Google has notified developers about changes in the Google Play rules. They are aimed at protecting children from content that is not intended for them.
Google has published a list of changes in a blog for Android app authors.
New requirements for developers
- If the target audience of the application includes children, the developer must make sure that it is suitable for children and does not violate the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Ads aimed at children should only be shown in certified advertising networks that meet the requirements of Google Play.
- If the product in the store is designed for an adult audience, Google will double-check its marketing campaign to exclude unintentional involvement of children. The application icons, screenshots and product description on the Google Play page will be evaluated.
- Google may require replacing the icon and screenshots with less vivid ones and removing characters from them that may interest children. Or she will label the app “Not intended for children.”
- By September 1, 2019, developers must specify the target audience of their games and applications in the new Google Play Console section. If the product is designed for children under 13, Google will ask the developer a number of questions about the collection of personal data and the use of advertising. This will allow classifying products into the following categories: “for children”, “for children and adults”, “for adults”.
- If the developer’s responses fail to pass verification, Google may reject the publication of the application or remove from the store what has already been published.
The company has also increased its staff to work more quickly with applications.
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