Google updates developer policies with eye on consumer satisfaction

Google more definitively spells out what is and isn't allowed within Android apps in Google Play.

Google has made some adjustments to their Android developer policies and has begun sending out notifications via email. If you're an Android developer yourself then chances are you might have seen this email by now.

Not a great deal has changed from before however things look to get better in the eye of the consumer. For instance, Google will begin restricting names and icons that closely resemble other apps. As for advertising and notifications, developers must not do anything that negatively impacts the user experience. What's more, Google is taking a more proactive approach in advising what is and isn't allowed on Google Play. Going further, developers will see specific examples of practices that violate spam policies.

Hello Google Play Developer,

We are constantly striving to make Google Play a great community for developers and consumers. This requires us to update our policies when we launch new features, like subscription billing, and also when we see unhealthy behavior, like deceptive app names and spammy notifications. This email is to notify you that we’ve made some changes to our policies which are highlighted below.

We’ve added clearer details to the payment policy, and guidelines on how we will handle cancellations in our new subscription billing feature
We are restricting the use of names or icons confusingly similar to existing system apps in order to reduce user confusion
We are providing more detail on the kinds of dangerous products that are not allowed on Google Play. For example, apps that disclose personal information without authorization are not allowed.
We are giving more examples of practices that violate the spam policy.
Additionally, we are adding a new section that addresses ad behavior in apps. First, we make it clear that ads in your app must follow the same rules as the app itself. Also, it is important to us that ads don’t negatively affect the experience by deceiving consumers or using disruptive behavior such as obstructing access to apps and interfering with other ads.

Please take a look at the Google Play Developer Program Policy at http://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html to see all the changes and make sure your app complies with our updated policies.

Any new apps or app updates published after this notification will be immediately subject to the latest version of the Program Policy. If you find any existing apps in your catalog that don’t comply, we ask you to fix and republish the application within 30 calendar days of receiving this email. After this period, existing applications discovered to be in violation may be subject to warning or removal from Google Play.

Regards, Google Play Team

Via: AndroidGuys