Google Play tightens developer policies to eliminate malicious apps
August 3, 2012 by Network Security
Filed under Android
We all know that Google Inc, unlike Apple has never made a vetting procedure for the applications published to its Android Market – now known as Google Play, and is depending on Bouncer – an automated app checking service that examines applications by operating them on Google’s Cloud and replicating how they will run on an Android system – to get and ban harmful applications and developers.
Still, as has been lately shown, Bouncer can only discover some bad applications, so Google has declared the tensing of its programming app guidelines in an attempt to break down on rogue and possibly harmful applications that have spread on Google Play.
The company sent an e-mail with details of the changes to all designers and has given them a due date within which they are needed to fix and publish any program that does not comply with the given guidelines.
The changes consist of the limitation of the use of titles or icons that look alike just like existing system applications in order to decrease users confusion; more information about the type of applications that are prohibited on Google Play; better cases of what comprises programmer and app spamming actions (which is, obviously, not allowed); and a new area dealing with ad actions in applications.
“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,” the Google Play team pointed out in the letter.
“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,” the team wrote.
