Google has sent out an email to its Google Play Store developers detailing a number of new changes to its developer policy with the hope of reducing intrusive advertising within Android applications.
The full email sent out to developers can be read after the jump and reveals that Google has made changes to its subscription billing policy, and the restriction of the “use of names or icons confusingly similar to existing system apps”.
Together with specific restrictions on intrusive or misleading advertising that might try to simulate or impersonate system notifications or warnings, or make changes to user devices outside of the application.
Google is giving developers 30 days to get their applications in order and fit within the new guide lines, or other risk removal from the Google Play Store all together.
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
Source: Android Police