The Android development team announced initiatives being put in place for Google Play to ensure user safety. According to the team, over the past year safety has been at top of mind and the team has partnered with developers to help protect their apps, prepare them to share their data safety practices with users, and collaborated on building more private advertising technology.

Additionally, the team has a continuing investment in ML detection as well as enhanced app review processes geared at preventing apps with malicious content before anyone can install them. 

In 2022, the Android development team intends to continue along this path to ensure safety in Google Play. With this, in the upcoming Data safety section in an app’s Play Store listing, developers can share how their app collects, shares, and protects users data. This works to give everyone a clear and concise understanding of an app’s data safety practices so they can better determine if an app is right for them. 

The Data safety section is set to begin displaying in the Google Play store in late April and completed Data Safety Forms will be required for all app updates starting on July 20, 2022. 

The Android team also has a plan in place to protect developers’ apps from fraudulent activity with the new Play Integrity API. This API is now available to everyone and offers developers the ability to protect their apps and ensure their users have the experience that was originally intended.  

Another initiative Android has set forth is to help developers better navigate SDKs. The team will do this by sharing information such as an SDK’s adoption levels, retention rates, and the runtime permission it uses in order to help developers select the correct SDK for their business and users.

In addition, in 2022 Android is placing a heightened focus on responsible data collection and use. The development team has compiled the best tips on how to do this in the best practices guide. With this, the Android team has been communicating with developers about the best methods to mitigate risks from apps that leverage APIs in older Android OS versions. 

For more information on Android’s 2022 initiatives for Google Play, see here.