Multinational Technology company, Google has introduced safety measures to protect the data of app downloaders on the Play store. This is even as it launches a new feature, the Data safety section, where developers will be required to give people more information about how apps collect, share and secure their data.
Vice President, Product, Android Security and Privacy, Suzanne Frey, disclosed this in a blog post.
Although the rollout of the new safety measures has commenced, app developers are required to complete the safety section for their apps by July 20th.
What Google is saying
Frey in the blog post said: “We’ve also worked hard to give users control of installed apps through simple permissions features. For example, when an app asks to access “your location”, users can quickly and easily decide whether they want to grant that permission – for one-time use, only while using the app, or all the time. For sensitive permissions like camera, microphone, or location data, people can go to the Android Privacy dashboard to review data access by apps.
“Apps should help users explore the world, connect with loved ones, do work, learn something new, and more without compromising user safety. The new Data safety section, in addition to Google Play’s existing safety features, gives people the visibility and control they need to enjoy their apps,” he added.
What developers must show in data safety section
- Whether the developer is collecting data and for what purpose.
- Whether the developer is sharing data with third parties.
- The app’s security practices, like encryption of data in transit and whether users can ask for data to be deleted.
- Whether a qualifying app has committed to following Google Play’s Families Policy to better protect children in the Play store.
- Whether the developer has validated their security practices against a global security standard.
