New changes to Google’s Developer Policy should make apps and games less invasive

As announced last month on the Play Console Help website, changes to Google’s Developer Program Policy are now in effect. While there were several updates that drastically affect how developers can interact with and market to users, The Register reports one of the most notable differences that have been implemented – VPNs.

What’s different about Virtual Private Network apps now, you may ask? Well, instead of being able to block advertisements entirely as they’ve always been capable of doing (though this has never been a primary function), Google is now explicitly preventing them from doing so.

The issue isn’t in the blocking of ads themselves, though there are many who are concerned with the language across the Chrome Web Store and Google Play Store that may indicate Google’s future plans to wipe out ad blockers.

Instead, the issue is that when VPNs that double as ad blockers intercept ads from displaying to a user, they could be in a position to collect personal information that they really shouldn’t have. As The Register put it, “Permissible VPN apps should not, according to Google, collect personal or sensitive data without prominent disclosure and, more importantly, user consent. Furthermore, they should not redirect or manipulate traffic, nor manipulate ads, that can have an impact on other services’ monetization.”

Coming at the end of the month are changes that will prevent apps from displaying ads in full screen unexpectedly, prior to an app’s loading screen, or during the beginning of the gameplay experience. Additionally, ads that are not able to be closed after 15 seconds will also be banned starting September 30, 2022, which is in just a few weeks. With this, you should be able to expect a much better and less invasive experience in your favorite apps and games – specifically, those that are free to use.

With all of that being said, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Do you believe that Google’s changes are setting the stage for it to have full control over ads in Chrome, or do you think that it’s genuinely trying to protect users from VPNs that may intercept your data?