Privacy nowadays has become a myth in every sector as well as the gaming industry. Almost every single data of users’ are being collected for commercial use. Moreover, most of the free applications stay in business because of this. Apple has been vocal about this for some time now. But moving on, Apple has let its users opt-out of personalized ads. Apart from that they also have many privacy features to help its users. And now, Google seems to be following that trend as well for its users worldwide. Google is rolling out data safety practices to protect the privacy and security of its users. Google announced this feature in one of their recently published blog on this issue.
Google aims to elevate privacy and security for users
Google will be rolling out this Data safety form on the Google Play console for developers. Developers have to reason out why they require specific permission and what they will do with the data which is being collected. Developers should start declaring the information in Google Play Console from October 2021 but since this is a huge change Google will enforce this April 2022. Users can start seeing this information from February 2021.
Failing to do so developers will be prevented from rolling out future updates for their apps and strict action will be taken. Google is providing support to the developers to adhere to this new system. This was announced back in May 2021.
What can users access and see as a part of this implementation by Google
Users can see what data an app collects and it can highlight the following safety details
- The app has security practices, like data encryption in transit
- The app has committed to follow Google’s Families policy
- The app has been independently reviewed for conformance with a global security standard
Users can tap the summary to see more details like
- What type of data is collected and shared, such as location, contacts, personal information (e.g., name, email address), financial information, and more
- How the data is used, such as for app functionality, personalization, and more
- Whether data collection is optional or required in order to use an app
This change will make users aware of what data they are sharing and is it necessary for the application to collect such data. Developers can also tell why they collect such data and explain how it is used. This will let users download the application with confidence.
What are your thoughts about Google bringing in data safety practices to protect the privacy and security of its users? Let us know in the comments below.
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