Friday, September 15, 2023
HomeMobileAndroid Builders Weblog: Notes from Google Play: Protecting our platform secure

Android Builders Weblog: Notes from Google Play: Protecting our platform secure



Posted by Jacqueline Hart, Director, Trusted Experiences, Developer Enablement

Hello there,

With thousands and thousands of Android apps to select from, customers are more and more targeted on the privateness and safety of the titles they obtain. That’s why it’s so essential to construct person belief with pleasant, high-quality app experiences constructed on a safe basis.

I’m Jacqueline Hart and I lead the workforce that helps builders navigate our insurance policies. We’re additionally answerable for reviewing apps on Google Play to verify they’re secure for customers.

On this version of Notes from Google Play, I’d prefer to share how we’re working to enhance your coverage expertise and the way we’re serving to strengthen person belief by highlighting your app’s strategy to privateness and safety.

Over the previous few months, we’ve shared updates on our key privateness and safety initiatives that can assist you put together for modifications and use new instruments and sources, together with enhanced account information transparency and controls in your app’s Knowledge security part and new Android 14 performance. Now, I’m happy to share the subsequent part of options, instruments, and updates that we’ve been engaged on to assist hold our platform secure and reliable.

Providing you with a greater coverage expertise

A couple of months in the past, we introduced that we’re redesigning the App content material web page in Google Play Console to make your excellent duties clearer, and now we’re including extra info that can assist you:

  • Spot deadlines with a brand new timeline view for brand spanking new and up to date declarations
  • Perceive why your app is in-scope for a selected declaration
  • Discover related coverage points alongside every declaration, serving to you determine and repair points extra shortly

Later this yr, we plan to indicate not simply present declarations, but additionally upcoming declaration necessities and deadlines to provide you extra time to plan.

Clearly see excellent declaration-related duties in our redesigned App content material web page. 
Instance is illustrative and topic to alter

We’re additionally getting you crucial details about third-party SDKs, together with a brand new discover on Google Play SDK Index that can assist you make extra knowledgeable choices about which model of an SDK could trigger your app to violate Google Play insurance policies.

And now we’re bringing extra crucial info proper into Play Console. Beforehand, you would solely find out about SDK-related coverage points affecting your apps by means of an Inbox message or e-mail. Later this yr, we’ll convey this info to you proper on the Coverage standing web page so you possibly can see any points in a single place and keep on prime of your app’s coverage standing.

Quickly, you possibly can find out about SDK-related coverage points on the Coverage standing web page in Play Console.
Instance is illustrative and topic to alter

We’re additionally making it simpler to discover out in case your app is impacted by our Goal API necessities, which requires you to construct for the newest variations of Android so you can also make use of our newest safety updates and platform enhancements. Since early August, you could have seen info outlining any potential influence in your app on the Coverage standing web page, together with sources that can assist you be taught what to do to remain compliant.

To provide you additional assist, we’re launching extra methods to enhance the expertise. These embrace the brand new Developer Assist Neighborhood, the place you possibly can ask your friends about every thing from Play Console to the newest coverage modifications, and the Google Play Strike Elimination program, which helps eligible builders get sure enforcement strikes eliminated after passing a associated Play Academy coaching course. We launched this system as a pilot final yr and have seen a profitable discount in repeat violations, so now we’re making it out there to all builders.

Constructing person belief with the Knowledge security part

Safety performs an essential position in serving to customers determine whether or not an app is correct for them. Not too long ago, we introduced account information transparency and controls within the Knowledge security part to assist construct person belief. When you haven’t accomplished your up to date Knowledge security kind but, watch our two-minute video to find out how earlier than the December 7, 2023 deadline. Customers will start to see your new info in your retailer itemizing in early 2024.
Provide data deltion options in Play Console by Dec 7, 2023
Quickly, you possibly can find out about SDK-related coverage points on the Coverage standing web page in Play Console. 
Instance is illustrative and topic to alter.

To assist customers really feel assured about their downloads in delicate app classes, we’re quickly including a brand new Play Retailer banner for the VPN app class to emphasise the significance of reviewing an app’s Knowledge security part earlier than putting in.

When customers seek for “VPN” apps in Google Play, they’ll see a banner that encourages them to search for a protect icon within the app’s Knowledge security part, which signifies that the app has accomplished an impartial safety evaluation. VPN builders resembling NordVPN, Google One and ExpressVPN are early adopters of this program. We encourage and anticipate extra VPN app builders to bear impartial safety testing, bringing much more transparency to customers. Customers can be taught extra in regards to the impartial safety validation course of and see VPN apps which were independently validated by tapping “Study extra” to go to the App Validation Listing.
Independent Security Review - VPN apps with this badge in the Data safety section have been independently validated against a global security standard.
We’re rolling out a Play Retailer new banner to construct person confidence within the VPN app class. 
Instance is illustrative and topic to alter.

In case you are a VPN developer and fascinated with studying extra about this characteristic, please submit this type.

Wanting forward

Our workforce at Google is prioritizing new methods to provide customers much more confidence within the high quality and safety of the apps and video games they obtain, establishing Google Play as probably the most trusted app market. This consists of efforts like our new developer verification course of for brand spanking new Play Console accounts.

We’ve bought much more to come back, however I’m excited to share these updates with you now, and I hope they enable you to proceed to thrive on our platform. As all the time, thanks for partnering with us to make Google Play a secure, reliable platform.

Jacqueline Hart



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