[MUSIC PLAYING]
THERESA KHUU: Hi, I'm Theresa, Product Marketing Manager
for Android and Google Play.
Welcome to Google Play PolicyBytes,
and thanks for joining us.
Today, we'll start with a progress update
on our 2022 privacy and security initiatives.
Then we'll talk about new policies, recent updates,
clarifications, and timeline.
First, we want to keep you updated on several initiatives
we shared earlier this year on keeping Google Play safe.
In the past few months, we have launched the Google Play SDK
Index to help you evaluate an SDK's reliability and safety
and make informed decisions about whether the SDK is
right for your business and your users.
This new portal provides insights and usage data
on over 100 of the most widely used commercial SDKs
on Google Play.
We also launched the Data Safety Section on Google Play
to help users better understand your app's data safety
practices.
Developers have told us that this new feature helps
them explain privacy practices with their users
and build trust.
If you haven't yet, make sure to complete your data safety form.
Next, we've enhanced our app integrity tools
like Play App Signing to securely sign
millions of apps on Google Play and help ensure that app
updates can be trusted.
Play App Signing helps protect your app sign-in key
from loss or compromise with Google's Secure Key Management
Service
We also launched the Play Integrity API
to help protect your app, your IP, and your users
from piracy and malicious activity.
This API helps you to detect fraudulent and risky
interactions, such as traffic from modified
or pirated app versions, and routed or compromised devices.
If you'd like to read more, check out our blog
at the link or QR code on the slide.
Let's now talk about new policies
on exact alarm permission, better ads experiences,
flag security requirement, and VPN service permission.
We're introducing a new restricted permission
requirement for the exact alarm API.
You should only declare this permission
if your app's core functionality requires precisely timed
actions, like if the app is an alarm or timer
app or a calendar app that shows event notifications.
Apps that declare the exact alarm permission
but don't meet this criteria will not
be allowed on Google Play.
So if you still need a permission for precisely timed
actions but don't meet this criteria,
you can consider using the existing schedule exact alarm
instead to ask users for their permission.
And to ensure high-quality experiences
for users when they use Google Play apps,
we're prohibiting unexpected, full-screen interstitial ads.
This new requirement to our ads policy
has been inspired by the Better Ad Standards
from the Coalition of Better Ads.
First, full-screen interstitial ads
of all formats that show up unexpectedly when
the user has chosen to do something else are prohibited.
Let's look at examples of common violations to avoid.
This example shows a user is starting
a new level of gameplay, but an unexpected static ad appears.
And this example shows that a user has just
started viewing an article, but an unexpected video ad appears.
Second, full-screen interstitial ads
of all formats that can't be closed after 15 seconds
are also prohibited.
These violations lead to poor, unexpected experiences
for users.
So they're not allowed.
Here's an example of a common violation to avoid.
This shows an interstitial ad that appears during gameplay
and does not give users an option
to skip within 15 seconds.
Now, this policy does not apply to reward ads
where the user has explicitly opted in,
like if they choose to watch an ad in exchange
for unlocking a specific game feature.
This policy also doesn't apply to monetization and advertising
that does not interfere with normal app use or gameplay,
like videos with integrated ads or closeable banner ads.
Next, let's talk about the flag secure display flag.
Developers can declare this flag in their app's code
to indicate that the content shown on the app
should not be broadcasted, viewed,
or otherwise transmitted outside of the app or the user's
device.
So to keep users' private information secure,
we're adding a new requirement.
All apps must respect the flag secure declaration
and must not facilitate or create workarounds
to bypass the flag secure settings in other apps.
Another way that we're keeping apps secure
is by adding a new permissions policy
for using the VPNService class.
The VPNService is a base class for applications
to extend and build their own VPN solutions.
So it should mainly be used by VPN apps.
We've made some exceptions listed here.
Please visit the Policy Center for
additional key requirements.
Now, let's talk about our recent updates
on the subscriptions and health misinformation policies.
First, canceling a subscription should be about as easy
as signing up for one.
We're updating our subscriptions policy to state
that users must be able to easily cancel
their subscriptions online from within the app.
You can satisfy this requirement by including
one of these options in your app's account settings
or a similar page.
For apps that use Google Play's billing system,
you can simply provide a link to the Google Play Payment
and Subscription Center.
All apps can also provide direct access
to their cancellation process.
Here are some examples.
On the left, you'll see an in-app subscription
cancellation option from within the profile section of the app.
And on the right, we have a cancellation option
within Google Play's Payments and Subscription Center.
And for better user safety and trust
on health-related content, we're updating our health
misinformation guidelines to state
that we do not allow apps containing misleading health
claims that can cause harm to users
or contradict existing medical consensus.
Examples of health misinformation
include misleading claims about vaccines, such as vaccines
can alter one's DNA, advocacy of harmful, unapproved treatments,
and advocacy of other harmful health practices,
such as conversion therapy.
Now, let's go over some clarifications
on the Made for Ads policy, International Age Rating
Coalition ads enforcement, and privacy policy requirement.
We're clarifying the Made for Ads guidelines
under our spam policy to prevent apps
from displaying ads repeatedly to distract users
from engaging with an app and performing in-app tasks.
Let's take a look at this example of a common violation.
The first in-app page has multiple buttons
to interact with.
When the user clicks the Start App button to use the app,
but an interstitial ad pops up.
After the ad's closed, the user goes to the app
and clicks the Service button to start using the service.
But another interstitial ad appears.
This is prohibited.
Here's another common violation.
On the first page, the user is led
to click Play because it is the only button you
can use on the app.
When the user clicks it, an interstitial ad pops up.
After the ad is closed, the user clicks
Launch because now this is the only button to interact with,
and another interstitial ad appears.
This is also prohibited.
We're also clarifying our ads policy
to emphasize that ads and their associated offers served
in your app must be consistent with your app's content rating.
Let's take a look at this example of a violation.
This game app has a content rating for everyone,
but the ad promotes downloading an app that's rated mature.
This is prohibited.
And last, we're clarifying our privacy policy guidelines
to say that all apps must post a privacy link in the designated
field within Play Console and a privacy policy link
or text within the app itself.
We're also specifying that privacy policies
must be publicly accessible and not geofenced.
And for a full list of recent policy updates,
please visit goo.gle/playupdates.
Finally, here are some upcoming policy deadlines.
All developers must have their data
safety form approved and included privacy policy
by July 20.
We've been mindful to give developers
more time for policy changes that may take more work.
So developers have until September 30
to comply with the Better Ads Experiences policies.
And remember, all apps must comply with the target API
level by November.
If you need more time, you will be
able to request an optional extension until May 2023.
To get a full view of all of our upcoming deadlines, please
visit our Policy Center.
We encourage you to review these policy updates carefully
in case any of these updates impact your apps.
I hope this helps you better understand our policies.
For free courses on Google Play policy,
visit our Google Play Academy at g.com/playacademy/policy.
Thank you for continuing to partner
with us to make Google Play a safe and trustworthy platform
for everyone.
Until next time, stay safe and healthy out there.
[MUSIC PLAYING]