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The Play Store is getting Apple-style privacy labels: here's our first look
The mockups for the new safety section are "directional" and for developers, but Google says they may pan out
Back in May, Google announced that the Play Store was also getting App Store-style privacy labels, one-upping Apple's implementation by requiring extra information about customer security, if user data can be deleted, and whether permissions are optional or required. Like it or hate it, the new "safety section," as Google calls it, will be mandatory for all apps on the Play Store, kicking into gear in Q2 2022. And today, Google is sharing a few more specifics on precisely how it will work, what it might look like, and how developers can prepare.
Google is planning a big — and mandatory — overhaul of app privacy and security on the Play Store
Similar-sounding privacy details, but more and better information when it comes to your security
Last year, Apple rolled out a new set of what it called Privacy Labels for the App Store. These disclaimers were sort of like privacy-oriented nutrition information attached to each app listing, with developers supplying the details regarding exactly what data their apps collect and precisely how it's used — assuming you trust them to be honest. The moment that news landed last year, expectations swung our collective attention at Google: When would Android and the Play Store get something similar?