According to h latest news, Google is one step closer to launching its new data privacy section for Play Store apps. App developers can now fill out the relevant details via Google’s new “Data safety form” on the Play Console. According to Google, the required information will be visible to users from February 2022 onwards and it will be mandatory for developers to submit by April of that year.
It is t be noted that this feature was first announced in May when Apple started showing similar privacy and data disclaimers for apps in the App Store from last December onwards. The data section is supposed to give consumers a quick and simple overview of what apps are doing with the information.
In shorts, developers would have to specify what type of data their app collects. This will include “location, contacts, personal information (e.g., name, email address), financial information, and more.” Apart from this, developers would also have to specify whether this data is optional or required to use the app, whether the app encrypts data in transit and whether the app is independently reviewed “for conformance with a global security standard”.
As of now, developers can now enter this information through the Google Play Console. Google has already added guidelines for developers to help them navigate this new requirement. In a blog post, Google wrote “Following our common protocols, we’ll begin gradual rollout today and expect to expand access to everyone within a couple of weeks.”
