Google has outlined plans to introduce a safety section in Google Play Store, requiring developers to disclose how user data is shared by apps, less than a month after its rival Apple introduced a similar privacy update in iOS.
On its Android Developers page, Google’s VP of product and Android security and privacy Suzanne Frey explained the upcoming rules will take into effect from Q2 2022 and will call for app developers to reveal the types of data their apps have access to and how this information is being treated in terms of personalisation and functionality, among other aspects.
Developers will also be asked to disclose whether they have security practices in place, including data encryption, and if users have the control to request data deletion when uninstalling an app.
The planned policy will apply to each app on the Google Play Store, including the company’s own offerings.
Google will share its new rules and detailed guidance in the next few months, and developers will have the option to begin disclosing their data practices in Q4.
The tech giant’s announcement follows Apple, which started rolling out its largely-criticised privacy changes in iOS, allowing users to opt out of data tracking by apps.
