In February, Google announced that it would be reviewing all background locator apps published on Google Play, in addition to the tracking restrictions that have been included in Android 10 and Android 11. With this announcement, a listing has was published route that ended on November 2, when all apps requiring background tracking had to be verified or they would be deleted from the store.
The date has passed and Google has posted an update about it on its Developer Blog. The policy remains in place and any apps that require a background location will need to be reviewed manually by Google, but the deadline is extended to January 18, 2021
More time to justify the use of the location
Background location access is required for map apps and some other specific cases, but according to Google, most apps that access the location in the background don’t really need to. Moreover, accessing the location anytime is easy to exploit by malicious apps or with monetization SDKs through which a user’s location can even end up in the hands of the military.
Therefore, Google asks developers to fill out a form where describe in detail why you need to know the location in the background, including a short video where you can see the warning screen indicating what location is needed and the process to activate it. Without video, there is no Google approval.
According to initial planning, by August 3, 2020, all new apps released that require a background location should have been approved, and by November 2, all Google Play apps should have passed this exam. Google has decided to give extra time and Google is giving developers until January 18, 2021 to submit the form.
However, apps published on Google Play before April 16, 2020 still have a few months, until March 29. After this date, applications that have not justified using the background location may be removed from Google store.
More information | Android Developers
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