In an effort to make it easier for Android app users to ditch any data or accounts they might have signed up for in an app, Google is making a policy change for its Google Play store. App developers who want to publish in the store will soon have to provide a way for people to delete data or accounts they have made in the app, or on a website.
In a post on the Android Developers Blog, Google stated:
While Play’s Data safety section already lets developers highlight their data deletion options, we know that users want an easier and more consistent way to request them. By creating a more intuitive experience with this policy, we hope to better educate our shared users on the data controls available to them and create greater trust in your apps and in Google Play more broadly.
Under the new policy, developers will have to allow users to delete their accounts and data. However, users could also decide to just delete some data from the app without having to get rid of their entire account. Making app developers also put in a web-based deletion method will help users get rid of data and accounts without having to install the app itself.
Developers will have some time to put in these new measures. They must submit answers to the Google Data Safety form by December 7, 2023. However, developers can also request an extension that, if granted, will give them some extra time, until May 31, 2024.