Android app account termination follows Apple’s lead

Today, Google revealed a new account termination policy for Android applications that create accounts. The corporation will enforce this regulation early next year. This follows Apple’s June 30, 2022 App Store regulation.

By December 7, the firm will need developers to answer data deletion questions in the Data Safety form. Google Play’s Data Safety section classifies apps’ data collecting methods based on developer replies.

With this new policy, Google will update the Play Store’s Data Safety section to reflect data restrictions. Google said that applications that have completed their forms and changed their code to allow account termination will display data deletion badges on Google Play early next year.

“An option to begin account and data deletion from within the app and online” must be clearly discoverable, according to Google. On account termination, developers must likewise erase user data from their servers. Developers must state in the app why they require user data.

The new policy requires deleting account data when deleting an account. Developers may give consumers additional options by letting them erase only certain data (such as activity history, images, or videos). Google stated, “Developers who need to preserve data for legitimate reasons like security, fraud prevention, or regulatory compliance must declare those data retention practices.”

Developers that need more time to accomplish this will get until May 31, 2024. But they must request it through Google Play.