Retaining Google Play protected for customers and builders stays a high precedence for Google. As customers more and more prioritize their digital privateness and safety, we proceed to spend money on our Knowledge Security part and transparency labeling efforts to assist customers make extra knowledgeable decisions concerning the apps they use.
Analysis reveals that clear safety labeling performs a vital position in client danger notion, constructing belief, and influencing product buying choices. We consider the identical rules apply for labeling and badging within the Google Play retailer. The transparency of an app’s information safety and privateness play a key position in a person’s choice to obtain, belief, and use an app.
Highlighting Independently Safety Examined VPN Apps
Final 12 months, App Protection Alliance (ADA) launched MASA (Cellular App Safety Evaluation), which permits builders to have their apps independently validated towards a international safety commonplace. This alerts to customers that an unbiased third-party has validated that the builders designed their apps to satisfy these trade cell safety and privateness minimal greatest practices and the builders are going the additional mile to establish and mitigate vulnerabilities. This, in flip, makes it more durable for attackers to succeed in customers’ gadgets and improves app high quality throughout the ecosystem. Upon completion of the profitable validation, Google Play provides builders the choice to declare an “Impartial safety evaluate” badge in its Knowledge Security part, as proven within the picture beneath. Whereas certification to baseline safety requirements doesn’t indicate {that a} product is freed from vulnerabilities, the badge related to these validated apps helps customers see at-a-glance {that a} developer has prioritized safety and privateness practices and dedicated to person security.
To assist in giving customers a simplified view of which apps have undergone an unbiased safety validation, we’re introducing a brand new Google Play retailer banner for particular app sorts, beginning with VPN apps. We’ve launched this banner starting with VPN apps as a result of delicate and vital quantity of person information these apps deal with. When a person searches for VPN apps, they are going to now see a banner on the high of Google Play that educates them concerning the “Impartial safety evaluate” badge within the Knowledge Security Part. Customers even have the flexibility to “Be taught Extra”, which redirects them to the App Validation Listing, a centralized place to view all VPN apps which were independently safety reviewed. Customers also can uncover extra technical evaluation particulars within the App Validation Listing, serving to them to make extra knowledgeable choices about what VPN apps to obtain, use, and belief with their information.
VPN suppliers reminiscent of NordVPN, Google One, ExpressVPN, and others have already undergone unbiased safety testing and publicly declared the badge displaying their good standing with the MASA program. We encourage and anticipate extra VPN app builders to bear unbiased safety testing, bringing much more transparency to customers. If you’re a VPN developer and thinking about studying extra about this function, please submit this type.
Our Dedication to App Safety and Privateness Transparency on Google Play
By encouraging unbiased safety testing and displaying safety badges for validated apps, we spotlight builders who prioritize person security and information transparency. We additionally present builders with app safety and privateness greatest practices – by way of Play PolicyBytes movies, webinars, weblog posts, the Developer Assist Group, and different sources – in accordance with our developer insurance policies that assist preserve Google Play protected. We’re frequently engaged on enhancements to our app evaluate course of, insurance policies, and applications to maintain customers protected and to assist builders navigate our insurance policies with ease. To study extra about how we give builders the instruments to succeed whereas retaining customers protected on Google Play, learn the Google Security Heart article.
Our efforts to prioritize safety and privateness transparency on Google Play are aligned with the wants and expectations we’ve heard from each customers and builders. We consider that by prioritizing initiatives that bolster person security and belief, we are able to foster a thriving app ecosystem the place customers could make extra knowledgeable app choices and builders are inspired to uphold the best requirements of safety and privateness.
