Google has introduced new Play Retailer insurance policies for Android builders in an effort to crack down on full-screen adverts, VPNs, and pretend apps impersonating real software program.

Coming into impact from September 30, 2022, the Play Retailer would require builders to cease displaying “Full-screen interstitial adverts,” for instance people who present throughout gameplay or throughout an app’s loading display screen. Moreover, full-screen adverts that can’t be closed after 15 seconds shall be banned.

The brand new coverage won’t embody rewarded adverts, reminiscent of in-app popups that customers can choose into with a view to unlock in-app content material, which can proceed to be permitted.

Google Play Retailer developer insurance policies

There have been additional revisements to the corporate’s FLAG_SECURE function, which is meant to guard delicate information by stopping or obscuring screenshots, and disallowing display screen sharing and broadcasting. From November 1, 2022, apps won’t be allowed to create workaround for the flagged content material.

With impact from the identical date, VPNs may even be topic to tighter restrictions. Solely devoted VPN apps can be allowed to “create a safe device-level tunnel to a distant server,” with some exceptions (opens in new tab). 

Entry to the USE_EXACT_ALARM permission may even be refined to primarily embody solely the apps that “requires exactly timed actions” (from July 31, 2022)

Faux Google Play Retailer apps

Possibly of most curiosity to common customers can be a change that is because of be enforced on August 31, 2022.

“We don’t permit apps that mislead customers by impersonating another person (e.g. one other developer, firm or entity) or one other app… To make sure that Google Play stays a secure and respectful platform, we have created requirements defining and prohibiting content material that’s dangerous or inappropriate for our customers,” Google stated in a weblog put up (opens in new tab) asserting the information.

The corporate recommends checking the developer title (displayed beneath the app title throughout the Play Retailer), that the emblem matches the corporate’s emblem, and that the title seems to be real and never mis-leading.

Additional modifications to the corporate’s app retailer embody eliminating deceptive well being data, higher subscription administration, safer child-friendly adverts, and additional private safety steps.

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