertaining to the post.