Google's Safety Section For Play Store To Tell Users How Much Data An App Will Collect

Google debuted the safety area in Google Play in May, intending to help users understand what data an app gathers and distributes. It will also tell consumers about the data's confidentiality. 

Google Play (Image: Getty)

Google launched a new safety section for its Play Store on Thursday, which will inform users about the types of data that an app would store and why, as well as other information regarding the data's confidentiality. 

Google debuted the safety area in Google Play in May, intending to help users understand what data an app gathers and distributes. It will also tell consumers whether or not the data that the app has obtained from them is safe. The news comes months after Apple debuted its App Store's safety section. 

Google announced the feature in a blog post saying, “today, we’re announcing additional details for the upcoming safety section in Google Play. At Google, we know that feeling safe online comes from using products that are secure by default, private by design, and give users control over their data,” adding that the new safety section will provide developers with a simple way to showcase their app’s overall safety, as noted by India Today. 

All Google Play Store apps will be required to publish information about their apps in the safety area. On the other hand, Google also stated that it will give developers ample time to adjust to the said changes. 

According to the designs, the safety section will display the types of data that developers will take and if they will use security methods such as data encryption. It'll also tell you if the app has been independently certified against a global security standard. Users can see all the facts about the data gathering by tapping into the summary.  

Beginning October 2021, developers will be able to submit material for evaluation in the Google Play Console. To offer developers additional time, Google will let them provide data about their apps until April 2022, while also emphasising that new app submissions or app updates without an approved section may be refused.