Over the years Google Play has gone from being a software platform where anyone can install an app to a store that tries to follow certain minimum standards. Managing each application seems a daunting task, but G major seems determined to eliminate any application that poses a potential risk, and location is one of those risky permissions.
In recent years we have seen efforts like Google Play Protect even though it may not reach its full potential, if it has removed a large number of applications. The next step in the battle for Google is apps that take advantage of local permissions, a clearance that has been the focus of many applications in recent years. It's better late.
Google will evaluate all apps that use your location
Privacy has been a valuable source of information for companies. While there are applications that actually use these permissions, they are permissions it is very dangerous not imposing limits. And Google has taken many years, but it seems that it's already in the right place.
Android 10 warns when an application receives permission in the background.
With Android 10 we encountered a new privacy feature that allowed us to grant location permissions only when the application was running. With Android 11 Google took action and allowed us to grant permissions only once, but given the Android split, this is not enough.
From now on, Google will start analyzing all apps that use the background, making a great clean of all the apps that use this permission with deception. From April to November, all applications will have to go through a Google update to be approved. Those programs that do not extend the process will disappear from the application store from November.
The stages of the process
- April: a new update to Google Play's official privacy policy regarding the backdrop.
- May: developers can ask for comments about their use case from the Google Play console and a limited response time of 2 weeks, depending on the volume.
- August 3: All new Google Play apps that reach the background will need permission to publish.
- November 2: all existing applications requiring background space will need to be approved or they will be removed from Google Play.
Google's recommendations for developers
