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thrive

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Registered: 2023-01-04

Posts: 2,575

Google requires Android apps to provide in-app and online acc deletion

In an effort to give users more transparency and control over their data, Google is implementing a new data deletion policy for Android apps that permit account creation that also includes a setting for account deletion.

According to Bethel Otuteye, senior director of product management for Android App Safety, "developers will soon need to provide an option to initiate account and data deletion from within the app and online.".

This web requirement, to which you will link in your Data Safety form, is particularly crucial so that a user can request account and data deletion without having to reinstall an app. ".

The objective is to have a "readily discoverable option" to start the process of deleting an app account from both inside and outside of an app, according to the search behemoth.

To that end, developers must give users both an in-app path and a web link resource to ask for the deletion of their app account and any associated data. App developers must delete all data related to a particular account if users make such a request.

Users may also have access to other options for selectively deleting particular data (e. g. rather than completely deleting their accounts. This includes things like activity history, pictures, or videos.

Developers are required to disclose their data retention policies upfront if they intend to keep certain data for legitimate reasons like security, fraud prevention, or regulatory compliance.

Google makes it clear that temporary account deactivation, disabling, or "freezing" the app account does not constitute account deletion.

Developers have until December 7, 2023, to submit their responses to the questions about data deletion in the app's Data safety form before the new policy takes effect early the following year. Developers have until May 31, 2024, to file for an extension.

The change also brings Android into compliance with Apple's iOS and iPadOS operating systems, which implemented a similar policy beginning on June 30, 2022. The ability for users to delete their accounts online is not a requirement, though.

However, it is still unclear whether a developer who disobeys the rules will face enforcement action. Mozilla criticized Google earlier this year after identifying significant inconsistencies between the privacy policies of the top 20 free apps and the data they self-reported to the Play Store.

In an effort to stop blackmail and extortion, Google has also implemented additional privacy safeguards that forbid personal loan apps from accessing private information, such as user contacts, photos, and locations.