Developers will soon be required to tell Google about their apps' privacy and security practices by completing a form in Play Console, the search giant announced in a blog post. The company added that the information provided by app developers will be shown on the Play Store’s listing starting late April 2022. The company has set a deadline of July 20, 2022, for all developers to declare how they collect and handle user data for the apps they publish on Google Play, and provide details about how they protect this data through security practices like encryption. [caption id="attachment_160655" align="aligncenter" width="142"] Source: Google[/caption] Google reasoned that the move will help users understand how apps collect and share user data before they proceed to download the app. Android is the most popular OS in the world but its track record on privacy has been found wanting. Google has announced several measures to shore up privacy in recent months and this step will help users in making an informed choice about the apps that they download on their phones. What will be asked in the Data Safety form? Google revealed that all developers with a published app will be expected to comply with the directive and declare if they indulge in activities such as: Data collection: The company explained that it means transmitting data from an app off a user’s device. Data sharing: It refers to transferring user data collected from an app to a third party. Data handling: Developers will have to disclose…
