Suzanne Frey, Vice President of Product Security and Privacy for Android wrote on April 26 on the official Google blog : “We work tough to ensure that Google Play is a safe and trusted surroundings in which users can enjoy the most popular applications. recent Android. Nowadays we’re introducing a new feature, the Data Security section, where developers will be required to provide more information about how apps acquire, distribute, and safeguard user data.”
According to Frey, customers started seeing the data security area on Google Play on April 26. Developers, in the meantime, must total this section for their applications before July 20. As app developers update their features or change their data handling policies, the latest information will be displayed in the data security section of the app.
“We have agreed to what was requested by users and application developers, in the sense that it is not enough to show the data that an application collects, without additional context. Users want to know for what purpose their data is collected and if the developer shares user data with third parties. Additionally, users want to know how app developers protect user data after the app is downloaded. That is why we have designed the data security section so that developers clearly mark what data is collected and for what purpose it is used. Users can also see provided the app needs this data to operate or whether this data collection is optional,” Frey writes.
This is the information that developers can display in the data security section:
- If or not the developer collects data and why.
- Whether or not the developer shares the data with third parties.
- The app’s security procedures, such as encryption of data in transit and provided users can request data deletion.
- Provided an eligible app has agreed to follow the Google Play Families Policy to better protect children on the Play Store.
- Whether the developer’s security measures have been validated against a global security standard (more specifically, the MASVS).
- An Android phone displays the data security section of a Google Play app.
Frey continues: “Giving consumers more visibility into how apps collect, distribute and safeguard their data through the Data Security section is just one of the ways we’re keeping Android users and the ecosystem safe.” .»
“We’ve also worked tough to give users control of installed apps through simple permissions features,” says Frey, noting that when an app asks for ‘your location,’ users can quickly and easily decide whether they want to grant that permission. permission: for a single use, only while using the application, or all the time. Additionally, users can use the Android privacy panel to review data access by apps for sensitive permissions like camera, microphone, or location data.
“Apps should allow users to explore the world, interact with loved ones, work, learn something new, and do other matters without compromising user safety. In addition to the existing security features in Google Play, the new data security section gives users the visibility and control they need to enjoy their apps,” said Suzanne Frey, Vice President of Product, Security and Privacy at Android.
