Posted by Krish Vitaldevara, Director, Product Management
We know that a big part of feeling safe online is having control over your data. That’s why every day we’re committed to empowering users with advanced security and privacy controls and increased agency with respect to data practices. With the new Data safety section, developers will now have a transparent way to show users if and how they collect, share, and protect user data, before users install an app.
Starting today, we’re rolling out the Data safety form in Google Play Console. We’ve also listened to your feedback, so to provide developers with additional guidance, we’re sharing helpful information in our Help Center, developer guide, Play Academy course, and more. Following our common protocols, we’ll begin gradual rollout today and expect to expand access to everyone within a couple of weeks.
How to submit your app information in Play Console
Starting today, you can go to App content in your Play Console and look for a new section called “Data safety.” We recommend that you review the guidance and submit your form early so you can get review feedback and make changes before rejected forms prevent you from publishing new app updates. Developers have told us that early feedback would help them fill out the form correctly before users see the Data safety section in February 2022. The enforcement on apps without approved forms starts April 2022.
We understand that completing the form may require a meaningful amount of work, so we built the product and timeline based on developer feedback to make this process as streamlined as possible. Also, developers have asked for a way to more easily import information when they have multiple apps. Therefore, we’ve added an option for developers to import a pre-populated file.
How to get prepared
Visit the Help Center for the latest details, including clarifications are data types and examples.
Use the guide to review how your app collects and shares user data, including permissions grants and API usage.
Get a walkthrough of how to fill out the form in our Play Academy course.
Join a policy webinar and send us questions in advance. You can register for Global, India, Japan, or Korea sessions.
Join us at Android Developer Summit, Droidcon Berlin, and Droidcon London and bring your questions.
Review the policy requirements on our Policy Center and watch the July PolicyBytes.
What your users will see in your app’s store listing starting February
Users will first see the Data safety summary in your store listing. Your app profile will show what data an app collects or shares and highlight safety details, such as whether:
The app has security practices, like data encryption in transit
The app has committed to follow our Families policy
The app has been independently reviewed for conformance with a global security standard
Users can tap the summary to see more details like:
What type of data is collected and shared, such as location, contacts, personal information (e.g., name, email address), financial information, and more
How the data is used, such as for app functionality, personalization, and more
Whether data collection is optional or required in order to use an app
Users have shared that seeing this information helps them understand how some apps may handle their information and feel more trusting about certain apps.
What to expect
Timeline dates subject to change.
You can submit your Data safety form in the Play Console now for early review feedback. You are not required to submit an app update in order to submit your safety profile.
In February 2022, we will launch this feature in the Play store. If your information is approved, your store listing will automatically update with your data safety information. If your information has not been submitted or has been rejected, your users will see “No information available.”
By April 2022, all your apps must have their Data safety section approved. While we want as many apps as possible to be ready for the February 2022 consumer experience, we know that some developers will need more time to assess their apps and coordinate with multiple teams.
Also by April, all apps must also provide a privacy policy. Previously, only apps that collected personal and sensitive user data needed to share a privacy policy. Without an approved section or privacy policy, your new app submissions or app updates may be rejected. Non-compliant apps may face additional enforcement actions in the future.
Thank you for your continued partnership in building this feature alongside us and in making Google Play a safe and trustworthy platform for everyone.
