Google aims to reduce data theft with app data and account cancellations

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Let’s take a look at Google’s proposals to make it easier for app users to request data and account deletion from mobile developers.

Google has made several security improvements to the general functioning of apps in the last 12 months or so. Now it’s a little easier to figure out what apps want from you. Labels indicating a level of trust for developers. Changes made to ensure old and abandoned apps no longer show up for download on the Play Store.

Now the focus is on data collection or, to be more precise, data deletion. Google wants people to be able to delete data associated with an app. This counts for data within the application itself, but also out there on the web.

A farewell to app data?

Many apps require you to create an account, and quite often those accounts are added to websites. This is especially common with game apps, but it can be a requirement for pretty much anything you choose to install depending on the developer’s needs. .

From the Google announcement:

For apps that allow app account creation, developers will soon need to provide an option to initiate account and data deletion from within the app and online. This web requirement, which you’ll link to in the Data Security form, is especially important so that a user can request account and data deletion without having to reinstall an app.

If you’re wondering, Google’s data security module is a way for developers to inform their users about how their data is used, collected, shared, and so on. All key developer security and privacy practices are listed here. Everything from what the developer themselves does to how associated third-party entities work with them should be included.

Total deletion of the account and data

If an app user decides they no longer want anything to do with an application, there’s now a way to make sure everything is gone for good. No more accounts lying around, potentially waiting to be compromised after a long period of neglect.

Since release:

As the new policy states, when you comply with an account deletion request, you must also delete the data associated with that account. The feature also gives developers a way to offer more choice: users who may not want to delete their account entirely can choose to delete other data only where applicable (such as activity history, pictures or videos). For developers who need to retain certain data for legitimate reasons such as security, fraud prevention, or regulatory compliance, these data retention practices should be clearly disclosed.

As with so many changes of this nature, nothing is happening yet. The developers were given time to tidy up their homes if necessary and submit their comments in relation to the proposed changes. They have from now until the beginning of December to do it. However, if necessary, an extension is possible which could give them until the end of May 2024. In any case, the changes reflecting this new policy will not take effect until the beginning of next year.

As a user of the device there isn’t much you can do about it for now. It’s definitely a warning to developers to take a long look at the data they collect and how to dispose of it when app users feel it’s no longer needed. Other major store owners are transitioning to similar policies and this can only be a good thing in helping reduce the threat of data theft.

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