What it is and means for users

Back in May 2021, Google confirmed that they will be adding a new Data safety section to the Play Store. The company has now confirmed the rollout of the new section, via an official blog post. The complete rollout, according to a blog post, will take around a week and developers are expected to get on board on the new Data safety section by July 20, 2022.What is Data safety section?
The data safety section is a new dedicated section on the app listing page where developers will be required to provide users will detailed information on data collection, sharing of data and users’ data security.

What information the Data safety section will carry
Here is the information developers can show in the Data safety section:Whether the developer is collecting data and for what purpose.Whether the developer is sharing data with third parties.The app’s security practices, like encryption of data in transit and whether users can ask for data to be deleted.Whether a qualifying app has committed to following Google Play’s Families Policy to better protect children in the Play store.Whether the developer has validated their security practices against a global security standard (more specifically, the MASVS).
What it means for users
Google Play Data safety section is expected to provide users with more transparency in regards to their app data and how they are being used are secured by the app developers. In fact, the post highlights that the developers will also need or provide information on whether the data is being shared with third parties.The section will provide users more visibility into how apps collect, share and secure their data. Google’s post mentions that this is one way they are trying to make Android a safe ecosystem. Eventually, the Data safety section will allow users to choose whether they want to download a particular app or not by referring to the data policy of a particular app. Also, the section will make the Android apps ecosystem more secure and safer.
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