Earlier this year, the Google Play Store launched a new data privacy section that relies on developers to disclose the information their apps collect. But as Esper senior editor Mishal Rahman pointed out (via Ars Technica), this could mean that Google will no longer display a verified list of permissions it automatically collects from each app, giving developers complete control over what they choose ( or do not select) to disclose to users.
When Google first announced the new data privacy section last year, the company made it clear that its system would rely on information provided by developers. On a support page, Google states that developers have until July 20 to fill out a data privacy form for their apps, noting that developers “themselves” must make “full and accurate disclosures” about their apps.
The Apple App Store has a similar policy for its “nutrition” privacy labels
“Google Play reviews apps against all policy requirements; but we cannot determine on behalf of developers how they process user data,” explains Google. “Only you have all the information necessary to complete the data safety form.” Google says it will take “appropriate action” if it finds any discrepancies between the information reported by developers and the app itself.
It’s worth noting that the Apple App Store has a similar policy for its privacy “food” labels, and also requires developers to submit “self-assessed summaries” about their apps’ privacy practices. Just as Google does now, Apple trusts developers to provide truthful information about the data their apps collect, which, according to a report by The Washington Post, is often “misleading or downright inaccurate.”
While Google hasn’t indicated any plans to replace the auto-generated app permissions with the data privacy section, it appears that Google has quietly replaced it. In a Twitter thread, Rahman showed screenshots comparing one app list with the old Permissions tab and another that only had Data Security. I noticed the same after comparing an archived version of TikTok’s Google Play Store listing from 2021 to the one currently available.
With the rollout of Google Play data safety section which will be mandatory for all apps in 1 week, app permission list seems to be disappearing both in mobile app and web.
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) July 13, 2022
As Rahman points out, Google stores app permissions in the Play Store, but it’s just not visible from the front end. It suggests downloading the open source Play Store alternative called Aurora, which still shows permissions before downloading an app.
However, it would make much more sense for Google to display both the app permissions and the data privacy section. That way, users could compare the two to confirm that the permissions reported by developers are consistent with Google’s findings. The Verge reached out to Google to see if the company plans to restore the app permissions tab, but did not immediately hear back.
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