Google is sending notices to all those developers that are handling private or sensitive data without an appropriate privacy policy. The company has informed that it is removing all those apps, which violate the terms of User Data policy, from Google Play. Google has given the concerned developers a warning to fix the issue by 15 March, after which administrative action will be taken, and the visibility of their app will be limited.
The Next Web reported that a number of developers have received a warning from Google stating that their app violates the policy. The move by Google might be a big blow to those half-developed apps that have made it to Google Play but lack a proper privacy policy.
Google’s User Data policy states that the developers have to be clear about how they handle user data (information provided by a user, collected about a user, and collected about a user’s use of the app or device). It also adds that the app is required to follow additional restrictions or procedures if required by applicable law.
Google describes the “Privacy Policy and Secure Transmission” in User Data policy. “If your app handles personal or sensitive user data (including personally identifiable information, financial and payment information, authentication information, phonebook or contact data, microphone and camera sensor data, and sensitive device data) then your app must: 1) Post a privacy policy in both the designated field in the Play Developer Console and from within the Play distributed app itself. 2) Handle the user data securely, including transmitting it using modern cryptography (for example, over HTTPS).”
As per the notice that was shared by Next Web, Google has warned the developers that if their app doesn’t fix the issue then their visibility will be limited or the app might even be removed. The developers have two options, they can either link to a proper privacy policy or stop requesting for sensitive user data.
This move might boost the confidence of the users in Android which had been shaken up a bit due to the presence of too many fake apps.
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