Apps in Play must do deletion of accounts in the app and online

Google Play recently launched a number of new initiatives to help developers build consumer confidence by demonstrating privacy and security practices for their apps in a simple and understandable way. Today, the company has taken that work forward and introduced a new data deletion policy aimed at giving users more clarity and control over their data in the app.

For apps that allow you to create in-app accounts, developers will soon need to provide the ability to initiate deletion of accounts and data from within the app and over the web. This web part, which you will need to link to in the data security form, is especially important so that the user can request account and data deletion without having to reinstall the application.

Users want an easier and more consistent way to request data deletion. By creating a more intuitive experience with this policy, Google hopes to better educate users about the data controls available to them and build more trust in your apps and Google Play in general.

Under the new policy, when you request to delete an account, you must also delete the data associated with that account. This feature also gives developers more choice: users who don’t want to completely delete their account can choose to delete only other data (such as activity history, images or videos). For developers who need to retain certain data for legitimate reasons such as security, fraud prevention, or regulatory compliance, you must clearly describe data retention practices.

As a first step, Google is asking developers to submit answers to new data deletion questions on your app’s data security form by December 7th. Early next year, Google Play users will begin seeing reflected changes to your app’s store listing, including an updated data deletion icon in the Data Security section and a new data deletion area.

Developers who need more time can apply to extend the current situation in the Play Console until May 31, 2024.