The Google Play Store has had information on how app developers will utilize your personal data to drive and improve the experience for quite some time now. With the introduction of this though, it was never very detailed. Luckily, that’s all changing now as this feature is being further developed into what’s called the “Data safety section“.
Download apps and games with confidence by dropping down the “Data shared” section of any app and reviewing exactly what you’re trading off in order to use it. This is actually live in the store right now, and developers will be required to complete this section for their apps by July 20, 2022.
Giving users more visibility into how apps collect, share and secure their data through the Data safety section is just one way we’re keeping the Android users and ecosystem safe.
The Keyword
Below, you’ll find a list of what information devs will be showing off in the Data safety section of their app’s listing. You’ll notice that this now includes some vital additions like global security standard validation, whether a user can ask for their data to be deleted, and so on. I think this is super cool!
- 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 (more specifically, the MASVS).
In modern versions of Android, users can already give or take permissions for their device’s camera, microphone, storage, and more at will and per application, so these latest additions are a welcome change for us all. Let me know in the comments whether or not you’re checking the Data safety section of a listing before installing your next app or game. Similarly, I’d love to hear whether or not you think your favorite apps and games are asking for too much information now that all of their practices will be visible to the public.
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