Further improve user privacy and security | Play Management Center launches "data security"

Author / Product Management Director Krish Vitaldevara

We are well aware that users’ sense of network security largely stems from their control over their own data. Therefore, we are committed every day to provide users with advanced security and privacy controls , and for operational aspects of the data give users more autonomy. With the new "Data Security" section , developers can now install the application before the user to open and transparent way to show them whether and how to collect, share and protect their user data.

From now on, we will launch the data security form in the Google Play Management Center. We also listened to your feedback and Help Center , Developer Guide , Play Academy Course and other pages to provide developers with more guidance. According to convention, we will gradually launch it and it is expected to be open to all developers in a few weeks. Click here view the video introducing the "Data Security" section of the Play Management Center.

Submit application information in the Play Management Center

Now you can visit the application content page in the Play Management Center and look for a brand new section called "Data Security". We recommend that you view this as soon as possible guide and submit the form , in order to obtain feedback review and take appropriate change measures to avoid the form was rejected and can not publish new applications updated. We learned from developers that users see the "Data Security" section (February 2022) will help them fill out the form correctly. If the applied form has not been approved, it will be subject to violations starting in April 2022.

We know that filling out the form takes your time and effort, so we built a product and timetable based on the developer’s feedback to simplify this process as much as possible. In addition, developers also hope that when they have multiple applications, they can import information more easily in some way. To this end, we have added an option that allows developers to import pre-filled information.

Preparation work

• Visit the help center for the latest details, including descriptions of data types and examples.
• Use the guide see how the application collects and shares user data , including permission granted and API usage.
• Get a demo on how to fill out the form in Play Academy course
• Check the policy requirements at Policy Center July policy update .

From February, the updated product details

The user will first see the "Data Security" summary in the product listing. The application profile will show the data collected or shared by the application and highlight security details such as:

• Whether the application adopts security measures, for example, encrypts data during transmission ;
• Does the app commit to comply with our family policy .
• Whether the application has been independently verified in accordance with global safety standards.

Users can click on the summary to view more details, such as:

• The specific types of data collected and shared, such as location, contact information, personal information (such as name, email address), financial information, etc.;
• The purpose of the data, such as application functions, personalization, etc.;
• Whether data collection is an optional or necessary prerequisite for using the application.

Users said that seeing this information helps them understand how certain applications handle their own information and will strengthen their trust in certain applications.

stay tuned

△ The date on the timetable may be adjusted according to the specific situation

You can now submit a data security form in the Play Management Center to get early review feedback. And you don’t need to update the app to submit security information.

In February 2022, we will launch this feature in the Play Store. If your information is approved, the product details will be automatically updated based on the data security information. If your information has not been submitted or is rejected, the user will see "This information is not provided."

Before April 2022, the "data security" part of all apps must be approved. Although we hope that as many applications as possible are ready for the user experience in February 2022, we know that some developers need more time to evaluate their applications and coordinate work with multiple teams.

In addition, before April, all apps must also provide the privacy policy . Previously, only apps that collected user personal data and sensitive data needed to share privacy policies. If the "Data Security" section is not approved or there is no privacy policy, may be rejected when submitting a new application or updating an application . In the future, non-compliant applications may face other violations.

Thank you for continuing to work with us to build this feature together and make Google Play a secure platform that everyone can trust. You are welcome to continue to follow us and get the latest information at any time.