Thursday, February 09, 2017

Google To Purge Millions Of Apps From Play Store...For Privacy?





 As if anyone ever reads the tiny print privacy policy. Apparently Google feels that if you don't have one publicly, they will purge your app from their store.

Over the last 24 hours, Google has been sending notices to developers worldwide stating its intention to “limit visibility” or remove apps from the Play Store that violate the company’s User Data policy.

For most devs, the violation seems to be a simple one: lack of a privacy policy.

App developers have until March 15 to make the privacy policy addition, or Google warns “administrative action will be taken to limit the visibility of your app, up to and including removal from the Play Store.” 

The truth is, once you download an app, the app owner and ALL of the other apps on your device, know. Your device becomes a cesspool with each app sharing info.

And it isn't just privacy, it's permissions too. Some apps not only have access to the info on your device BUT can also control the hardware (camera).

Keeping applications in the cloud, and not on your device, would go a long way of helping with privacy and permission issues.

No comments: