Millions of Apps Could Soon be Purged from the Google Play Store

Zarathustra[H]

Zarathustra[H]

Extremely [H]
Joined
Oct 29, 2000
Messages
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And it's about time! Google has been sending developers notices of their intent to limit visibility or remove apps that violate the company's user data policy. You know, the types of apps that are poor knockoffs of the real thing, with limited functionality, that exist only to trick you into downloading them, so the dev can collect your user data when you give the app permission.

I think I speak for all of us when I say that I think this move is WAY overdue. The question is, why don't they screen the apps before they go live in the first place? It seems a little bit late do do it after the fact.

Hello Google Play Developer,

Our records show that your app <REDACTED> with package name <REDACTED> currently violates our User Data policy regarding Personal and Sensitive Information.

Policy Issue: Google Play requires developers to provide a valid privacy policy when the app requests or handles sensitive user or device information. Your app requests sensitive permissions (e.g. camera, microphone, accounts, contacts, or phone) or user data, but does not include a valid privacy policy.

Action Required: Include a link to a valid privacy policy on your app’s Store Listing page and within your app. You can find more information in our help center.

Alternatively, you may opt-out of this requirement by removing any requests for sensitive permissions or user data.

If you have additional apps in your catalog, please make sure they are compliant with our Prominent Disclosure requirements.

Please resolve this issue by March 15, 2017, or administrative action will be taken to limit the visibility of your app, up to and including removal from the Play Store. Thanks for helping us provide a clear and transparent experience for Google Play users.

Regards,

The Google Play Team
 
Hallucinator said:
I would download more apps IF they ALL doesn't require ANY additional information from MY smartphones.

I'm sick of seeing "need access" to my sd card, and so on.
Click to expand...

You can limit apps now on the newest version of Android (and on 6.0). E.g. If you don't want it to have access to the camera, you can turn that off in AppOps or whatever it's called.

Might break some features of certain apps.
 
Spidey329 said:
You can limit apps now on the newest version of Android (and on 6.0). E.g. If you don't want it to have access to the camera, you can turn that off in AppOps or whatever it's called.

Might break some features of certain apps.
Click to expand...


Yeah. It's easy to be a skeptic because so many apps exist solely to collect and sell user data, but many of those prompts you get are actually needed for app function. An app cant send a voice message if it doesn't have access to your mic, can send or post a picture if it doesn't have access to your photos, can't import your contact list if it doesn't have access, etc. etc.

But, if you think that once they have access to all that delicious and valuable user data, they aren't going to try to capitalize on it somehow, then you win the naivete prize. When a product is free, that isn't the product. You are.
 
I'd say Windows Store (on both desktop and mobile) should do that. But, if they did there would only be 12 apps in the store....

Glad they are doing this. Too much BS in the stores right now.
 
Hehehe..

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Ur_Mom said:
I'd say Windows Store (on both desktop and mobile) should do that. But, if they did there would only be 12 apps in the store....

Glad they are doing this. Too much BS in the stores right now.
Click to expand...
Windows has a store? Is that what the shopping bag icon on my taskbar is for?
 
DocSavage said:
Windows has a store? Is that what the shopping bag icon on my taskbar is for?
Click to expand...

Yes. It's been there since Windows 8. You weren't missing a whole lot. Now there are a few decent things in there (UWP apps, which include some nice games that are on Xbox One, too). Still, a lot of junk.
 
Ur_Mom said:
Yes. It's been there since Windows 8. You weren't missing a whole lot. Now there are a few decent things in there (UWP apps, which include some nice games that are on Xbox One, too). Still, a lot of junk.
Click to expand...
So I went ahead and clicked on it for the first time ever. The store has movies! You can buy Clueless for the low price of $9.99!

Edit:
They have The Walking Dead, Season 7 Season Pass for $41.99 or the 8 individual episodes for $2.99 each.... I feel like I'm missing something here.
 
The season pass things usually have a lot more "extras" like behind the scenes stuff, documentaries about the show/movie, actor interviews, panels, etc so they do tend to charge a bit more most of the time but yeah, going from ~$24 for 8 episodes individually to ~$42 for the same episodes plus a little more is a bit ridiculous.
 
Doesn't the walking dead have 2 part seasons. Like 8 episodes, then Christmas time, then return mid February with another 8 episode run.

Pretty sure that's how it works.

Episode 9 of season 7 comes out Sunday.
 
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